Herford Racer: 80 & Still Driven – An Incredible Career

Reinhold Köster, a motorsports enthusiast from Herford, Germany, continues to pursue his passion for racing at the age of 80. His unique approach involves modifying the chassis of ordinary family cars to create competitive racing vehicles, a practice that has defined his long career.

Köster’s dedication to motorsports extends back decades, with participation in events like the 1978 Nürburgring Eifel race. That event, held on April 29-30, 1978, at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, drew an attendance of 65,000 spectators and featured 22 starters in Division 1 and 26 in Division 2. The race was marked by several incidents, including crashes involving drivers Ronnie Peterson, Quester, and Grohs, all resulting in significant vehicle damage. Despite the setbacks experienced by some competitors, the event showcased a diverse field of vehicles and drivers.

The 1978 race saw Hezemans achieve pole position in Division 1 with a time of 7.35.1, while Heyer secured pole in Division 2 with a time of 8.00.6. Hezemans also recorded the fastest lap in Division 1 at 7.40.5, and Winkelhock set the fastest lap in Division 2 at 8.02.9. The average speeds reached 173.61 kmh in Division 1 and 168.72 kmh in Division 2.

Köster is also associated with Abarth vehicles, a brand known for its performance-tuned cars. He is recognized alongside fellow motorsports enthusiasts Uwe Despang and Dennis Middelmann for their shared love of automobiles.

The Supercup Nürburgring Eifelrennen in 1986 also saw participation from a variety of drivers and teams, as documented in the race’s entry list. Details of Köster’s participation in that specific event were not available in the provided sources.