Hill climb: More power for Michi Widmer 🎥
PERFORMANCE BOOST FROM EGMO Michael Widmer has been driving a Mitsubishi Mirage Proto, the only one of its kind in Switzerland, since 2017. At the Arlberg race, the Toggenburg native drove with significantly more power under the hood for the first time. Austria Racing Pics Vorarlberg produced a short film especially for AutoSprintCH (thank you very much!). It captures Michael Widmer's speedy drives from different angles. How [...]
Austria Racing Pics Vorarlberg produced a small film especially for AutoSprintCH (many thanks!). It captures Michael Widmer's fast rides from different angles.
Like quite a few other drivers, Michael "Michi" Widmer took the opportunity to start in two fields on each of the two race days at the International Arlberg Race. After such a long break, there's no better way to get up to speed on a race car - especially since, in Widmer's case, it now has significantly more steam than it did until 2019.
Useful forced break
The Mitsubishi Mirage Proto was parked at Eggenberger Motorenbau for eight months. When the Toggenburger brought it to Lyss, February was the agreed pickup date.
Because time was not pressing due to the Corona pandemic and its effects, Egmo was able to take his time working on Widmer's engine. It received a new turbocharger and other refinements, as well as a new electronic engine tuning.
Michael Widmer: "Now the car has the 587 hp originally promised by Gassner Motorsport and is really going forward. For the routine, it's really good to drive up the mountain here a total of 20 times this weekend."
Still restrained in the dry
On Friday Widmer started first in field A in the separate class of the Renn Club Untertoggenburg. With 1'08.22 he realized the fastest running time of the RCU drivers, but in the addition of the three best of four times he had to bow to the Appenzell Porsche driver Willi Jenni by eleven hundredths.
Immediately afterwards in the E1 cars over two liters it was only enough for fourth place with the little slower overall and individual time. Besides two Austrians, Koni Tarnutzer was slightly faster this time in his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup.
Of his Swiss colleagues, Christoph Zwahlen, who started in Group H, also ranked ahead of him as the fastest of all Porsche GT3 drivers, as did the outstanding Lotus champion Dino Wintsch.
20 mountain rides without problems
On a wet track on Saturday, Widmer was able to exploit the traction advantages of the all-wheel-drive vehicle. His time from the E1 field was good enough for the fifth-best time of the day. Although previously slower in the RCU class, this overall time earned him the superior class win.
Converted, he covered 30 kilometers on pace in almost 25 minutes in all training and race runs. So the man from eastern Switzerland traveled home to Mühlrüti satisfied and with several trophies.
Michael Widmer: "I've never got to drive so often and have steadily improved. The car ran perfectly from the first to the 20th run. That's certainly also due to Egmo's good work."
