Hot engines of various two-, three- and four-wheeled racing machines brought the Jura to the boil from July 3 to 5, 2015. Despite the scorching heat of around 38 degrees, the participants of this year's Lignières Historique didn't let it stop them from having fun on Switzerland's only circuit.
Racing despite the ban
Despite the ban on circuit racing in Switzerland following the horrific accident at Le Mans in 1955, a 1,006 km race track was built in the Jura in 1961 by visionary Robert Souaille. Even then, its importance for training and further education became a serious problem for the ever-increasing road traffic. In 1964, the track was extended to 1,350 km.
In the meantime, the TCS (Touring Club Switzerland) has taken over the track, developed it into a training center for cars and motorcycles of all kinds and massively improved the then dilapidated infrastructure. And today, the Lignières Historique takes place every year, always attracting over 3,000 visitors.
Pure demo rides
Touring, racing and rally cars, as well as solo motorcycles and a sidecar field alternated over two days on the race track. Unfortunately, these were all pure demonstration rides without racing status, but that didn't stop the participants from holding individual races amongst themselves.
Lots of program including new Energy GP
The spectators were offered a lot in two days and one night. The event ran around the clock. When the petrol burners stopped, the electric cars started for the first ever long-distance Energy GP.
Night becomes day
A 12-hour race from 19:00 in the evening until 07:00 in the morning turned night into day. To make the silence of the night a little louder, the cult film "Le Mans" by Steve McQueen was shown to the fans along the race track, where the emission-free and noiseless vehicles of the Energy GP could be seen. A round-the-clock program that even made a hotel room superfluous.
Successful third race event
It is perfectly understandable that the enormous heat made many fans prefer to travel to lakes and rivers rather than to Lignières. Nevertheless, it has to be said that they missed something, because the organizers once again went to great lengths to put on a very well-organized event for the third time in a row.
Following in the footsteps of the Goodwood Revival, the Lignières Historique could very well position itself in the classic car calendar. The location would certainly suit and with selected racing fields, plus some demo runs of first-class racing cars, the chance to tie in with the English super event could certainly be possible.
Fans can get up close to the racing cars in the paddock, the track offers plenty of action and is very clearly laid out. The only thing that could be improved would be a track announcer with in-depth knowledge of historic vehicles, so that a "Formula Vee" does not become a "Formule cinque", to name just one lapse.
Hard-boiled participants
Like former racing drivers, some of the drivers started in several fields with different vehicles. The historic racing cars were not enough for two very tough guys, who drove their electric cars all night long. Gery Leumann had taken part in the Concour d'Elégance with his Bentley, had started in the pre-war field and had conquered the 12-hour Energy GP.
Edy Schorno did the same; he had also taken part in the Concours with his Riley, started in the pre-war field, rode a solo motorcycle and had also spent the whole night in an electric vehicle. All of this is certainly manageable in normal temperatures, but at almost 40 degrees and with only a little cooling at night, it can really take its toll on the body.
Hard-working paramedics
People drank by the liter, probably much more than all the race cars burned together, but the paramedics still had a lot to do, as one or the other had to struggle with circulatory problems due to dehydration.
Stars in Lignières
Celebrities were also present, including Marcel Fässler, who drove Michelle Mouton's Rallye Quattro around the race track, as well as Rolf Biland and Kurt Waltisberg, who drove their own cars.
Levin Amweg started the Energy GP, Neel Jani stopped by for a few autographs and Philippe Coulon had a few words to say about the motorcycles. Not to forget Jo Siffert's children Philippe and Veronique Siffert.
Happy Birthday!
Even a round birthday could still be celebrated at the weekend, so Urban Fässler, who is known for his excellent restorations of monopostos, mainly of the Lotus brand, got a round seven, but that didn't stop him from driving one of his restored cars himself. Namesake and Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler was amazed at the extremely reclined position of the driver in the Lotus and was extremely enthusiastic about the condition of the little green monoposto with the yellow stripe.
Looking ahead to 2016...
Let's just look forward to the fourth Lignières Historique in the hope of more pleasant temperatures, dry conditions and a lot more spectators, so that Switzerland can slowly but surely get closer to the English.
The Klausen race was already an absolute mega-event that could compete with Goodwood, Monaco and Le Mans. Perhaps the Lignières Historique will be able to build on this and offer a regular event in a class of its own.
