Porsche Prepares To Tackle Legendary 2023 GP Ice Race

Historic Event

For decades now, Porsche has descended upon Austria’s frozen Lake Zell each year for the annual GP Ice Race, which Ferdinand Porsche himself became enamored with back in the 1930s. He loved the area so much, in fact, that he purchased a 600-year-old estate in Zell am See, the town that overlooks the lake, in 1941. Since then, Porsche heads out to Lake Zell each year to reflect upon that key piece of its founder's history, as well as show off in a variety of cool vehicles.

Photos: Porsche

Mega Popular

Shortly after Ferdinand Porsche died in 1951, his company returned to Lake Zell with a full motorsports push, which debuted in 1953. The event attracted a legion of racers and eager fans, who continue to show up, each and every year, with the only deterrent being a handful of strong storms that have forced a few cancellations here and there. 

Photos: Porsche

Frenetic Action

Fifteen years later, the sport inspired the first Professor Ferdinand Porsche Memorial Race on February 10, 1952. On its first day, heavy snowfall just before the start of the racing forced organizers to find a different location on solid ground, but the spectators still arrived in droves. A moment of silence marked the one year anniversary of the death of Ferdinand Porsche, who was laid to rest in the same town, home of the Porsche family. Once the crowds had paid their respects, the engines revved up and the spectators that had gathered eagerly turned their attention to the frenetic action in the snow.

Photos: Porsche

Popular Pastime

In the early 1950s, racing was one of Austria’s most popular pastimes, attracting thousands of fans every weekend. Mass motorization was just beginning to take off and the memorial race was proof that the fun needn’t stop when winter arrived. "There was a great yearning for motorcycles and cars," said Austrian writer Thomas Karny, describing the period and the dream that for many "would only be fulfilled much later."

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Everything You'd Expect

The races in Zell am See continued on into the 1970s, when they had to be cancelled several times because the ice was too thin. A calamitous accident took place shortly before the event in 1974, when a snowplow broke through the ice and the driver drowned, and the races were then stopped altogether - bringing to an end a unique chapter in motorsport history. For a while, at least. The contests in honor of Ferdinand Porsche had everything that makes motorsports so appealing - exciting duels, intriguing technology, and heroic winners.

Photos: Porsche

Minor Pause

Thus, in 2019, Ferdinand Porsche Jr. and Vinzenz Greger revived the tradition and held the GP Ice Race on a track at the Zell am See airfield. Following two successful GP Ice Race events, attended by tens of thousands of visitors, last year's version was a little different - renamed just for 2021, Cold Start by GP took place without any members of the public in attendance in order to meet COVID-19 guidelines.

Photos: Porsche

Must See

Now, with the pandemic in our rear-view mirror, the GP Ice Race will return in all of its glory for 2023 with a host of exciting events planned for January 28. With any luck, it'll be every bit as fulfilling as the iconic event has proven to be over the past several decades, which is why it has become a must-see for fans of Porsche in general.

Photos: Porsche

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