Between 1959 and 1966, the ACS Glarus section organized the Kerenzerberg race from Mühlehorn to Stocken three times. Members of other ACS sections were also invited to take part in this small mountain championship, as the race was called at the time. The narrow, winding old Kerenzerberg road with a difference in altitude of 140 m and a length of two kilometers was quite challenging.
The Glarner Nachrichten newspaper reported the following at the time: "The main race was undoubtedly the well-staffed class field of racing cars. In all heats, Swiss champion Dr. Harry Zweifel recently proved his class as a top driver and set the best time of the day with a brilliant average of 67 km/h on the Cooper 1100 cc."
In 1967, a hill climb was then started for the first time from the other side of Mollis in the direction of Kerenzerberg, in 1968 the event already counted towards the Swiss Championship, in 1969 even towards the European Championship.
On September 26/27, 1970, this hill climb with a track length of around 3.2 km, four hairpin bends, long curves and fast straights took place for the last time and again with international participation. Silvio Moser won in the Formula 1 Bellasi. Then the real hill climb on the Kerenzerbergstrasse came to an end. In the new millennium, this tradition was remembered and a revival was initiated.
For the sixth time as a revival
From June 14 to 16, 2024, the Kerenzerberg was a place of nostalgia and motorsport for the sixth time since 2015. With 220 cars and 50 motorcycles, the full starting field was a continuation of previous years. The variety of vehicles offered spectators a varied program.
Unfortunately, the weather with the heavy rain on Saturday morning was only really suited to one vehicle: the moving "bathtub".
Many participants therefore stayed in bed a little longer and enjoyed breakfast. The conditions improved in the early afternoon and this attracted many enthusiastic motorsport and classic car fans to the mountain race track, especially on Sunday.
Lots of spectators
Even though the race took place without timekeeping and the focus was not on best times and victories, the drivers and spectators still clearly felt and experienced the history of the event.
The packed spectator areas along the race route and at the start in Mollis were evidence of a new spectator record on Sunday. "The last time there were this many spectators was back in the 1960s, when the Kerenzerberg race was held," said Franz Leupi, Vice President of the OC, enthusiastically.
Winner Schurti on site
A very special guest enjoyed the action again after decades. Manfred Schurti, the Liechtenstein racing driver, competed here on the Kerenzerberg in 1967 with his Formula Vee and surprised everyone by winning ahead of W. Müller. Peter Mattli from Uri set the first course record for the Kerenzerberg race at the same event with a time of 1:15.20.
The racers were no longer quite as fast in June 2024, but they were still fast. The spectacular show program with the APE tricycle Rossati and the "fastest bathtub" in the world once again proved to be crowd favourites.
The interesting and very varied starting field, which consisted of a good mix of pre-war cars, motorcycles, racing cars, touring cars and formula cars, exuded nostalgia and made the hearts of die-hard motorsport and classic car fans beat faster.
Even vehicles that had been waiting to set off from the "Waid" restaurant during the first official events in the late 1960s were back at the start.
In any case, the organizers of the Kerenzerberg race can once again look back with satisfaction on a successful event with various tracks on the asphalt. Nevertheless, a three-year break has now been scheduled due to other events in the region, and the next event is expected to take place in 2027.
