Will the engines be roaring again at Klausen in 2013?
Who doesn't remember the years 1993, 1998, 2002 and 2006 , when racing cars from past decades thundered over the Urnerboden up to the Klausen Pass? Between 1922 and 1930 , the historic Klausen Race was one of the biggest motorsport events in Europe, and the Automobil Revue, for example, even reported on the training and racing races every day.
The last Klausenrennen Memorial took place in 2006, and there was to be a four-year break before the next event. However, no race took place in 2010 and the alternative date in 2011 also went unused due to a lack of sponsors, as Fritz Trümpi, who had been in charge since 2006, announced. No date was set for the next race.
The Klausen Race must not be allowed to die
"The Klausen Race cannot be allowed to die," said Karin Gaiser and began to take action. She gathered a small team around her and began to think about how this unique event could be saved. Negotiations with Trümpi to take over the trademark rights were initially successful, but for unknown reasons the talks petered out in the summer of 2011. By this time, Karin Gaiser had already spoken to the governments of the cantons of Uri and Glarus and could assume that she would get the permits.
Two competing organizing committees
However, Fritz Trümpi decided against handing it over and took the reins again himself, and suddenly there were two competing organizations for the Klausen Race. The dispute was even played out on television, the governments made things easy for themselves and instructed the two organizing committees to come to an agreement, as there would only be one permit.
An agreement was not possible - time is running out
As was to be expected, the two committees were unable to reach an agreement, the cantons demanded concepts and further meetings failed to bear fruit. Now Karin Gaiser had to pull the ripcord, as her own timetable had long since slipped.
According to the experienced organizer, the sponsorship funds had to be confirmed for the 2013 event by September 2012 at the latest. And detailed plans and concepts are needed for the negotiations, which can usually only be drawn up once approval has been received. Due to the delays that had already occurred, the organization's own schedule was no longer realistic.
On November 21, the "Historische Klausenrennen" association therefore decided to withdraw its application for a permit and let the Glarus OK Klausenrennen take precedence in the sporting sense and spirit.
All eyes are on Glarus
So now all the pressure of expectation is on Fritz Trümpi and his organization. According to information on the official website, a prologue is already planned for 2012, and in 2013 the hill climb is to take place again as in the past, supplemented by pioneering vehicles.
"Just as the first Klausen races in the 1920s served to demonstrate the performance of the vehicles of the time, the next Klausen race is set to take up this spirit of innovation. In addition to the historic racing cars, vehicles with new drive technologies will be competing in their own categories," can be read on the event website. I wonder if this new form will appeal to the public? The main thing is that the old cars are back on the track, many fans will think ...
