Hill climb: Start of the season in Massongex
DEFINITIVE IMPLEMENTATION After the cancellation of six events, the first Swiss hill climb in 2021 will certainly take place in August in Massongex. The people of Schaffhausen are also still holding on to hosting the hill climb in Oberhallau. After La Roche-La Berra, Hemberg, Reitnau, Ayent-Anzère, the people of the Jura this week also confirmed their decision, already made in mid-May, to cancel the St-Ursanne-Les Rangiers [...]
After La Roche-La Berra, Hemberg, Reitnau, Ayent-Anzère, the people of the Jura have also announced this week their decision, already taken in mid-May, to cancel the St-Ursanne-Les Rangiers mountain race on August 14/15. Châtel-St-Denis-Les Paccots, planned as a finale in mid-September, falls victim to road works in the finish area.
This is a pity, as there was a glimmer of hope as a result of falling corona numbers and the prospect of increased spectator capacity for open air events and outdoor sporting events from the summer onwards.
Damper for Ronnie Bratschi
Especially since the European Mountain Championship really got going in May and there would certainly have been some foreign participants on the grid. It's a pity for Ronnie Bratschi, too, who would have liked to score points in his own country as a touring car record holder in the Jura.
At the Ecce Homo hill climb in the Czech Republic last weekend, the man from Uri conceded his first defeat in category 1 and his group Pf1. Even without a guard rail contact, Bratschi would hardly have beaten the Czech Dan Michl in the optimal Lotus Elise on his home track.
The damage to the bodywork and the loss of points is limited, the first Swiss to participate in the complete mountain European Championship for decades continues to lead the performance classification of the closed cars, but slipped in the overall European Championship classification behind the Italian Antonino Migliuolo, who has already won three times in Group Pf3 with a tamer Mitsubishi.
The day's victory in a new record time was taken by South Tyrolean Christian Merli in the Osella FA30 just ahead of his arch-rival Simone Faggioli in the Norma sports car. The father/son team of Robin Faustini (Reynard) and Simon Hugentobler (Osella), who also traveled to the Czech Republic with their racing cars, had to retire with technical problems.
Valaisans hope for goodwill of drivers
Back to the national scene: Nevertheless, there is a first pleasant news. As the OC president revealed to AutoSprintCH, the Valais will stick to the Massongex-Vérossaz hillclimb race on August 21/22.
So, of all things, the mountain race that is not very popular, especially among the German-speaking Swiss, because of its material-killing character and always has the lowest number of participants, will make the start in 2021.
Pino Arimondi: "At the moment we should allow 700 visitors. However, we have made the budget planning without spectator income and, thanks to our partners and sponsors, we can run the race as it is. All the better if the spectator quota is significantly increased from August. Therefore, we hope that the drivers will not let us down either and solve a license despite fewer races."
Competition with Osnabrück
However, the OC will have to do without a few of the best-known gentlemen. If the northern Germans also stick to hosting their Int. ADAC Bergrennen Osnabrück, populated by thousands of spectators and drivers from all over Europe, Bratschi, Steiner, Faustini, Hugentobler & Co. will compete on the same weekend in Borgloher Schweiz, as this area is actually called, as in other years.
Registrations in Oberhallau soon online
Positive signals continue to come from Oberhallau. The people from Schaffhausen will soon go online with the announcement and the registrations for their mountain race.
After that, according to OC president Sascha Schlatter, it depends on enough entries. However, it remains that the hill climb is only open for NAT and INT licensed, not for REG pilots as in Massongex or at Gurnigel.
Gurnigel also depends on many spectators
On the other hand, a high spectator capacity is a basic condition for the realization, as well as for the Bernese two weeks later. They will decide in the middle or end of June at the earliest whether the Gurnigel hill climb should take place on September 11/12, 2021, or whether the risk without a financial cushion is too great and the race will be paused again.
SM status or not?
Finally, the question arises as to whether there can be a Swiss mountain championship in 2021 with, at best, three races. This will then be up to the National Sports Commission of Auto Sport Switzerland to decide.
The precedent was the 2021 Rally Championship, which had been planned for a long time despite cancellations, and which would have received the predicate even with only three runs according to an NSK decision.
