Frauenfeld: Philip Egli remains the boss
RECORD WINNER The 20th Frauenfeld Auto Race Days ended with Philip Egli's fifth consecutive victory. Marcel Maurer's attack started in the meadow and ended under drizzle. Only in the first practice session on Sunday morning all competitors had to take to the track in rain during the second round of the Swiss Slalom Championship. After that, however, it remained dry until shortly before the end of the race, [...].
Only in the first practice session on Sunday morning, all competitors had to take to the track in rain during the second round of the Swiss Slalom Championship. After that, however, it remained dry until shortly before the end of the race, albeit cold and windy with rays of sunshine in between. According to the April weather, the number of spectators at the anniversary event of the ACS Thurgau was unfortunately not as large as in other years.
Duel on a knife edge
Nevertheless, the renewed duel between Philip Egli (Dallara-EPR-1) and Marcel Maurer (Tatuus-Renault) warmed the heart. After the sputtering best time in the second dry practice run in 1'49.86, Maurer sensed his chance for the first win of the day on the Frauenfeld Allmend.
However, the first attack ended in a spin when braking for the last gate combination before the finish. The second was thwarted by the light drizzle that wetted the 2.7km course shortly before the race ended late, after 6.15pm.
The Bernese mused afterwards about the missed opportunity.
Marcel Maurer: "It would have been possible today. The level increases from year to year, so you have to risk more and more. Unfortunately, there was an interruption shortly before our start, otherwise it could have worked. But it's my own fault. At least the damage is limited."
30th day victory for Philip Egli
Due to Maurer's spin, Philip Egli had to repeat his first race run. This was not a disadvantage, as he could now proceed tactically.
Philip Egli: "I was doing great until the stop. Because I knew that Marcel was out and the weather radar showed rain for the second run, I made a safety run."
The raindrops came, albeit late, but for him at the right moment, so that the day was over. Egli's first time (1'50.68) thus meant the day's victory. His fifth in a row in Frauenfeld, which no one has managed before, and his 30th in National Slaloms, starting in October 2013 in Ambri.
Amazing Lukas Eugster
Lukas Eugster almost caused a sensation and took the overall win. In the wet training run, the man from Herisau was worlds faster than the rest in his Ligier-Honda. In the dry, he trailed Egli by just 25 hundredths with the two-liter sports car.
The repeated second run was covered by the junior vice mountain champion of 2017 with warmed tires on a wet surface in 1'51,13, which meant best time.
Lukas Eugster: "It's a pity that I was held up. I was doing very well on the first attempt, after that it was already a bit wet. My rain best time gave me a motivational boost. I never thought I could get so close to the top on this track."
After Maurer's retirement in the first run, Michael Helm was still third overall with the Tatuus-Abarth Evo and was then only displaced by the Bernese by 29 hundredths of a second to fourth place. Raphael Koch drove the Formula Renault, borrowed from Eugster last year, to the fifth-best time in the first run.
A feat by Wüthrich and Wintsch
Not unexpectedly, Simon Wüthrich achieved the best touring car time with his VW Golf Turbo 4WD as in 2018 - but how. After the man from Langnau was a little too cautious in the first race and only slightly faster than the first E1 two-liters, he set a new record time on this track variant in the repeated second race run with warmed tires on an already moistened track.
Not the time, but the name and the car of the second fastest in the "Hüsliautos" are incredible. Before the SM categories started to their races, the Lotus V6 Cup Suisse finished its program. Dino Wintsch realized a time under two minutes, as in the training, and this with a street-legal Lotus Exige 430 Cup! Only Wüthrich was able to beat this time three hours later. Chapeau!
Steiner beats Darani and War
The fight in the two-liter touring cars was also great. In Group E1, Reto Steiner in the Ford Escort RS with Mondeo V6 engine beat title contender Christian Darani in the Fiat X1/9 by seven and Danny Krieg in the Audi A4 STW by 15 hundredths. The time from the flawless first run was enough for this.
In the Interswiss group, Manuel Santonastaso in the BMW 320 was able to fend off the attack of the fastest Kadett drivers Jürg Ochsner and René Tschirky. Although the local hero narrowly missed the target time of under two minutes, this also meant the group victory ahead of Willi Jenni in the Porsche 997 Cup.
Six riders still at the top of the table
Although he crossed the finish line with the best time in E1-1600 despite a broken drive shaft on the VW Polo, Martin Bürki also set a 2'00 time after the repair. Together with five other class winners - Egli (E2-SS-2000), Eugster (CN-2000), Santonastaso (IS-2000), Hanspeter Thöni (Peugeot 106, N/ISN-1600) and Christoph Zwahlen (Opel Kadett, IS-3000) - the defending champion still leads the standings after two of the eight races of the season without any losses. The next race is on May 19 in Bière.
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