The Ennstal-Classic 2013 with three winners and imperial weather
07/22/2013
For once, this year's Ennstal-Classic did not take place in the rain, but in the most beautiful sunshine - so-called imperial weather. With a new mode, the 21st Ennstal-Classic determined not only one winner but three for the first time.
The Fessl/Artacker team in the 1972 Fiat Abarth 124 Rallye Group 4 was celebrated as the overall winner. With just 1304 penalty points, a difference of only 1.304 seconds, the team drove through Styria for three days with almost magical precision. And the happy Werner Fessl said: "We've often taken part in the Ennstal-Classic, but we've never won here before." There was great praise for navigator Wolfgang Artacker: "We took it cool and my co-driver was really sensational." You can't do it without him.
The winners of the new Racecar Trophy were also there for the first time. In Era 1 (vehicles from 1926 to 1950), Franz Grossauer and Ulrike Glöckner crossed the finish line in Gröbming as leaders in the wonderful Sunbeam Supersport (built in 1926). Walter Degelsegger and Johann Wattiger followed just three points behind in a Veritas RS (1948).
In Era 2, racing legend Dieter Querster lost the lead in the final meters due to a serious mistake. He even dropped back to sixth place in the super-sporty Lola-BMW. Dieter was contrite at the finish line: "I'm a broken man."
This cleared the way for Alexander and Elisabeth Deopito in the 1982 Lancia 037 Rallye EVO 2 with the classic Martini livery. They took the trophy with a two-point lead over Enrico Falchetto and Stefan Pabeschitz in the Triumph TR 2 Le Mans.
So both overall winners drove thoroughbred Italian rally cars with Fiat and Lancia, which is not something that happens every year at the Ennstal.
A comprehensive report with many pictures will follow.
