The Passione Caracciola will take place for the fourth time from June 20 to 24, 2018. The motto is "On the roads of myth" and the Klausen Pass is naturally a central theme, as Rudi Caracciola won the Klausen race six times.
Klausen race attracted international interest
The Klausen Race was long regarded as the most famous and challenging hill climb of the 1920s and 1930s. No other mountain route in Europe captivated spectators and racers as much as the 21.5-kilometre road that connects Linthal with the Klausen Pass via Urnerboden.
The road, which was 4.8 meters wide at the time, with its countless bends and a gradient of up to almost 9 percent, was originally intended for military purposes. From 1922, however, the best and most ambitious racing drivers gathered here to compete over no less than 136 bends.
Spectators came from all over the world to witness this spectacle. The great racing legends of the time challenged each other to new record times: first-class racing drivers of the caliber of Rudolf Caracciola, Hans Stuck, Tazio Nuvolari, Achille Varzi, Whitney Straight and Louis Chiron still symbolize the high quality standard of this legendary hill climb today.
Rudolf Caracciola was the undisputed top racing driver with six victories in various cubic capacity classes, not least to this day.
| Year | Car make | engine capacity | Category | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Mercedes-Benz | 1500 cm3 | sports car | 20.29.20 |
| 1925 | Mercedes-Benz | 8108 cm3 | Touring car | 21.25.00 |
| 1926 | Mercedes-Benz | 8108 cm3 | touring car | 20.50.20 |
| 1927 | Mercedes-Benz | 6765 cm3 | sports car | 17.35.40 |
| 1930 | Mercedes-Benz | 7050 cm3 | Sports car | 17.04.60 |
| 1932 | Alfa Romeo | 2650 cm3 | racing car | 15.50.00 |
On the trail of the legend
The participants of the Passione Caracciola will also climb the ascent to the Klausen Pass in their sports cars and recognize the outstanding performance of the racing drivers back then, when the road was still almost unpaved.
However, the rally will start in Geneva in June 2018, from where the route will lead via Interlaken, the Klausen Pass and Bad Ragaz to St. Moritz.
Last registrations are still possible. The rally is divided into four classes (D until 1945, E 1946-1960, F 1961-1970 and G 1971-1980).
Further information can be found on the event website.
