Only at the very last two control points did the "Alfistisiters" Margarita and Magdalena Voglar throw away their leading role of the previous two days. Peter Schöggl and Werner Tripolt had been following them the whole time in a close slipstream and struck at the last moment from a lurking position. They won the 33rd Ennstal-Classik (July 16 to 19, 2025), not entirely unexpectedly and thoroughly deserved.
Incidentally, this was the first time this classic was held under the new era - without its founder, Austrian motoring journalist Helmut Zwickl.
Head-to-head race in the Alfa Romeo
The sisters had not relinquished the lead since the Friday evening classification, but Saturday morning on the Stoderzinken meant a first setback for the two previous year's winners in their Alfa Romeo Giulia with 44th place.
And at the GP in Gröbming, Schöggl/Tripolt made everything clear with a commanding second place (behind Nell/Nell in a Mini Cooper). The "Alfistisisters" - on the road with their sister of choice, the Giulia - only finished in 49th place.
Saturday was not their day and Team Schöggl/Tripolt were able to prevail with their Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce with a lot of discipline and, above all, continuity.
Well-staffed top ten and exciting guests
Other illustrious names appear in the top ten at the end: Georg Geyer and Thomas Frik took third place, just 500 points behind, Helmut Schramke and Peter Umfahrer, the winners of 2023, finished in 4th place, followed by Fritz Jirowsky and Gerhard Soukal in 5th place.
The leaders of the first intermediate classification - Christian and Rene Nell - took 8th place and Erich and Roswitha Volk (Ford Mustang) rounded off the top ten.
But even before that, there was a festival atmosphere in the paddock where stars such as David Brabham, Bernd Mayländer, Hans Joachim Stuck, Thomas Preining, Gustav Brunner and Matthias Walkner - the 2018 Dakar motorcycle winner - could be found.
The desert rider made his Ennstal debut with co-pilot Thomas Haider and finished a sensational 50th.
Later on, the Porsche Design Legends GP attracted the usual crowds. No wonder, as in addition to the "Walter Wolf Racing" Formula 1 car WR1 from 1977, the Le Mans Porsche 962C with Strietzel Stuck and the Porsche 908 "Oesterreich 2" with Thomas Preining were also there.
Only the Red Bull Air Show was canceled out of respect for the fatal accident involving Felix Baumgartner.
Fleet pre-war racing cars
The two Bugatti Brescia cars, which are over 100 years old, were fantastic on the road, with the prologue (415 km) and the marathon (453 km) covering around 900 km over hill and dale. However, both man and machine mastered the route without any problems. The space in the Brescia cockpit is very limited, which certainly didn't make things any easier for their passengers.
Nevertheless, both teams made it through the rain and clearly had a lot of fun. And once again it became clear that the Bugatti T13 Brescia, which weighs around 400 kg and has 60 hp from 1496 cc, is by no means an obstacle to traffic. Much younger road users with five times more power moved much more slowly.
The zwischengas prize therefore goes to starting number 1, the Bugatti T13 from 1922 with the team of Monika Rothlauf and Jan Reblin. Chapeau!
Striking
The 1955 Aston-Martin DB3 S. David and Christopher Martyr drove this fantastic British racing sports car with starting number 40. The car has a lot of history to offer.
The Aston-Martin was delivered in 1955 and soon enjoyed its first successes, such as in the 12-hour classic in Hyères in the south of France or in Lisbon and Oulton Park. The Le Mans disaster of the same year brought an abrupt end to the Aston season and the British withdrew from racing. The DB 3S with chassis number 104 was subsequently sold to the USA, where it continued to take part in races such as Pebble Beach, Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen. From 1959, the now barely competitive Aston went into a 15-year slumber in the henhouse before being repatriated to the United Kingdom in 1989 - once again fully restored.
Future secured
Despite his physical absence, the 33rd Ennstal-Classik 2025 was dominated by Helmut Zwickl, who was not only the co-founder but also the face and soul of this event. "His incomparable style, his love of motorsport and his tireless energy have shaped this event like nothing else," says Michael Glöckner, the new head of the team and confirms: "We will continue in his spirit - and with great respect."
It's great that all four children of the Glöckner families - like Helmut Zwickl, who passed away in February at the age of 85 - are also taking part with great enthusiasm.
