Frauenfeld: A lot of new things at the ghost race
SPECIAL CAR RACE DAYS After 650 days, a national automobile slalom will take place again on Sunday - unfortunately without an audience. We reveal who and what there would be to see in Frauenfeld and how you can still catch something. On Sunday, October 6, 2019, Marcel Maurer crossed the finish line with his Tatuus-Renault in Ambri as the last ever day winner of a National Slalom [...]
On Sunday, October 6, 2019, Marcel Maurer crossed the finish line in his Tatuus-Renault in Ambri as the last ever day winner of a national slalom. No one suspected that only 93 weeks later there would be another race for victories and points in this discipline.
Back to the long course
The ACS Thurgau ends this unexpectedly long forced break with its 21st car racing days on the Frauenfeld Allmend. Some athletes bridged it with starts abroad, for example at the mountain racing slaloms in Vorarlberg, or smaller races in Switzerland without status.
Some have also practiced last weekend at the slalom test days of the Equipe Bernoise in Ambri. The gallery shows Yann Schorderet, Christian Darani and Marco Geering (from left), who are all expected to start in Frauenfeld (photos: Ramon Hänggi).
The race will take place on the 3.2-kilometer course with 49 gates, which was only available on the Great Allmend from 2014 to 2016.
Full program of brand trophies
Who is already well or quickly back in shape, will already show on Saturday. On the first day of racing, points will be at stake in the Suzuki Swiss Racing Cup, Abarth Trofeo Slalom, Lotus Cup Suisse and Porsche Slalom Cup.
Only the Lotus drivers pulled off a championship in 2020 despite Corona, and this year they are already competing in Rounds 7 and 8 (here the Championship status). With the exception of Porsche, all one-make cups hold two separate races.
First hybrid models among Suzuki Swift Sport
There are innovations especially with the Suzukis. For the first time, hybrid vehicles are allowed to race with the approval of ASS. However, these are still rare, as their higher weight cannot be compensated for by the additional energy according to the experience of test runs.
With defending champion Marcel Muzzarelli, Fabian Eggenberger, Sandro Fehr and Patrick Flammer, several winning drivers are still in the mix. The most interesting newcomer is Muzzarelli's former SuperSeries opponent Michaël Béring.
Bürki aims for eighth SM title
On Sunday, it's the turn of all the national groups as well as the Renault Classic Cup. While the Clio drivers have two circuit races in Hockenheim behind them, unfortunately with only five competitors, which were won by Thomas Zürcher ahead of Denis Wolf, the "nationals" will be competing for SM points for the first time in 650 days.
However, only one champion will be chosen if the other slaloms in Drognens (Sept. 26), Ambri (Oct. 3) and Bière (Oct. 31) actually take place. This is the hope of Martin Bürki in particular, who is aiming for his eighth SM title since 2011 with his optimal VW Polo 16V.
Hanspeter Thöni (Peugeot 106), Christian Darani (Fiat X1/9) and Philip Egli (Dallara), who also took the places of honor in 2019 with the maximum number of points, are again aiming for the champions' podium. Likewise former champion Christoph Zwahlen (Porsche GT3) and former runner-up Manuel Santonastaso (BMW 320).
With only four races, three of which count, every result counts, including the one to be stroked. Anyone who stumbles once is therefore out of the running. As always, the strength of the class will also be decisive in the end - advantage group E1, i.e. Darani.
Eugster pauses, Burgermeister returns
Lukas Eugster, on the other hand, who finished fifth in the SM in 2019, is already concentrating on 2022, by which time his Ligier-Honda sports car will be made more powerful by Horag Racing with wider wheels and thus more grip.
However, the absence of the Appenzeller will be compensated for, at least in Frauenfeld, with interesting new additions to the racing sports cars. Joel Burgermeister, for example, will be competing for the first time in the Tatuus F4 with a potent 1170-cubic turbo racing engine from LRM of Italy.
Despite a lack of racing practice since 2018, he is aiming for a stage win at his home race after testing went well, before focusing on hill climbs thereafter. He is challenging Philip Egli, who has been unbeaten in Frauenfeld since 2015, and his constant challenger Marcel Maurer. Behind these two, Burgermeister was already third overall in 2017 with the little TracKing.
Bosshard's premiere in the GP3-Dallara
Driving is all that matters to Markus Bosshard, although he brings the most powerful race car to the start. The man from Herisau is responsible for the premiere of a Dallara GP3 from Jenzer Motorsport stock. Installed is a 1700cc turbo engine with over 500 hp, elaborately developed by Eggenberger Motorenbau.
Because the car will only be ready at the last moment, he is jumping in at the deep end with it. With the previous LOC driver Jannis Jeremias in a Tatuus-Abarth F4, Bosshard would at least have a class opponent with whom he could compete in the maiden voyage.
Spectators must and should stay at home
Unfortunately, the race will take place under exclusion of the public, because the ACS Thurgau had decided this long before the relaxation of the Corona measures for the purpose of planning and budgeting. This is also strictly controlled.
Only registered drivers and registered escorts as well as officials and accredited media are admitted.
Livetiming and AutoSprint report
A national Swiss ghost race is therefore a premiere. At least there is a livetiming under this Link - and promptly after the race, of course, the report at AutoSprintCH online.
