Over 40 classic cars, no younger than 1972, will start the 21st Planai Classic in Schladming on January 5. The Enns Valley with its side valleys, the Dachstein and Planai roads, the Niederöblarn airfield and the Gröbming harness racing track, Romantik Hotel Schloss Pichlarn and the Planai World Championship Park - all of these are backdrops for special stages and classic car drives on the Epiphany weekend.
Top-class field of participants
The Planai Classic awakens the participants' treasures from hibernation. On the start list, we see rare vintage cars such as Lea Francis - built in 1927 and the oldest car in the field, which pilot C. Baier with cable car grease - Sunbeam Super Sport (1930), Riley 12/4 (1938), various VW Beetles, Austin A40s, RoverAustin A40, Rover P6, MG A and MG B, Jaguar XK 140, 150 and an E-Type, Lancia Fulvia, Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce, Ford Escort, Austin Healey, Porsche 911, Ford Mustang, Volvo 123 and PV 544 Sport, Mercedes 200/S, Saab 96 V4, BMW 2002 ti, Willys Overland Jeep, Steyr Puch Pinzgauer and Mini Cooper. Without ABS and other electronic guardian angels, driving is like it used to be, when driving in ice and snow was still a great adventure.
What happens where
On Thursday, January 5, the rally entourage will make its way up the Dachstein from Schladming. The target time for the mountain stage will be adapted to the road conditions. Afterwards, the opening evening takes place at lofty heights in the Dachstein glacier restaurant at 2,700 m.
On Friday, January 6, there will be two special stages at the Niederöblarn airfield. The Hochwurzen Trophy then starts through the Schladming-Dachstein region with various special stages in which the 40 km/h average speed must be maintained to the tenth of a second. After a stop in Schladming and another night-time special stage at Niederöblarn airfield, the rally day ends in the courtyard of the Romantik Hotel Schloss Pichlarn.
On Saturday, January 7, the special stage at the trotting track in Gröbming, which has already become a tradition, will take place. Afterwards, the field will start directly in the main street in Gröbming for the stage towards the Planai middle station.
The Planai mountain rating as a highlight
The infamous Planai mountain classification with its 3 runs from the middle station to the finish at the Planaihof is a challenge for drivers and vehicles every year. In recent years, it has often snowed heavily - exactly the kind of weather that puts a rally legend like Rauno Aaltonen, who will be competing again this year, on the winning track. Other well-known names in the starting field are "Strietzel" Stuck and the petrolhead brothers and regulars Christian Clerici and Rudi Roubinek.
Final Challenge in the WM Park Planai
For the first time this year, a Final Challenge with floodlights will take place directly in the WM Park Planai. There the riders have to prove their skills one last time before the award ceremony in the Hohenhaustenne.
Further information can be found on the official website, the report on the Planai-Classic 2016 can be found on Zwischengas.
