After 50 years of ARBÖ Rallye, the change from the Austrian national championship to a pure Rally Legends event took place. And it was a complete success!
International field of participants
Last year's national championship saw just under 100 participants, but this year's premiere in the new mode saw over 120 teams from Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Sweden.
The very challenging routes in breathtaking scenery, perfect organization and a knowledgeable and friendly rally audience, combined with glorious "imperial weather" made the Austrian Rally Legends a real experience for drivers and spectators alike. Like the Eifel Rally Festival, for example, the rally was a demonstration drive without any classification.
Town of Admont declared a service zone
The stages on the first day were run under the direction of MSC Rosenau in and around Spital am Pyhrn in Upper Austria. The second day, which was organized by the ARBÖ Club Admont, was hosted by the small town of Admont in Styria. And as it was a bit cramped for the many vehicles, the whole of Admont was simply declared a service zone...and everyone joined in!
Interesting mix of circuits and "uphill-downhill tests"
As experienced organizers, the Austrians had put together an interesting mix of circuits and "uphill-downhill tests". As a further highlight, former world champion Stig Blomquist, who had traveled from Sweden especially for the event, demonstrated his driving skills in a powerful 1965 Ford Falcon Sprint. And he had brought another well-known Swedish driver with him: Hans-Ake Södergard, in his 1966 BMC Cooper S, once again showed what the small, famous rally car can do on the traditional mountain routes.
The modern era was presented by the multiple Austrian champion team Raphael Sperrer/Bernard Mann with a Seat Cordoba WRC from 1999. The spectators, estimated at over 20,000, did not shy away from the longest route to spectacular passages and were rewarded with breathtaking drifts. Popular locations were the Hall, Weng im Gesäuse, Vorderstoder and especially Oberweg near the hospital circuits, as they offered spectators plenty of entertainment and rally action.
Cooperation with Slowly Sideways
The close cooperation with Slowly Sideways under Reinhard Klein was the right step for the Austrian organizers; both events complement each other perfectly.
In the spectator voting for the Slowly Sideways vehicles, Fred Walter (Nissan 240 RS), Reinhold Keller (Opel Manta) and Andreas Stegmann (Renault RS Turbo) received the most votes for the most spectacular driving style.
The spectators voted the Wartburg 311-Rallye of Hans-Peter Lohmann as the most beautiful rally car, ahead of Claus Aulenbacher (Lancia Stratos) and Max Schneider (Ferrari 308 GTB).
The Lancia Stratos from Aulenbacher was a special experience for the spectators, as it is a true acoustic experience, especially in the mountains. The rare Mitsubishi Starion from Franz Fölling impressed with its rarity and clean construction.
Fortunately, despite the high demands, there were only 10 retirements.
