At first glance, the very different motorsport disciplines of "airfield racing" and "hillclimbing" do not seem to go together with the best will in the world. The first "Pista & Piloti Hillclimb" on the former Bundeswehr airfield in Pferdsfeld/Hunsrück, which TRIWO had elaborately converted into a test track, impressively proved the opposite. After two successful circuit events at the same location, organizer Marco Wimmer had the clever idea of using the unique topography of the test track to try the "hill climb on an airfield" experiment.
Climbing course
The start took place in front of a former hangar at the lowest point of the track. After the start, the race went through a wide right-hand bend, over a short, ascending straight and then through a tight left-hand bend. This was followed by a chicane, then the passage through the new section of the track completed last year, a fast banked bend and finally the former runway with the finish line. A total of 15 bends over 2.5 kilometers of track had to be mastered. The race was not held as a hunt for the best time, but as a regularity test (GLP) without any pressure or stress.
100 years of variety
In contrast to the "normal" Pista & Piloti events, which take place on the last weekend in August and focus on Italian brands, this event was open to all brands and models built up to 2005. Well over 110 starters competed with more or less sporty vehicles. The field was really broad and represented 100 years of automotive history.
The oldest vehicle, a 1922 Mercedes 28/95 Targa Florio, was driven by Alexander Hoebig. This model had already won the notorious Targa Florio tour of Sicily in 1921 with the then works driver Max Seiler and Hans Rieger as lubricants. The youngest vehicle was local hero Mario Schierhorn's 2003 Subaru Impreza, which was joined by some brand-new Abarth 595s from the show program, meaning that the field of participants covered exactly a century.
Porsche precision landing
In sporting terms, the GLP routiniers were clearly ahead. In his Porsche 914/6 GT, Michael Stoschek hit his target time from the seeded lap in both races to the dot and won with a 0.00 second difference. He was followed by Frank Huber in a '65 Ford Mustang with a difference of 0.18 seconds, ahead of Michael Nägler in his 1995 Volvo 850 in authentic BTCC design. The top 5 was completed by Fred Kronberg in an Alfa Romeo 145 QV from 2000 and Tammo Voigt in a 1935 Riley TT Sprite Special.
More by chance, the five cousins of the Daut family from Monzingen, just a seven-minute drive away, had heard about the event and registered at short notice in almost full strength with their Audi 50 and VW Polo. Marcel, Uwe, Daniel and Ralf, Nicki Daut was just watching this time. They normally compete in the KW Bergcup and in the various NAVC (Neuer Automobil und Verkehrsclub) series, but this weekend the young Hunsrückers treated themselves to a relaxed weekend of fun right on their doorstep. "The track was really fun. I hadn't imagined it would be this good. We'll definitely be back," said Marcel Daut. This applies not only to his family, but also to most of the participants.
The overall result of the first Pista & Pilot Hillclimb Pferdsfeld can be found on this website.
