Among the many factory entries and manufacturer-backed cars at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring, it is often the amateur and grassroots racers who give the event its special character. One of them is Wolfgang Haugg, who is about to contest his 53rd race over twice around the clock. He will share an Audi TTS in the SP 3T class (#317) with Roland Waschkau, Thorsten Jung and Dirk Vleugels. Competing for MSC Sinzig in the ADAC, the Belgian is likely to approach this race with a sense of emotion, as it is set to be his final 24-hour appearance.
“For me, a race like this – and especially the preparation that goes with it – is mentally demanding. I need to get into the right mindset to deliver a strong performance. And physically, it does not get any easier either, especially when the temperatures inside the car rise,” Wolfgang Haugg says, explaining his decision to step away from 24h racing. “And, of course, there are other things in life as well,” adds the managing director of a family business with 100 employees and a father of four.
The 59-year-old, who never came through karting or formula racing, looks back on his career with pride. “I was always a reliable third or fourth driver; I could bring the car home safely. I was more the type to give 99 per cent rather than 101 per cent,” says the passionate endurance racer. “What I love about endurance racing is the team spirit. You can offer moral support to your colleagues, but you can also receive support from them. You’re not in this alone.” He also remained loyal to a particular class of car. “I have always liked the 2-litre cars. A more powerful Porsche, for example, never really appealed to me. I preferred getting the maximum out of a car with a smaller engine. And in a 2-litre race car with less power, I always felt completely at ease in every situation. As the saying goes: stick to what you know.” Yet alongside his passion for endurance racing, he also celebrated success in sprint racing, becoming Belgian Touring Car Champion in 1990.
His 50th 24-hour race had originally been planned for 2022, and the team was already in place. “But then the war in Ukraine broke out, and I spontaneously decided to help bring people from the war zone to safety. So I drove to the Polish-Ukrainian border and helped Ukrainians leave their country.” He made the trip eight to ten times at weekends and realised: “There I encountered a very different reality; at that point, I simply was not ready for motor racing.”
A year later, he returned to the Nordschleife, which – like the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – is filled with memories for him. “My first 24h race in 1987 was fantastic; in a Toyota Corolla, we finished 11th overall and won our class. Another unforgettable moment was the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps in 1993, when Belgian King Baudouin died overnight between Saturday and Sunday. The race was stopped, and the atmosphere was incredibly moving. And, quite simply, I’m almost overwhelmed by how fortunate I’ve been to share my passion with such wonderful teammates over the years.”
For his final 24h appearance, he hopes for “a trouble-free race, to see the sunrise from behind the wheel on Sunday morning, and to thank all the marshals during the cool-down lap after taking the chequered flag.” Is his decision not to enter another 24h race final? “Yes – unless we retire early. That would not be a worthy finale, and in that case I would come back next year.”