As we all know, the aim of a hill climb is to get from the start (in the valley) to the finish (at the top of the mountain) as quickly as possible. Well, at least that's how it used to be. Today it's a little more complicated. At least in Arosa at the ClassicCar hill climb. This year there were four modes of competition.
And yes, one of these classes drove uphill as fast as possible. Two others tried to complete the course repeatedly in the same time, whereby one class was not allowed to drive faster than an average speed of 80 km/h. And then there was the demonstration class, which competed without any timekeeping.
A special hill climb route
The route from Langwies to Arosa does not quite conform to the usual hill climb standards either. After the first ascent, there is an almost 1000-metre-long downhill section, which ends with two sharp right-hand bends followed by a first hairpin bend.
In the past, a chicane was built into the final downhill straight to dampen speeds. This chicane was tightened up for 2013 so that even narrow vehicles could no longer dart through quickly. The drivers estimated the time loss at around 1 to 2 seconds.
Otherwise, the 7157-metre track contains everything a demanding sports driver could wish for. Fast bends, serpentine twists and turns, acceleration straights and a Monaco-like finish.
Out of the starting block
The start of a hill climb is of particular interest. Those who get away well quickly gain crucial seconds, but the conditions are not ideal, especially in historic racing. Because of the break before the start, the tires are usually cold and warming up beforehand is not permitted. A starting block prevents the racing car from reversing, so there is no need to brake.
Experienced mountain drivers set the car in motion with controlled "wheel spin", i.e. with the wheels spinning slightly. However, it is important not to overdo it, otherwise you will simply stop. Sue Darbyshire demonstrated very impressively on her Morgan Super Aero what such a start can look like with just one driven wheel in the middle at the back!
Crowd of spectators
Around 20,000 people attended the event, thanks in part to the beautiful late summer weather. Most visitors, the organizer estimates 10,000, were seen on Saturday. Sunday, which is usually even better, did not quite reach this figure, as the rainfall during the night probably prevented some people from coming, although the weather was sunny and dry on Sunday apart from a few raindrops.
Impressive field of vehicles
Overall, the spectators were treated to an interesting field of vehicles, which was somewhat smaller than in previous years - due to the confusion surrounding the time measurement/event modes and rival events such as Walzenhausen - but nevertheless contained some little gems. For example, the Lancia brand was represented with two Stratos, two Delta S4s, an 037 Rally and a 1600 HF.
The newly built Datsun/Nissan 510 Bluebird from 1971, equipped with a 5.7 liter, 400 hp engine, was also on the starting grid for the first time and should be a lot of fun on the mountain!
High-caliber cars were also on display, including a Ferrari 275 GTB, a Ferrari Daytona, a Ferrari 365 GTC, a De Tomaso Mangusta and a whole phalanx of Porsche 911s, including the Carrera RS, Carrera Speedster and 2.0 Targa models contributed by the factory to mark the 50th anniversary of the 911.
And the pre-war fraction was also present with 19 registered vehicles, including several Riley, MG, Alvis as well as an impressive Lagonda LG45 Drophead Coupé from 1937 and a magnificent Talbot Lago TI 50 C GP from 1936.
Classic Competition at the center of interest
Much attention was naturally paid to the racing class. Would Dr. Armin Zumtobel manage to repeat his victories of the previous year? He himself expressed his dissatisfaction on Sunday morning: "I changed gear twice yesterday, it didn't go well at all!". Patrick Heintz in the Ferrari 308 Group 4 had actually taken a few tenths of a second off him in the second race on Saturday, but on Sunday Zumtobel was unstoppable in the intoxicating-sounding Porsche Carrera 6 (listen to the sound pattern) and set the fastest time in both races, stopping the clock at 4:34.21 in the decisive fourth race. Victory.
As expected, Patrick Heintz finished second overall, Daniel Mauerhofer drove his Sauber C3 with 1.6-liter engine to a spirited third place overall, followed by Christian Kleinguti in the Brabham BT 30 Formula 2 racing car.
Thinning out
Technical problems, but also misunderstandings and missed starts led to a noticeable thinning out of the starting field over the weekend.
In fact, some confusion about the allocation of the starting field and the corresponding start time also led to missing drivers, with intense parties the evening before probably also playing a part.
Visitors on Sunday had to miss out on one or two cars, but apart from repairable bodywork damage, there were no major accidents to report, despite the damp track in the first race on Sunday, which some drivers even completed faster than the Saturday races on a dry track. "The cool air provides additional engine power," said one of the drivers at the start.
Celebrities on board
Jochen Mass decided to start in Arosa at short notice. Equipped with a matt gray Mercedes Benz 300 SL, he provided additional prominence in Arosa alongside Marco Werner and other racing drivers. However, he started in the demo class. In Langwies, he said: "If I wanted to be really fast here, I would have to train on the track for a week beforehand. On the mountain, every corner counts!". Mass knows what he is talking about, because he started his career on the mountain, back then in a Ford Capri.
Also interesting was the start of former Swiss Touring Car Champion Jürg Dürig in his newly built Eggenberger BMW 635 CSi, which was a visual and acoustic feast.
Steadily to victory
The regularity categories were also fast, but above all precise. The winner in the Classic Trophy Special classification (maximum average speed 80 km/h) managed to complete four runs in the Ferrari 250 GT Drogo with a total deviation of just 55 hundredths of a second, while Peter Keller came out on top in the Arosa Classic Sporting Trophy in the Volvo PV 544.
Keller was already on his way home when he heard about his success. Without further ado, he turned around and accepted the prize himself, of course.
Meanwhile, important people were celebrating in the VIP tent in the finish area, enjoying champagne and other high-octane drinks.
Start list and results
The following table contains the registered riders according to the organizers. Changes were made before and during the race, not all of which are reflected. The best six in each class are listed in the "Comment" column.
The table can be sorted by clicking on the column headings.
Start no. | Class | Field | Driver | Nat | Vehicle | Year | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100 | D | 1a | Battaglia Renzo | CH | Honda Osella | 2004 | |
101 | D | 1a | Michel Adrian-Richard | CH | Ferrari 365 GTC | 1969 | |
102 | D | 1a | Riediker Daniel | CH | DeTomaso Manqusta | 1970 | |
103 | D | 1a | Duerst Hans-Chr. | CH | Porsche 911 3.0 Carrea RS | 1974 | |
104 | D | 1a | Süssli Emil | CH | Porsche special crossover Hakvoort Holland 3600 | 2002 | |
105 | D | 1a | Wagner René | CH | MG BGTV8 | 1978 | |
106 | D | 1a | Schweinfurth Marco | CH | Jaquar Type C, Proteus | 1953 | |
107 | D | 1a | Grütter Stefan | CH | Lancia Stratos Gr 4 | 1974 | |
108 | D | 1a | Klainguti Christian | CH | Brabham BT 30 Formula 2 | 1970 | 4th place Arosa Classic Competition - overall |
109 | D | 1a | Kleissl Hans | EN | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | 1955 | |
110 | D | 1a | Grob Ronald | CH | Porsche 911 Carrera RS (G-model) | 1974 | |
111 | D | 1a | Wohlwend Georg | FL | Porsche 911 | 1974 | |
112 | D | 1a | Krähenbühl Rolf | CH | Lancia Rally 037 | 1982 | |
113 | D | 1a | Bossart Kaspar | CH | Porsche 911 | 1965 | |
114 | D | 1a | Holder Marco | CH | Porsche 914-6 GT | 1972 | |
115 | D | 1a | Küng Marcel | CH | Porsche 911 Tarqa | 1976 | |
116 | D | 1a | Ernst Roger | CH | Ford Capri 2.8i | 1982 | |
117 | D | 1a | Werder Domenic | CH | Alvis Firefly 4.3 Spec | 1933 | |
118 | D | 1a | Duerst Hans | CH | Ferrari 275 GTB | 1967 | |
119 | D | 1a | Siegrist Rudolf | CH | Riley 2 Seater Sport | 1934 | |
120 | D | 1a | Engelhardt Claudia | EN | Porsche 356 SC Coupé | 1965 | |
121 | D | 1a | porsche museum | Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster | 1988 | ||
122 | D | 1a | porsche museum | Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 | 1972 | ||
123 | D | 1a | porsche museum | Porsche 911 2.0 Tarqa | 1967 | ||
124 | D | 1a | Brunschwiler Oliver | CH | Lotus Europe | 1967 | |
125 | D | 1a | Rahm Urs | CH | Opel Kadett C Coupé GT/E | 1978 | |
126 | D | 1a | Conrad Martin | CH | Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF-Coupé | 1971 | |
127 | D | 1a | Smeets Paul | 157 | Triumph TR3 | 1957 | |
128 | D | 1a | Lindemann Björn | CH | BMW 2002 | 1973 | |
129 | D | 1a | Brumm Detlef | EN | Alvis 12/70 Sport Special | 1938 | |
130 | D | 1a | Oechsle Christopher | CH | Porsche 356 SC | 1964 | |
131 | D | 1a | Tschudin Hansjörg | CH | Mini Innocenti Mini Cooper | 1974 | |
132 | D | 1a | McNinch Hamish | GB | MG C-Type Montlhéry | 1931 | |
133 | D | 1a | Hartmann Dr. Oliver | EN | Riley Brooklands Speed | 1930 | |
134 | D | 1a | Spleiss Christian | CH | Riley Monza | 1949 | |
135 | D | 1a | Furter Gina | CH | VW Volkswagen 1303 | 1973 | |
136 | D | 1a | Renold Jörg | CH | Mercedes-Benz 280SL | 1970 | |
137 | D | 1a | Bechtolsheimer Dr. W. | GB | Lagonda LG45 Drophead Coupé | 1937 | |
138 | D | 1a | Knobel Jürg | CH | Amilcar CGSS | 1928 | |
139 | D | 1a | Heeb Reto | FL | Ford Model A Speedster | 3300 | |
140 | D | 1a | Naef Gody | CH | Alfa Romeo Zaqato RZ | 1993 | |
141 | D | 1a | Demuth Jäcky | CH | Alvis Silver Eagle | 1937 | |
142 | D | 1a | Demuth Andreas | CH | Jaguar SS 100 | 1938 | |
143 | D | 1a | Gehrig Jürg | CH | C2 Le Mans | 1978 | |
200 | G | 2 | Burkart Andreas | CH | Cobra AC Cobra 427 SC | 1965 | |
201 | G | 2 | Arbenz Curt | CH | Chevrolet Corvette | 1979 | |
202 | G | 2 | Luggen Peter | CH | Pontiac Lemans GTO | 1965 | |
203 | G | 2 | Thalmann Remo | FL | Jaquar E-Type Liqhtweiqht Low Draq | 1962 | |
204 | G | 2 | Furter Jürg | CH | Aston Martin DB6 Vantage | 1966 | |
205 | G | 2 | Uebelhard Daniel | CH | Audi UrQuattro 10V | 1981 | |
206 | G | 2 | Becvarik Roman | CH | Ferarri Dino 308 GT4 | 1975 | |
207 | G | 2 | Uhlmann Hans | CH | Ferarri Dino 308 GT4 | 1975 | |
208 | G | 2 | Becvarik Tom | CH | Ferarri 250 GT/DROGO | 1960 | 1st place Classic Trophy Special Classification |
209 | G | 2 | Gansser Franco | CH | Sunbeam Tiger | 1965 | |
210 | G | 2 | Weber Werner Carl | CH | Porsche 924 Carrera GT | 1981 | 3rd place Classic Trophy Special Classification |
211 | G | 2 | Weber Werner O | CH | Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 | 1973 | 5th place Classic Trophy Special Classification |
212 | G | 2 | Vernati Sirio | CH | JaquarXK120FHC | 1953 | |
213 | G | 2 | Thalmann Hanspeter | CH | BMW 2002 tii | 1972 | |
214 | G | 2 | Hen Thomas | CH | Jaguar XK 140 SE FHC | 1956 | |
215 | G | 2 | Hoffmann Andy | CH | Lancia Stratos Stradale | 1976 | |
216 | G | 2 | Niqqeler Fredy | CH | Porsche 914-6 GT | 1972 | |
217 | G | 2 | Heimgartner Roger | CH | Alfa Romeo GTV 6 | 1983 | |
218 | G | 2 | Gentilesca Bruno | CH | Fury Fisher | 1970 | |
219 | G | 2 | Ernst Urs | CH | Austin-Healey 3000 MK III | 1967 | |
220 | G | 2 | Tobler Jürg | CH | Ford Cortina Lotus | 1965 | |
221 | G | 2 | Gyger-Bühler Babs | CH | Volvo PV 544 Sport | 1960 | |
222 | G | 2 | Jacob Vic | CH | Austin-Healey 3000 Mk I Stelvio RS4 | 1960 | 2nd place Classic Trophy Special Classification |
223 | G | 2 | Weller Hanspeter | CH | FiatAbarth 124 CSA | 1973 | |
224 | G | 2 | Vanoli Marco | CH | Alfa Romeo GTA J | 1968 | |
225 | G | 2 | Hauser Yves | CH | Alfa Romeo Guilia Ti Supper | 1964 | |
226 | G | 2 | Gansser Reto | CH | Porsche 356 A Spez..GT | 1959 | 4th place Classic Trophy Special classification |
227 | G | 2 | Iten Oswald | CH | Austin-Healey Sprite Mk1 | 1959 | |
228 | G | 2 | Blatty Raphael David | CH | Mini Marcos MK III | 1967 | |
229 | G | 2 | Scheer Fide | CH | Porsche 356 A | 1959 | |
230 | G | 2 | Bächli Britta | CH | Porsche 356 PRE-A | 1954 | 6th place Classic Trophy Special Classification |
231 | G | 2 | Braem Benjamin | CH | Abarth 695 SS Assetto Corsa | 1967 | |
232 | G | 2 | Fuchs Thomas | CH | Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mk III | 1959 | |
233 | G | 2 | Bechtolsheimer Dr. W. | GB | Healey Silverstone | 1950 | |
234 | G | 2 | Vonesch Percy | CH | Fiat 850 Sport Coupé | 1971 | |
235 | G | 2 | Hesse Martin | DE | Auto Union DKW1000 | 1959 | |
236 | G | 2 | Wyss Peter U. | CH | Jaquar E-Type Series I 3.8 Litre | 1963 | |
300 | G | 1b | Schori Hans | CH | Lancia Delta S4 | 1985 | |
301 | G | 1b | Meyer Yves | CH | Lancia Delta S4 | 1985 | |
302 | G | 1b | Gassmann Marc | CH | Nissan 510 (Bluebird) | 1971 | 5th place Arosa Classic Sporting Trophy |
303 | G | 1b | Toscan Reto | CH | Porsche RSR IROC | 1973 | |
304 | G | 1b | Michaelides Doros | CH | Cobra Mk IV | 1985 | |
305 | G | 1b | Studach Martin | CH | Iso Rivolta GT300 | 1969 | |
306 | G | 1b | Portmann Andreas | CH | Porsche 911 Carrera | 1985 | 4th place Arosa Classic Sporting Trophy |
307 | G | 1b | Ruqqli Sascha | CH | MG BGTV8Sebrinq | 1975 | |
308 | G | 1b | Leu Hitsch | CH | Triumph TR 5 | 1968 | 6th place Arosa Classic Sporting Trophy |
309 | G | 1b | Furter Stephan | CH | Triumph TR 6 | 1972 | 3rd place Arosa Classic Sporting Trophy |
310 | G | 1b | Zünd E. Pino | CH | Lotus Europa S2 | 1969 | |
311 | G | 1b | de Grandi Feiice G. | CH | Ferarri 365 GTB/4 "Daytona" | 1971 | |
312 | G | 1b | Gassmann Frank | CH | Austin-Healey 3000 MK I | 1959 | |
313 | G | 1b | Maechler Thomas | CH | Aston Martin Mk2 Competition Ulste | 1934 | |
314 | G | 1b | Bächli Hansueli | CH | Alvis Greenfell | 1932 | |
315 | G | 1b | Lautenschiager Andreas | CH | Volvo 122SR | 1965 | |
316 | G | 1b | Dravec Chris | CH | MG K3 | 1933 | |
317 | G | 1b | Schweinfurth Urs | CH | MG K1 | 1933 | DNF, drove with Jaguar C-Type |
318 | G | 1b | Keller Peter | CH | Volvo PV 544 | 1964 | |
319 | G | 1b | Toscan Walter | CH | Mini Innocenti Cooper 1300 | 1973 | 1st place Arosa Classic Sporting Trophy |
320 | G | 1b | Gabathuler Bea | CH | Mini Cooper S 1275 | 1967 | 2nd place Arosa Classic Sporting Trophy |
321 | G | 1b | Furter Olivia | CH | Abarth Zagato | 1957 | |
400 | C | 3 | Zumtobel Dr. Armin | AT | Porsche 906 | 1966 | 1st place Arosa Classic Competition - overall |
401 | C | 3 | Duschletta Duschi B. | CH | Porsche 911 2.8 RSR | 1973 | |
402 | C | 3 | Heintz Patrick | CH | Ferarri 308 Group 4 | 1980 | 2nd place Arosa Classic Competition - overall |
403 | C | 3 | Darbyshire Sue | GB MORGAN | Morgan Super Aero | 1928 | |
404 | C | 3 | Mauerhofer Daniel | CH | Sauber C3 | 1973 | 3rd place Arosa Classic Competition - overall |
405 | C | 3 | Moser Roger | CH | BMW Group 2 E21 | 1977 | 6th place Arosa Classic Competition - overall |
406 | C | 3 | Pergolini Dario | CH | Austin-Healey 3000 MKII | 1962 | |
407 | C | 3 | Pircher Werner | CH | Lotus 41 Formula 3 | 1966 | |
408 | C | 3 | Dürig Jürg | CH | BMW 635 CSi Gr.2 Eggenberger | 1981 | |
409 | C | 3 | Allemann Benno | CH | AC Cobra Mk 2 | 1964 | |
410 | C | 3 | Bernhard Diego | CH | Alfa Romeo 2000GTveloce | 1973 | |
411 | C | 3 | George Richard | GB | Chevron B19 | 1971 | |
412 | C | 3 | Huber Peter | CH | Porsche Carrera 2.8 RSR | 1972 | 5th place Arosa Classic Competition - overall |
413 | C | 3 | Portmann Roland | CH | BMW 2002 Ti | 1969 | |
414 | C | 3 | Hayoz Marcel | CH | Lotus 23 Prototype | 1963 | |
415 | C | 3 | Klingelfuss Emil | CH | Porsche 911 2.5 SR | 1971 | |
416 | C | 3 | Kaufmann Georg | CH | Maserati 250 F | 1956 | |
417 | C | 3 | Stamm Heinz | CH | Aston MartinSpeed | 1937 | |
418 | C | 3 | Rossetti Gian-Pietro | CH | Riley TT Sprite | 1936 | |
419 | C | 3 | Vock Michel | CH | Riley TT Racinq | 1931 | |
420 | C | 3 | Goyatt John B. | GB | Talbot Lago Tl 50 C GP | 1936 | |
421 | C | 3 | Kaufmann Kurt | CH | Morqan 3 Wheeler | 1933 | |
422 | C | 3 | King Jürg | CH | Ford Mustanq Shelby GT 350 | 1965 |
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- Starting numbers 1xx (race field 1a)
- Start numbers 3xx ( race field 1b)
- Start numbers 2xx ( race field 2)
- Start numbers 4xx ( race field 3)
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