DAY WIN FOR AMWEG In changeable weather, Thomas Amweg celebrated his first national day win at the Gurnigel hill climb. Eric Berguerand and Andy Feigenwinter are fixed as Swiss champions of their categories. During the training runs of the nationals and the race of the regionals, the weather in the Gantrisch area was still quite friendly on Saturday. As feared, it rained on Sunday [...]
Editorial - September 8, 2019
Roger Schnellmann found the right dose in the difficult conditions. The reward is second place overall among the race cars (Photos Action: Ramon Hänggi).
During the training runs of the Nationals and the race of the Regionals, the weather in the Gantrisch area was still quite friendly on Saturday. As feared, it rained partly heavily on Sunday, only around the lunch break the dark clouds cleared.
In the difficult conditions, rain tires were the preferred choice of all drivers throughout the day. Due to the cold and wet weather, the number of spectators was also limited - for its anniversary as the 50th national mountain race, the organizing club Bergrennen Gurnigel would have truly deserved better external conditions.
First, things turn out differently... As often happens in Formula 1, the changeable weather at the seventh and penultimate round of the Swiss Mountain Championship made for exciting racing in all classes and categories. It even produced a new and absolutely deserved winner of the day, although it looked like the usual order after the three dry practice runs of the racing sports cars. With 1'40.56, Eric Berguerand was only slightly above his own track record, followed by Marcel Steiner (+2.10) and Thomas Amweg (+5.16).
... and second than you think Steiner's skins literally swam away in the first race run. He could not find any grip with his LobArt sports car, and in addition it was much wetter for him than after an interruption for the big race cars that started later. Steiner's time of 2'10,41 was promptly undercut by Thomas Amweg in the Lola B99/50 by more than six seconds. At 2'12.00, Eric Berguerand fell even further short, as inexplicable electronics problems affected the circuit in the second section of the track. With his touring car best time of 2'10.98, Roger Schnellmann in the Mitsubishi placed himself among the fastest E2 drivers.
He seized the big opportunity. Everything went right for Thomas Amweg and his Lola B99/50 F3000 with Sauber F1 spoiler on Sunday in the rain.
21 years after his father's last victory In the rain, Steiner was able to improve by more than two seconds in the second run. After another interruption, the conditions for the big race cars were better again. Amweg clocked the fastest individual time of 2'01.02 on the 3735-meter track from Dürrbach to Gurnigelbad. Berguerand came closest to him with 2'02.76 in the now well-running Lola FA99-Cosworth. In the addition of the two times, Amweg clearly retained the upper hand with 4'05.35.
21 years after his father Fredy Amweg, who won a total of 20 times at the Gurnigel from 1973 to 1998, his son has now immortalized himself in the annals of Switzerland's oldest mountain race. After three one-day victories with historic Formula 2 racing cars at the Arosa Classic Car Hill Climb, the first overall victory in a round of the Swiss Hill Climb Championship for the 34-year-old from Aargau. This is due not only to his undisputed driving skills, but also to the cleverness of his Formula 1-experienced mechanics crew.
Thomas Amweg: "I was shocked myself about the second time. We suspected that there was something in it today. We went in an aggressive direction with the set-up and set the suspension soft for rain. After all, there was nothing to lose. That worked immediately, after this was quite different in the rain at Anzère."
Unexpected podium (from left): Roger Schnellmann, day winner Thomas Amweg and the new Swiss champion Eric Berguerand (photo: Peter Wyss).
Berguerand wins the 2019 SM ahead of Steiner and Faustini The surprising result was not only a welcome change after years of domination by Steiner and Berguerand, but in this way also brought the championship decision. Despite the first defeat of the season, Eric Berguerand is certain to be the 2019 Swiss mountain champion, as Marcel Steiner would now still be one point behind even in the event of a record victory next Sunday in Les Paccots and a zero for the 40-year-old from Valais! Steiner is just as little to take the vice-champion title as Robin Faustini after the fourth place in the race cars the third SM final rank.
There was also drama in the two-liter race cars, which Philip Egli in the Dallara F393 decided in his favor. His second clear fastest run time was of no use to Marcel Maurer in the Tatuus-Renault after he spun in the first attempt. Still the fastest two-liter driver overall after the first run, Michel Zemp in the Norma sports car fell far behind in the overall standings due to a track smeared by the competitor in front of him. In practice, he was still fifth fastest among the 185 national competitors with 1'49.5.
Serious accident of Bratschi In the touring cars, the duel between Ronnie Bratschi and Roger Schnellmann was decided in brutal fashion. After a clutch failure in practice, Bratschi was glad that the third practice of Group E1 did not take place until early Sunday morning. With 2'06.82, the man from Uri set an almost unbelievable best time in the wet, which, as in the case of Schnellmann, who was measured at 1'56.612 on Saturday, led to expectations of a push among the fastest race cars.
In the fastest section of the track in the upper part of the forest, Bratschi lost control of his Mitsubishi for reasons that are still unclear ("The line was perfectly in place when the car suddenly broke free at the back"), rolled over several times and landed in the forest. Thanks to the robust cell he built himself, he escaped the wreckage unharmed.
Romeo Nüssli achieved a top result at the first SM start in 2019. The Ford Escort, which was damaged in an accident in Luxembourg at the beginning of May, was under repair at tuner Gabat in Austria.
Second place overall to Schnellmann A slip in the lower forest, on the other hand, was a warning shot for Schnellmann to slow down a bit. The second heat was tackled by Group E1 as the last race field in much better conditions than for the racing cars, with Schnellmann succeeding not only in knocking Steiner off the overall winners' podium, but also in ousting Berguerand from second place overall.
Also strong was the performance of Romeo Nüssli, who finished fifth overall in his Ford Escort Cosworth, despite ABS failure in the first race since the accident in Eschdorf (L) in spring. Gérard Nicolas powered his also all-wheel-drive Ford Escort Cosworth WRC to victory in Group IS, where Vanessa Zenklusen in her Subaru Impreza Type R also impressed as class runner-up behind the Vaudois and 14th overall despite boost pressure problems.
Vanessa Zenklusen loves the technical Gurnigel race track. Although the Subaru did not run perfectly, she managed a brilliant result.
Andy Feigenwinter is practically master But one of them stole the show unnoticed. Andy Feigenwinter gave Röbi Wicki no chance in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, even with all-wheel drive. The driver from Reinach was clearly faster with his Lotus Exige 430 Cup in the wet and in the dry and thus remained unbeaten in the SuperSeries group.
Roger Schnellmann still has a theoretical chance of winning the championship after his fourth victory of the season, but he will not be taking part in the last hill climb in Les Paccots. After Bratschi's retirement, the secure runner-up title is more than the driving instructor from Wangen SZ was aiming for anyway. Feigenwinter is thus practically set as mountain champion in the touring cars, but wants to make this crystal clear to everyone next Sunday with another top result. We congratulate him and Eric Berguerand in advance!
Thieving joy: Andy Feigenwinter is confirmed as touring car mountain champion. Only Schnellmann still has a chance of winning the title, but doesn't take it.
