Motorsport: (K)a race as an April Fool's joke
INDOOR CAR RACING It is probably the most unusual motorsport event in Switzerland - and fits in perfectly with April 1. At the Race-Inn Roggwil, designed for small karts, there will be a car race again tonight after a four-year break. The fun should be in the foreground. Once Peter Dätwyler and his people had brought it to life, and not a few held [...]
Once Peter Dätwyler and his people had brought it to life, and not a few initially thought it was an April Fool's joke. With the departure of Dätwyler, the indoor car race in Roggwil also disappeared from the event calendar. Kurt Waltisperg, multiple sidecar world champion as Rolf Biland's "Plampi" and now involved in the Race-Inn, is ensuring with his crew that today, April 1, there will be an indoor car race again after a four-year break.
Of course, you can't take this competition seriously any more than you can take some of the other crazy news today. But the sporting ambition does take hold of one or two drivers as they race around the relatively narrow indoor karting course. With cars that were actually built for real race tracks. So it can quickly happen that one runs out of narrow road. In the practice sessions, which start at 4 p.m., and the race heats, the drivers compete individually for the best lap time. Around 10:30 p.m., the winner of the day should be determined.
World champion Walter Brun does the honors
This year, there is even a world champion and a multiple Swiss champion on the grid. Walter Brun from Lucerne, winner of the 1986 World Sports Car Championship in Group C and runner-up in 1987 with his legendary Brun Motorsport team, is making a comeback of sorts with Peter Leuthardt's Sauber C6. The discrepancy between Le Mans and Roggwil, in terms of track characteristics, could by no means be greater...
Marcel Steiner brings his Martini MK77 BMW sports car to the start, with which he won many a day in hill climbs and on the circuit, Daniel Mauerhofer his Norma Honda. The touring car fraction is led by Hans Nadlinger with a Porsche 911, Werner Rohr with his IS-Toyota Corolla and Denis Wolf with a Renault Clio Cup.
Who still thinks the whole thing despite mentioning the names of those involved for an April Fool's joke (which would be understandable) can convince themselves today, Saturday. Spectators are welcome with free entrance. On the bill they will come in any case.
