The Lenzerheide Motor Classics took place for the eighth time between June 14 and 16, 2019. On Friday, there was a peaceful parade through Lenzerheide, followed by racing action at the weekend.
The two race days offered the best conditions for riding and spectator enjoyment in good weather conditions. Given the 1473 m altitude of the mountain village, the temperatures remained within a healthy range for the engines.
Get up early
However, some of the participants had to get up quite early, as the first vehicles were sent out onto the track shortly after seven o'clock in the morning. Others were able to turn over to the other side in bed, if they weren't woken up by the humming and roaring on the circuit between Lenzerheide and the Rothorn valley station anyway.
The race participants - the demonstration rides were not an actual race, of course - stepped on the gas and used every inch of the smoothly "set" track, which was neutralized for a short section, as is the case every year, so that the fields could move closer together again. So there was a flying start every lap.
Something for the eye ...
With cars from over 100 years ago, there was plenty to see for the spectators and, of course, for the participants.
While some were impressed by the La France Type 12 from 1917, others were perhaps more taken with the Ferrari Pista Spider from 2019.
An extensive pre-war field allowed visitors to get in touch with early automotive history, while many youngtimers and more recent classic cars brought back memories from their own youth. Many vehicles from the Opel, Alfa Romeo and BMW brands in particular were on display.
... and the ear
Not only the eye, but also the ear got to hear a lot. When the racing cars accelerated fully after the start, the most beautiful symphonies of four to twelve cylinders could be heard, and the motorcycles also had one and two cylinders.
Those who were interested could acoustically explore the differences between various engine designs.
No less interesting village group
The eight racing fields were joined by the so-called "village group", which completed a few laps at a rather leisurely pace, but with no less appealing vehicles.
There were also cars on display that are usually only seen in museums or at Concours d'Elégance events, such as a Ferrari 275 GTB, a Lamborghini Miura or a Mercedes-Benz 170 V convertible.
These less sporty drivers also received a lot of applause.
Dense fun
The Lenzerheide Motor Classics is also a condensed pleasure of historic racing because the cars do not pass each other only at a distance and rarely, as in a hill climb, but can complete around 6 to 12 laps in each of the four rounds.
This meant that the drivers got to drive a lot and the spectators saw the individual cars more often and more intensively. This recipe also worked for everyone involved in 2019, especially as there was still enough time for lunch (thanks to the prescribed midday rest).
Incidents come before
However, the heavier traffic compared to a hill climb can also have negative consequences, as an accident on Saturday showed when one car overshot the other and ended up next to the track.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident and other "tête-à-queues" did not have any serious consequences, although of course even a fender bender is a hard blow for the vehicle owner.
Positive conclusion
In any case, the organizers of the Lenzerheide Motor Classics were satisfied.
"I am really delighted that we were once again able to offer the public a unique motorsport show this year," said OC President Michael Widmer after the end of the event. He had seen the participants, spectators and helpers with a smile on their faces and was therefore very satisfied. And of course the next, ninth edition of the Lenzerheide Motor Classics, which will take place from June 5 to 7, 2020, was already being looked forward to.
More pictures can be found in the additional picture gallery, which shows almost all of the participating cars and also some of the motorcycles/carriages.
