Pass driving - a passion
06/24/2017
In the past, driving over mountain passes was regarded as a freestyle activity. You had to learn how to drive up and down mountain roads properly, and experience was needed to climb slopes elegantly and safely.
Little has remained of this today. Modern cars drive themselves up and down most mountain passes without any major problems, you don't even have to change gear any more. And when driving downhill, the automatic transmission automatically remembers to ensure that the engine helps with braking.
Of course, things used to be different. You had to adapt your driving style to the car at your disposal, making sure that the engine didn't get too warm when driving uphill and the brakes didn't get too hot when driving downhill.
So it's not surprising that you have to do exactly the same things in a classic car. The only difference is that nowadays temperatures are higher and traffic is heavier, which increases the risk to the engine and brakes.
In any case, the Passione Caracciola participants had the opportunity yesterday to hone their skills as pass drivers, as the Flüela Pass offered everything that the pass drivers of the time loved.
Today, the rally participants will have further opportunities to practise their cornering and mountain road driving skills, as the Lukmanier is also one of the real passes.
We will soon be publishing a detailed report on the Passione Caracciola, although the two Daimler Dart/SP 250 drivers were not among them.
