For more than three decades, his voice has been part of one of the most moving moments at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. As the starting grid fills and drivers, teams and fans prepare for the race, priest and emergency chaplain Klaus Kohnz offers a spiritual message. What began in 1991 at the initiative of then race director Peter Geishecker has long since become a cherished tradition.
Peter Geishecker, known as “Mr. 24h Race”, had encountered similar ceremonies in the United States and brought the idea to the Nürburgring. For Kohnz, the moment remains far more than a formal part of the programme. “It is an important opportunity to pause before the race,” he says. Amid the tension, anticipation and concentration, a special atmosphere emerges that resonates deeply with many people. “I continue to receive very positive feedback.”
Just how important moments like these can be was particularly evident during the 24h Qualifiers only a few weeks ago. After the fatal accident involving Juha Miettinen, Kohnz delivered the address for the minute of silence – a responsibility he had learned about only that same morning. He also had two Sunday church services to lead that day. “That was a major challenge,” he recalls. “Above all, it was important to me to do justice to the occasion.”
In his address, Kohnz spoke about the close connection between life and death. “Sometimes we realise that the veil between life and death is wafer-thin,” he says. For him, this is not about resignation, but about awareness and trust. One thought, in particular, stays with him: “Lord, let me live as if it were my last day – and pray as if it were my final conversation.”
For the clergyman, death is not an end, but an impulse to live more consciously and intensely. He sees no contradiction between activity and serenity. “The two belong together,” says Kohnz. “Both require a deep sense of trust.”
That is also why the Nürburgring means so much to him. To Kohnz, the track is not only a sporting venue and an economic driver for the region, but above all a place where people come together. “The Nürburgring brings people together – from different regions, with different languages and backgrounds.” It is precisely this sense of community that creates the unique atmosphere surrounding the 24h Nürburgring.
Pastoral moments are not confined to the race itself. Kohnz regularly supports ecumenical services held around the event and across the region. His blessing is always directed at the people behind the motorsport – participants, helpers, emergency services and spectators alike. He describes his wish for the event as “the joy that sport and leisure bring us – together with respect and a willingness to help one another.” It is a sentiment that perfectly suits the 24h Nürburgring – and one that has been part of this special race for many years.
Note:
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