From January 6 to 8, decades-old classic cars will take on the country's most famous winter rally - the 20th Planai-Classic, which ends at the summit of Austria's most famous ski mountain - the Planai. To mark this anniversary, there will be numerous special stages in 2016 in addition to the traditional cornerstones of the Winter Classic, making the 2016 Planai Classic more of an expedition into the unknown than ever before.
When winter suddenly sets in overnight, the drivers of the 45-car starting field from seven nations feel at their best. But you have to keep in mind what it means to take on the 225 km long prologue through the Schladming-Dachstein region in an open Sunbeam built in 1930, a VW Beetle from 1957, an Opel Kadett 1968, an old Renault 4CV, Mini Cooper or Porsche 911: without traction control, without ABS, without electronics, with headlights like candlelight.
Old, tried and tested
As every year, all the traditional program items will be on the agenda in 2016. These include the special stages at the Niederöblarn airfield and on the Tauplitzalm Alpenstrasse, which will take place on Thursday, January 7. The three runs on the Planai on Friday, January 8 are also part of the tried and tested program. However, new challenges also await the participants, as the major innovations for 2016 promise new excitement.
Special tests at the Niederöblarn airfield
On the first day of driving (January 7), two new special stages will be held at the Niederöblarn airport. The first will take place in the afternoon in daylight, while the second will be held in the evening in the dark. In the first stage, there will be a total of three laps to complete, with the fastest lap time set as the reference time for the Niederöblarn special stage at night. In this second special stage, three laps are driven again, which are then compared with the reference time from the afternoon and then the deviation per 1/100 is assessed with one point each.
Between Niederöblarn and Schladming there are also secret special stages on the program, in which the 40 km/h average is monitored to the tenth of a second using GPS measurements. Winter conditions usually prevail in the side valleys of the Enns Valley, making the 40 km/h average on the icy mountain roads a real challenge.
Uphill, downhill
Other firsts at the 20th Planai-Classics are the special stages on Saturday (January 8) on the Tauplitzalm Alpine road from Bad Mitterndorf, where a specified time is to be achieved. So far, only the participants of the Racecar Trophy have driven on this 8.9 kilometer long, magnificent mountain road as part of the Ennstal-Classic. From the Planai middle station Kessleralm, three runs up to the Planai summit will start at 13:00, which are regarded as the highlight of the automobile part, because the overall winner is usually chosen on the mountain road similar to the bobsleigh track. The first race day ends on Thursday evening with a big party at the Schlosshotel Pichlarn.
The stars at the wheel
The starting field, which includes many well-known names, also promises a varied event with plenty of thrills. Among the celebrities taking part is Finnish rally legend Rauno Aaltonen in a Mini Cooper S, who won the Planai Classic in 2014. The 1986 World Rally Vice-Champion Rudi Stohl will start in a Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer, former World Rally Champion Andi Aigner in a BMW and TV stars Christian Clerici and Rudi Roubinek will try their luck in a Volvo.
Pure nostalgia
Under the motto: "Pure nostalgia at the foot of the Planai", the grand finale of the Jubilee Classic - 2016 is all about skiing nostalgia. The Planai World Championships Park will experience a journey through time including a rock'n'roll show by the Ridin' Dudes, the legendary classic car line-up and the nostalgic giant slalom in the floodlights of the spectacular Planai finish slope. To mark the occasion, the Planai finish stadium will also be wrapped in nostalgic flair, allowing all visitors to immerse themselves in grandpa's skiing days.
Ski stars Manfred Pranger, David Zwilling, Ingrid Stöckl & Co. take on the rally challenge with their vintage cars drawn by lot. The show starts at 18:00 - admission is free!
Further information about the event can be found on the Planai-Classic website.
