Bergrennen Gurnigel: Does Marcel Steiner grab the title? 🎥
WHERE TO MEET Automotive athletes from all over Switzerland will come to the National Hill Climb on Gurnigel on the weekend of September 9 and 10. The event is the second-last round of the 2023 Swiss Hill Climb Championship.
The focus is on the battle for the stage win, which promises to be particularly exciting this year. With his triumph over last year's winner Eric Berguerand on a Lola-Cosworth (gallery on the right) at the last hillclimb race in Oberhallau, local hero Marcel Steiner has put himself in a good starting position in the hillclimb championship for racing sports cars.
After six races, he leads the standings by twenty points. However, after deducting the obligatory scratch result, which Berguerand has already taken by not starting the European Championship race in the Jura, the two riders are tied at the top of the standings. The title decision between the riders from Berne and Valais will therefore normally not be made until the final race a week later in Les Paccots.
Favorite relies on its technology
Marcel Steiner: "It's difficult to predict which of us will win at Gurnigel. I'll just do my best and hope that the technology of our self-developed LobArt Honda Turbo (gallery on the left) continues to work as well as it has so far, then we'll see what comes of it."
Other contenders for the coveted overall winners' podium include 25-year-old Robin Faustini from Aargau in an Osella FA30 and his canton colleague Thomas Amweg, the 2019 Gurnigel winner, in a Reynard F3000.
Opportunities for Bruno Sawatzki
In the mountain championship of the touring cars, Bruno Sawatzki in a Porsche 991 GT3 Cup from the InterSwiss group and Roger Schnellmann in a good 800 hp Mitsubishi Evo VIII J-Spec from the E1 group won their categories in all starts. Because Schnellmann deliberately skipped the Massongex hillclimb in July, which was very demanding for the equipment, Sawatzki can secure the title early with another group victory at Gurnigel.
220 drivers roll to the start
Around 220 drivers are expected at the start in Rüti near Riggisberg in the various categories. The medium-fast and winding mountain race course ends after 3734 meters in the Gurnigelbad and is considered technically demanding. In the starting area, on the Laas and in the finish bend, the public can enjoy a beautiful view of the racing action from the natural grandstands (center gallery). What visitors can expect can be seen in the video from last year.
History worth knowing
On Saturday, three practice runs for all categories are on the program from 7 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m.. On Sunday morning, the first race run will start at the same time. The classification will be based on the addition of the two fastest times from three runs. The easiest and quickest way to purchase tickets is in advance via the homepage www.gurnigelrennen.ch. On the Internet and via the Sportity App (password: Gurnigel2023), you can find out more information and many interesting facts about this mountain race on the Gurnigel, which was already held in pre-war times.
Photos: Eichenberger ASS, Friends of Swiss Motorsport (Video)
