The weather could not have been better; the audience and the teams could not have harmonized better with each other. This year's Eifel Rallye Festival from July 21 to 23 was under several good stars. It was the tenth edition of the festival. At the same time, this year marked the 50th anniversary of the World Rally Championship, the WRC. On top of that, it was the E.R.F.'s liberation from its corona-induced slumber.
On site, in the paddock and in the nearby restaurants, you could feel the joy with which people had arrived here. Everyone was thirsty for deafening misfires and high speeds where they seem impossible. In honor of the revival, rally veterans such as Niki Schelle, Stig Blomqvist, Harri Toivonen, Fabrizia Pons, Jochi Kleint, Harald Demuth, Thierry Neuville and Marc Duez were also on hand, all piloting a vehicle in which they once competed in the championships.
A chirp in the forest
After an initial "shakedown" on Thursday and an open-air cinema set up especially for the occasion on Thursday evening, the first round began on Friday lunchtime. A total of eight different stages were prepared for Friday and Saturday - so nobody was likely to get bored. On the contrary: the enthusiasm did not wane at all towards Saturday evening.
On each stage, a 1980 VW Golf GTI and a 1975 Opel Kadett GT/E opened the fireworks as safety cars before the heavy guns went off. In terms of numbers, the starting field was clearly dominated by five-cylinder engines of all kinds. Music was played in 26 different ways from 2226 cubic centimeters and a turbo - sometimes the turbo was louder, sometimes the engine itself. In any case, the audience was anything but saturated, because every time an Audi announced itself from afar with an incomparably loud load change chirp, all conversation ceased and the eyes were turned expectantly towards the track
At the beginning of each stage, there was still a noticeable time gap between the passing exhibits. But after around 15 minutes, one piece of rally history after another was waved over the line and everything came back to life. Spectators and team members alike could not help but give free rein to their enthusiasm.
Drifts and donuts
Whenever a driver dared to take a corner in a drift, the spectators held their breath. If the maneuver was successful, the excitement was released in loud applause and cheers. Sporadically, this was then acknowledged with a flash of the headlights or a wave out of the window as the car accelerated out of the corner.
There was a reunion with Marcel Baldauf, who took part in the race in his red and black BMW 325i as a particularly cross-country lead car and was a constant source of joy for the newcomers and nervousness for the marshals. But even if they didn't succeed at the first attempt, some drivers knew how to save the situation. For example, Gerard and Mike Stacey in a Ford Escort RS 2000, who turned a spin in the middle of the serpentine into a donut, causing the crowd to cheer and applaud.
Overtaking maneuvers turned out to be reckless on most sections of the route. Nevertheless, some riders did not miss out and skillfully overtook the slower rider in front. While the dynamite barrels of Group B and its ilk vied for the top spot in terms of brutality, the Triumph 2.5 PI, Lancia Fulvia, Citroën DS, Ford 12 M Coupé and Anglia as well as the BMW 2002 ti paraded in time-honored style in front of the grandstand.
Celebrities in the pit lane
But you could also be surprised away from the track. For example, Harald Demuth, who stood relaxed in the "Audi Tradition" tent and answered the odd question here and there. Or Stig Blomqvist, who was able to stroll through the paddock more or less unmolested and take a look at the cars.
Elsewhere, Harri Toivonen, brother of the late Henri Toivonen, walked at a leisurely pace through the pit lane by the track to his car. And who did he meet there? Exactly: Bruno Ianniello. Ianniello is the man who has been rebuilding or rebuilding Group B Lancia Delta S4s to order with original parts for a good 20 years.
A fast doghouse
A very special car at this year's festival was Sandro Munari's former Lancia Stratos. After it had literally been smashed into a thousand pieces during use and its cockpit had been turned into a doghouse, it was now back on its wheels and shining again thanks to Ezio Lolli. You can't tell by looking at it that it has a mixed history and you almost get goosebumps when you stand in front of such a time capsule.
The Peugeot 306 Maxi Kit Car in which the current World Rally Championship driver Thierry Neuville started was unexpected. A project close to his heart, as he actually drives for Hyundai in the WRC. In any case, this banger provided plenty of entertainment - especially as it was pushed around the corner so skillfully and point-to-point.
Niki Schelle didn't miss out on the opportunity to give it a spin in front of the fans in the Eifel. For a change, this time he was not driving a Lancia Delta S4 from Ianniello, but instead opted for his test car from the 2002 WRC, so he had nothing to hide.
Prizes from the pros
While everyone and everything was always on the move and on the move from A to B on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, spectators and team members alike gathered for the awards ceremony on the rally mile in Daun on Saturday evening. Gerard and Mike Stacey secured the glorious "Sideways Star" prize with the aforementioned stunt - which, incidentally, they unerringly reproduced on every subsequent lap. They received it from multiple German rally champion Matthias Kahle, who almost had to present the prize to himself. In a Skoda 130 RS, he drove crossways wherever he could - but without giving away even a tenth of a second.
The winners of the "Best Replication" category were Frank Unger and Thorsten Scheffner. They received the prize from Kalle Grundel for their replica of a Lancia Delta Integrale 16V. Ezio Lolli and Lofty Drews offered themselves a reciprocal honor. Ezio Lolli's efforts to revive Sandro Munari's Stratos were recognized with the prize for the "Best Original"; presented by the original co-pilot of this vehicle in 1975 and 76, Lofty Drews.
Helmut Steiner and Hanna Wadlegger were named "Champion's Choice" with their 1998 Toyota Corolla WRC - by none other than Stig Blomqvist, who had also been behind the wheel a lot this weekend. A wonderful-sounding 1977 Alpine-Renault A310 earned Franz Zehetner and Martin Strobl the prize for the most beautiful car. Even though Harri Toivonen didn't get a chance with the Delta S4, he was still able to give them a treat and presented them with the prize.
Last but not least, Michele Mouton's former co-pilot, Fabrizia Pons, presented the special prize to Fred and Eva Walter with their original 1975 Lancia Beta Coupé. Fred Walter's co-pilot this weekend was Simo Lampinen, who had already been co-pilot in this very car in 1975.
Farewell pain and anticipation
The festival didn't have to start slowly again this year. It was fuller than ever before. This is exactly what fuels even more anticipation for the 2023 Eifel Rallye Festival, when even more spectators will arrive and even more works teams will appear. Because with every festival, it becomes more and more of a folly for all rally enthusiasts not to be there.
It took a while before it started to get dark and quiet in Leopoldstrasse in Daun on Saturday evening. And Sunday morning was the present again in this small district town in the Volcanic Eifel - until we meet again in July 2023.
