“How do they do it?” many wondered when, after the final run of the Vernasca Silver Flag Hill Climb in sweltering heat, a World Rally Champion, two former Formula 1 drivers, and a winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans accepted the organizer’s honorary awards. Christian Geistdörfer, Arturo Merzario, Thierry Boutsen, and Jürgen Barth had been in a league of their own. The dedicated amateurs simply couldn’t keep up.
A Celebration for Friends
None of the nearly 200 participants in the two-day event 40 km south of Piacenza let the scorching heat deter them from taking the starting line. This gathering of select vehicles, the relaxed atmosphere, and the friendly reunions with last year’s participants and first-time visitors are simply too extraordinary to miss. The common thread is the anticipation of a stress-free weekend—no hustle and bustle, no VIP lounges, no barriers—but plenty of friends! You just can’t stay away!
Legends Off the Radar
Yes, how has the organizer managed for over 30 years now to convince international racing legends and the icons of the racetracks from the ’50s to the ’80s to visit the small town of Castell Arquarto? It’s not flashy advertising! Quite the opposite, in fact! The “Vernasca Silver Flag” hill climb, revived in 1996, has flown under the radar for many years, but time and again the organizer manages to inspire enthusiasm with new focuses and new vehicles.
Gems of the Asphalt
This year, for example, a good dozen former participants in World Rally Championship events from the 1970s and 1980s were in attendance. Some collectors cleared out their top shelves for the event and gave the Lancia Delta Integrale Evo, the Lancia Stratos, the Fiat Abarth 124 Rally, and others free rein. In addition to the jewels of the asphalt, it’s the kindness and helpfulness of everyone involved in running the event—that “prego – grazie – si – possible – no problema” mentality—that makes participants feel immediately at home.
One Man’s Quest
While Christian Geistdörfer was “just” a guest two years ago, this year he wanted to experience the “Pikes Peak” of Tuscany for himself, so to speak. The Audi Quattro S1 that his team entered in the race this year is a tribute to the original factory car with which the rallying “Dream Team” won the 1985 Sanremo Rally. “Quanti cavalli?” and “Che velocità?” are the questions you hear over and over again from the crowd of fans gathered around. Even though Audi dismissively refers to this 600-PS-plus rocket as a “replica,” this creation by the fanatics led by father and son Riemensperger was the main attraction in the paddock.
Through Race Car Manufaktur, they are rebuilding a maximum of 25 faithful replicas of these Group B monsters. It’s no wonder, given that Walter Röhrl and Christian Geistdörfer closely oversaw the development of this series, which was homologated at the time with 20 units. Each of the 12 newly built vehicles to date has undergone a rigorous shake-down test prior to delivery to ensure it fully lives up to the manufacturer’s motto: “Performance – Beyond the Limits.”
Hydraulic Hand Brake
Anyone who inspected the car more closely discovered a gearshift lever in the interior that looked like a sequential transmission, but the quattro actually has a relatively standard six-speed H-pattern shift next to it. Geistdörfer explains: “The long lever is a hydraulic parking brake. When it’s pulled, the all-wheel drive disengages so that the parking brake can act on the rear wheels. The H-pattern shifter has reverse in the front left and is extremely short—it takes some getting used to.”
A Feast for the Senses
But just how close does this little HB on wheels really come to the limit? “At the end of the straight before the roundabout, in 6th gear at about 5,000 RPM, it must have been 180 to 185 km/h,” Geisdörfer estimates. Not bad for a “Concorso dinamico,” as this event is codenamed. Officially, these are demo drives of Concours vehicles; unofficially, it’s a thrilling chase featuring unique race and sports cars from automotive history.
“The mountainous section of the route to Lugangano, with over 30 curves and hairpin turns spread over just under 4 km, is quite similar to some of the special stages at the Sanremo,” the champion recalled. Hardly any of the nearly 200 participants will be able to share this impression—but they’ll all remember the roar and whistle of the S1 on the Vernasca Silver Flag course!
