They still exist, the gems among classic car events. The Schauinsland Classic is one of them. No fancy-pants, no artificial trappings. Driving in its most beautiful form was the order of the day - idyllic in the southwest of Baden. It doesn't always have to be the Stoderzinken, Futa Pass or Sella Pass. The Schauinsland mountain circuit or the Belchen Pass are perfectly adequate. And even just over 100 participants are absolutely enough for an almost intimate, manageable setting.
Ultra-fast mountain racetrack
Until 1984, the Schauinsland in Freiburg im Breisgau was synonymous with a long and, above all, ultra-fast hill climb circuit. Illustrious names such as Rudolf Caracciola, Hans Stuck, Hans Hermann, Graf Berghe von Trips, Jo Siffert, Peter Schetty and Ludovico Scarfiotti adorned the starting (and sometimes winning) lists.
Towards the end of its heyday, Xavier Perrot and his March Formula 2 fought many a battle on Fribourg's local mountain, and the Swiss "mountain king" Fredy Amweg also had his name entered in the golden book of winners.
The "end" came in the mid-1980s - environmental concerns, safety risks and public unease led to the Schauinsland being banned from the racing calendar, which was also a fixed part of the European Mountain Championships for a number of years.
From hill climb to classic car rally
Contemporary racing cars made way for classic cars twelve years ago. Initially held as a parallel competition with a hill climb and classic car tour, in recent years there has only been the "Schauinsland Classic", a competition for a classic car rally.
Over the weekend of August 3-4, 2018, 103 participants made their way to Freiburg to cover almost 500 km over two days in sweltering heat.
The organizers, the ADAC Südbaden and the Freiburg Motorsport Club (FMC), spared neither effort nor expense to send the participants over sensational routes into the Markgräflerland (Friday) and the Black Forest (Saturday) with the Belchen region and via Todtmoos deep into the Hotzenwald.
Main roads were only used for the shortest transfer stages when there was no other option. Otherwise: category 2 and category 3 roads and paths up to freight roads had been selected by the organizer. The piece-de-resistance, the Schauinsland, had to be ridden in both the Friday and Saturday stages. And someone who used to whip up the Schauinsland in a racing car in previous years was back again this year: Freiburg local hero Mario Ketterer drove a Porsche Carrera 3.0 from 1976. Incidentally, Ketterer still holds the track record, driven in 1979 in a Formula 2 Ralt-BMW ...
Unknown roads
The start was at noon on Friday at the Konzerthaus in the center of Freiburg. The first highlight was right away: the Schauinsland mountain racetrack was driven first (as well as a repeat on Saturday). Then it was on to the Münstertal, the Markgräflerland and back over the Schauinsland to the Münsterplatz in Freiburg. Friday's stage was peppered with 19 special stages and two secret classifications.
On Saturday, the route led through the extensive Black Forest. The entourage took on routes that not even the local participants knew! This time, 22 special stages and two secret classifications awaited the participants.
The arrows in the road book led from Münstertal via Wiedener Eck to the Belchen region and via Todtmoos deep into the Hotzenwald. There the route led past the two famous Black Forest brewery locations Waldhaus and Rothaus.
After a lunch break in Bonndorf and a fantastic ride through the wild and romantic Wutach Gorge, the route continued via Löffingen to Titisee-Neustadt, from there along dreamy little roads up to the Thurner Pass at over 1,000 meters for the last time. After a total of 492 kilometers, the Schauinsland Classic 2018 ended in the late afternoon at Karlsplatz in Freiburg via the Spirzen and through the Dreisamtal valley - and in the evening at the grand award ceremony in the Konzerthaus. The winning team was Pöhlemann / Pöhlemann (D) in a Lancia Beta Montecarlo.
All results can be found on the Schauinsland Klassik website.
The clergy and the Schauinsland Classic
The finish line of Friday's stage is Münsterplatz in Freiburg, lined with hundreds of onlookers. The cars are not allowed to enter until 7.35 p.m., this is required by the clergy, otherwise the church service taking place beforehand could be disturbed...
Perhaps the organizer will consider inviting the church representatives to take part in the rally? That would kill two birds with one stone: An earlier entry time would be possible, as the church service would probably be canceled because the reverend would be sitting in the rally car, and the number of participants could be increased because the Münsterplatz could then be entered earlier and there would be a little more time...
Incognito
While Audi boss Rupert Stadler is in custody and Martin Winterkorn has mutated into the persona non-grata of the German automotive industry, Matthias Müller, ex-Porsche and Volkswagen Group boss, was on the road in Freiburg in a red Porsche. The number "30" adorned his red sports car, but neither the Porsche nor its celebrity driver were included in the official star list. Müller was accompanied by a journalist from the magazine "Bunte" who wanted to write a portrait of him.
Summer heat
The whole of Europe is groaning under the leaden heat. The Black Forest, normally visible in clean green tones, is changing. Unsightly brown patches are appearing in the vast expanses, brutally demonstrating where water scarcity can lead flora and fauna. Small local rain showers on Friday and Saturday - the city of Freiburg remained dry - brought no relief.
The crews in the few pre-war vehicles were once again able to squeeze into their waterproof raincoats for a few moments; the post-war cars either had a fixed roof or at least a soft top that could be pulled up.
Minor "organizational problems"
You have to imagine it: Around 180 (!) people were needed to organize and run this two-day classic car event. Knowing this, the marshals, who left their walkers for a moment to punch a time stamp into the boarding card, were met with even greater respect. And the timekeeping crew, who got stuck in a freeway traffic jam on the way to their special stage, were quickly forgiven. The organizer complained that it was becoming increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers.
Young talent for the classic car scene
"We always bring the average age down a bit at classic car events," smiled Robert Krause (37), who drove a 1930 Ford A Boattail Racer together with Benjamin Drescher (36). The two of them bought the pre-war car three years ago, "then took it apart after a season and rebuilt it," explains Krause. They also made sure that the 6-cylinder 3.0 liter engine was given a little more power. "We weren't on the engine test bench, but there should be a little more than 100 hp.
The team from Hinterzarten didn't go easy on the Ford: in addition to rallies in the surrounding area (Südbaden Rally, Silvretta Classic, etc.), the racer was also pushed to the starting line in icy temperatures at the winter rally in the Swabian Alb... And along the way, they won the pre-war classification at the Schauinsland, to the delight of Stefanie Krause: "The trophy will be put in the display case - in the cellar".
Cooling water from the Moselle
Uwe Jaeger has now owned the 1961 Volvo PV544 for 28 years. The old Swede (the car - not the driver) is indestructible. "Several years ago, we modified the chassis a bit and installed a two-liter engine instead of the original 1.6-liter engine. With over 100 hp, the Volvo can be moved a little faster...", laughed Jaeger.
He takes the car out of the garage the day before a rally and puts it back after the rally - the trips to the events are, of course, on the road. "Oh yes, I always disconnect the battery terminal after a rally," added Jaeger, proudly pointing out that the Volvo is a completely unproblematic car. He continued: "And if I need to top up the coolant, I sometimes get it from the Moselle on the open road.
The action was witnessed by a laughing Jockel Winkelhock driving past... If there is no need to top up the coolant, the team can easily win the overall standings up to 1961, as they did at the Schauinsland.
