Alois Muff was a talented and probably successful folk musician. This is the only way to explain why Muff had an expensive hobby: he owned a Bugatti 35B racing car and took part in car races as an amateur.
On July 9, 1933, he took part in the Michaelskreuz race in Root as a demonstration driver. He arrived late, was nervous and drove his Bugatti up the slope like a man possessed until he missed a bend around 100 meters below the finish line, skidded down the slope and finally hung the car on a tree.
The uninjured Muff was in shock and mumbled "S'esch fertig mit em Muff!", sold the wreck and never raced again afterwards. He died just six years later at the young age of 34. Today, the corner is called "Muff-Rank".
Muff's Bugatti back on the grid
78 years later , Alois Muff's now-restored Bugatti was back at the start in Root and drove up the steep hill again, but this time without incident,
Grandiose Bugatti performance
A Grand Prix Bugatti alone is a good reason to visit an event, but in fact eleven of Ettore Bugatti's rare vehicles were registered for the Michaelskreuzrennen. The 1934 Bugatti Type 57 touring car took part in the Corso class, while the others were entered in the racing class: seven Bugatti 35s (A, B and C), a Bugatti 37, a Bugatti 51 and a Bugatti 59. The fact that not all of these cars were actually on the course or driving on the hill climb was probably due, at least in part, to the unfavorable weather conditions.
Capricious weather
While the sun was still smiling at the last event three years ago, Peter was frowning this time. The sky was overcast on Saturday, clouds of fog minimized visibility, rain and low temperatures made the course slippery. The compensation for the bad weather came on Sunday, when the sky cleared and the sun warmed up the spectators and drivers.
Race track with tradition
The Gisikon-Root to Michaelskreuz hill climb was held back in the 1920s and 1930s, mostly for motorcycles. And it usually took place in summer, when the public presumably enjoyed warmer temperatures.
Varied but narrow route
The mountain route from Gisikon-Root to Michaelskreuz is 3,420 meters long and covers an altitude difference of 305 meters. There are eight hairpin bends and a number of other curves to negotiate. The road is around 3.5 to 4 meters wide and not exactly perfectly flat, which means that drivers of fast cars and motorcycles in particular need to be careful. Overall, however, the route is smooth and attractive for both pre- and post-war vehicles. The bends are not too tight and are easy to negotiate. Only overtaking is tricky due to the narrow road width, so that small traffic jams often formed during the uphill sections.
A wide range of vehicles
In addition to almost a hundred motorcycles and sidecars, over 150 touring, sports and racing cars representing around 100 years of automotive history took part in the "Max Ettmüller memorial ride". The oldest vehicle, an American La France 10, dated from 1915. Both the pre-war and post-war generations were represented in a rich and varied way.
Rich pre-war vehicle field
In addition to the Bugatti already mentioned, an extremely rich field of pre-war sports and racing cars had gathered in Root. S.S. 90, Invicta S-Type, Nash, Marmon, Buick, Vale, Wolseley or Atalanta made the hearts of connoisseurs beat faster, but the more frequently seen Alvis, Austin, Riley or MG also delighted the audience with hearty drifts and a background noise befitting their status.
Rarities and everyday classics from the past
Among the vehicles built after the war, there were extremely rare examples such as the De Tomaso Vallelunga, the Healey Silverstone, the Ginetta G4, the Matra Djet V5, the Iso Rivolta, the former Audi Quattro works racing car and the original Lotus Elan, which set the fastest times at the Eigental hill climb in the 1960s.
But there were also cars on display that were waiting to be used in many a garage years ago, from the Fiat Mirafiori to the Opel Commodore, the VW Beetle and a whole pack of Toyota Celicas. And of course, the beautiful Alfa Romeo limousines and sports coupés from the sixties and seventies were not to be missed in this field.
The finale was a small group of formula racing cars that shot up the slope with a wonderful roar.
Where have they gone
Unfortunately, some of the registered vehicles could never be spotted on the track, such as the Ford Cortina Lotus, the Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF, the Allard M1 DHC, the Datsun 2000 Roadster or the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS. Was it the bad weather or technical problems that prevented them from attending?
Nothing was at stake!
There were actually only winners at the Michaelskreuzrennen. Because nothing was at stake! A few of the motorcyclists were unlucky and crashed on the slippery, wet track. And some participants complained about technical problems that prevented further ascents. But all in all, the positive experiences outweighed the negative ones and on Sunday in particular, everyone had a good laugh again.
Atmosphere in the marquee
Those who weren't riding or didn't want to watch, or who were fleeing the weather, found variety and warming refreshments in the diverse marquee landscape in the start area. In any case, the coffee sales probably exceeded expectations despite the fact that some of the spectators did not show up.
Every three years
The last Michaelskreuzrennen was held in 2008, hopefully we can hope for a resumption in 2014.
