A throwback to the prehistoric era of motorsport? The 1981 Realp-Rotondo gravel mountain race
A hill climb on a natural road - a crazy idea or a throwback to the prehistoric days of motorsport? No. Why shouldn't rally drivers, who love special stages on gravel, crushed stone and sand, compete in a hill climb on real Uri granite? This is what happened on July 11, 1981 on the mountain route from Realp to the Rotondo hut at the top of the Urseren Valley.
After the Valais cantonal police refused to allow two special stages on the Furka and Nufenen passes in 1981 for the Gotthard Rally - the former Uri Rally - which was part of the Swiss Rally Championship, and no suitable alternative routes could be found, the organizing committee decided at short notice to hold a gravel mountain race on the six-kilometre military road from Realp to the foot of the Rotondo hut.
And they all came, the cracks of the Swiss rally scene at the time: Philippe Carron, Gerhard Möll, Jean Pierre Balmer, Chris Carron, Franco Cattaneo, Roger Krattiger, Herbert Besch and many others. They were opposed by a whole horde of people from Uri with the sole intention of avenging their defeats in numerous dust battles at the Rallye du Valais or the Coppa Liburna on their own soil. The Nager brothers, Beat Muther, Felix Strüby and Kurt Baumann. However, with their Group 1 cars, they were up against all the 2.7-litre Porsche, Group 2 and Group 4 Opel or the Fiat 131 Abarth, despite their excellent knowledge of the route, gained from the repetition courses with the Uri Battalion 87, but on foot up to the 2371-metre-high Rotondo hut, with a full pack and 57 assault rifle!
The mountain race was part of the Toyota Cup, which alone brought 23 drivers to the start. Around 5,000 spectators watched the spectacular race. Despite adventurous drifts on the loose gravel, the high speeds on the long straights followed by fast combinations of bends or the exposed sections with views of lower-lying alpine pastures, the race went off without the slightest incident. This was also appreciated by the Uri police commander: "I am impressed by the high level of skill of these drivers". Those were still extraordinary times when the small Uri section of the ACS had the courage to realize such unconventional ideas in addition to the internationally renowned Rallye Uri - later renamed the Gotthard Rallye - without much ifs and buts.
The gravel mountain race was won by Philippe Carron from Valais in a Porsche (2.7-liter), ahead of the then reigning Swiss Rally Champion Jean-Pierre Balmer (Opel Ascona 400) and Gerhard Möll (Opel Kadett GTE). The fastest driver in the Toyota Cup was Beat Lienhard (Toyota 1600).
A year later, the Valais authorities agreed to close the Furka Pass. The legendary Furka Pass - Realp special stage took place in the middle of the foggy night. Downhill!
