The Cup of Peace and Friendship (also Friendship Cup of Socialist Countries) was an auto racing championship series dedicated to Eastern Bloc drivers between 1963 and 1990.
History The Cup of Peace and Friendship was created in 1963 as an initiative of Lech Tulak and Jerzy Jankowski of the Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation. The main purpose of the cup was to promote standard regulations for auto racing in Eastern Bloc countries. In its initial form it was a championship for open-wheel, single seaters and included both individual and national team awards. Heinz Melkus and East Germany were the first champions.
For the inaugural season in 1963, cup races were held to Formula Junior, before its replacement by the new 1-litre Formula Three from 1964. 1972 saw the creation of Formula Easter, which would form the technical basis of the championship for the next seventeen years, before switching to Formula Mondial for the final two seasons in 1989 and 1990. From 1973 a touring car class was also introduced.
After the revolutions of 1989, the championship was made open to western entrants, but mounting financial difficulties made 1990 the final season of the Cup of Peace and Friendship.
Champions Single seater Touring car Season Category Champion driver Car Champion Nation Champion Driver Car Champion Nation 1963 Formula Junior Heinz Melkus -Wartburg East Germany not held not held not held 1964 Formula 3 Jerzy Jankowski -Wartburg East Germany not held not held not held 1965 Formula 3 Heinz Melkus Melkus 65-Wartburg East Germany not held not held not held 1966 Formula 3 Heinz Melkus Melkus 65-Wartburg East Germany not held not held not held 1967 Formula 3 Heinz Melkus Melkus 65-Wartburg East Germany not held not held not held 1968 Formula 3 Miroslav Fousek Škoda F3 Czechoslovakia not held not held not held 1969 Formula 3 Vladimír Hubáček Lotus 41C-Cosworth Czechoslovakia not held not held not held 1970 Formula 3 Vladislav Ondřejík Lotus 41C-Cosworth Czechoslovakia not held not held not held 1971 Formula 3 SEG-Wartburg East Germany not held not held not held 1972 Formula Easter Heinz Melkus Melkus 71-Wartburg Czechoslovakia not held not held not held 1973 Formula Easter MTX 1107-Škoda East Germany Andrzej Wojciechowski Polski Fiat 125p Czechoslovakia 1974 Formula Easter MTX 1-02-Škoda Czechoslovakia Škoda 120S Czechoslovakia 1975 Formula Easter Madis Laiv Estonia 18-VAZ Soviet Union Škoda 130RS Czechoslovakia 1976 Formula Easter MTX 1-03-VAZ Czechoslovakia Škoda 130RS Czechoslovakia 1977 Formula Easter MTX 1-03-VAZ Czechoslovakia Škoda 130RS Czechoslovakia 1978 Formula Easter -VAZ East Germany Škoda 130RS Soviet Union 1979 Formula Easter Avia AE2-VAZ Czechoslovakia VAZ-2101 Czechoslovakia 1980 Formula Easter -VAZ Czechoslovakia VAZ-2101 Czechoslovakia 1981 Formula Easter Jiří Moskal MTX 1-03-VAZ East Germany Petr Samohýl Škoda 120 Soviet Union 1982 Formula Easter Jan Veselý RAF 80-VAZ Czechoslovakia VAZ-2101 Czechoslovakia 1983 Formula Easter -VAZ East Germany VAZ-2101 Soviet Union 1984 Formula Easter -VAZ East Germany VAZ-2101 Czechoslovakia 1985 Formula Easter -VAZ Czechoslovakia VAZ-2101 Czechoslovakia 1986 Formula Easter Václav Lim Avia AE3-VAZ East Germany Skoda 130LR Czechoslovakia 1987 Formula Easter Toomas Napa Estonia 21M-VAZ Soviet Union Petr Bold VAZ-2105 Soviet Union 1988 Formula Easter Estonia 21.10-VAZ Soviet Union VAZ-2105 Soviet Union 1989 Formula Mondial Estonia 21.10-VAZ Soviet Union VAZ-2108 Soviet Union 1990 Formula Mondial Estonia 21.10-VAZ not held Josef Michl Škoda 136L not held
Circuits Circuit Location Years Albena Circuit Albena 1977-1987 Brno Circuit Brno 1963-1965, 1967 Strahov Circuit Prague 1966 Štramberk Circuit Štramberk 1968 Havířov-Šenov Havířov 1969-1970, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1990 Most Street Circuit Most 1972-1980, 1982 Autodrom Most Most 1984-1986, 1988 Sachsenring Hohenstein-Ernstthal 1963-1965, 1973-1974 Schleizer Dreieck Schleiz 1966, 1970-1990 Dresden 1967, 1969 Pécs Circuit Pécs 1964 Ferihegy Budapest 1965-1966 Győr Circuit Győr 1967 Hungaroring Mogyoród 1986-1987 Gliwice Circuit Gliwice 1963 Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport Kraków 1964, 1967 Warsaw Babice Airport Warsaw 1965-1966 Magnolia Circuit Szczecin 1968-1970 Toruń Airport Toruń 1973-1980 Kielce 1981-1982, 1984 Poznań Circuit Poznań 1983, 1985-1987, 1989-1990 Reșița Circuit Reșița 1984, 1986, 1988-1989 Galați Circuit Galați 1985 Borovaya Circuit Minsk 1963, 1969-1977 Leningrad 1966 Biķernieki Circuit Riga 1968, 1984-1986, 1988-1990 Chayka Motorsports Complex Kiev 1978-1983Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20170511094940/http://www.formula2.net/index.html
References