Suzuki Racing Cup: Confirmation of the champion

ANOTHER WIN IN CHAMBLON With five wins in seven slaloms, Fabian Eggenberger is the well-deserved champion of the Suzuki Swiss Racing Cup 2022. The final in Chamblon once again highlighted the high level of this one-make cup.

Editorial - July 2, 2022

Fabian Eggenberger found the best compromise between attack and efficiency to fully exploit the potential of the Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid (Photos: Denise Steinmann).

No more confirmation was needed, but they delivered. On the 4300-meter course in the Chamblon barracks, Fabian Eggenberger realized the best time in the first run and in the even faster second run, this time with just under three tenths ahead of Marcel Muzzarelli.

The 45-year-old garage owner from Dübendorf had already been confirmed as the new champion, as had the dethroned defending champion as runner-up. Because even in the worst case scenario, "Muzz" would have been assured of second place in the championship if Sandro Fehr had won, as he determined after doing some precise mental arithmetic before the event.

Hybrid model an advantage
With five first places as well as a second and third place, Eggenberger was the outstanding man of the short 2022 season, obviously benefiting from the sluggish power delivery of the new Suzuki Swift Sport 48V Hybrid.

Fabian Eggenberger: "It was always close between Muzz and me. Now the pendulum has swung in my direction. I tried to convince myself beforehand that the hybrid model could benefit me because the front wheels spin less quickly. So my rather aggressive driving style was no longer a disadvantage."

First, things turn out differently...
Looking back to the start of the season on April 30 in Bière, Muzzarelli already seemed to be back on track for the championship title with his superior opening victory. With 2.71 seconds in 3:02 minutes of riding time, his lead was striking.

But Eggenberger turned the tables with a double victory in Frauenfeld and steadily extended his lead in the standings thereafter, as he finished ahead of his rival even in the defeat in Ambri (where Fehr won ahead of Flammer).

Marcel Muzzarelli is a master of precision when it comes to driving around the gates. But this year this was not enough to win the title.

Six tenths after 18 minutes
Interestingly, despite the large gap in Bière, the new champion is also ahead in the addition of all seven fastest running times. At around 18:40 minutes, Eggenberger and Muzzarelli are separated by a minime of 623 thousandths of a second!

Fabian Eggenberger: "You can't tell from the times. But my feeling is that the top has become a bit faster again, as has the entire field. I think even Flavio Corezzola in last place has made progress."

In numbers: 17 of the 18 riders in Bure were within nine seconds after 4.3 kilometers. In some national classes, the time gaps are even greater at the front places. And with a gap of 14 seconds after 4.3 kilometers, Corezzola did not fall off excessively either. Chapeau!

Unfulfilled expectations by Michael Béring
Third place in Chamblon was secured, as in Ambri1, by Michael Béring (gallery left). The man from Le Locle in Neuchâtel was satisfied with this result, but not with the course of the season. With the hybrid experience from the previous year, he had expected more.

Michael Béring: "I made a few mistakes and also had some minor problems. Against people like Eggenberger, Muzzarelli, Fehr and Flammer, you just have to be 100 percent ready. But I learned a lot and hope to be one of the winners next year."

The boss steps on the gas
Christian Zimmermann (center gallery) finished his first race after a long break in good fifth place, although he had expected more. Despite his knowledge and driving skills, the Cup's technical coordinator could not simply make up for his lack of experience.

In the first heat, the Glarner hit the same gate as in 2019, in the second he no longer took full risk. At least he left his canton colleague Patrick Flammer behind, who overdid it in the second heat and thus stopped on the first time.

Grapes hung high
Reto Steiner and Alexander Ullrich brought the sixth-ranked Flammer team car in the championship (gallery on the right) to 7th and 8th place in Chamblon. Steiner, otherwise a spectacular winning driver in E1-2000 with a Ford Escort RS, had certainly expected more from his Suzuki entries.

The same applies to Jean-Claude Debrunner, who finished ninth in the last race - once even the day's winner in slaloms - and former production car Swiss champion Giuliano Piccinato (13th). All the others achieved more or less good results within their capabilities, on which they can build for 2023.

They will all receive their success awards and trophies on August 20 at the Emil Frey Classics in Safenwil.