Turckheim: A rare launch opportunity 🎥
MOUNTAIN RACING IN ELSASS With Turckheim-Trois Epis, the only large mountain race for modern vehicles in our latitudes takes place this weekend. Some Swiss take the opportunity to start with the French. The teaser shows the fascination and ambiance of this mountain race in the beautiful Alsace. The 64th staging of the traditional "Course de Côte Turckheim-Trois Epis" counts as the first [...]
The teaser shows the fascination and ambiance of this mountain race in beautiful Alsace.
The 64th staging of the traditional "Course de Côte Turckheim-Trois Epis" counts as only the second event in the 2020 French hillclimb championship. After that, only a third race in the south of France (Bagnols-Sabran), postponed from April to early October, is on the schedule. Otherwise, only regional and local hillclimb races will be held in France in 2020.
Two races per weekend
In order to justify the award of a mountain championship title nevertheless, the FFSA association has adapted the regulations for the exceptional year 2020. Thus, there will be two self-contained races with the same number of championship points on each of the three weekends.
Therefore, on each race day - Saturday and Sunday - after only one practice run, the two classification runs are started immediately, of which the better time is taken into account for the day's classification. This was also the case this weekend at the traditional event organized by ASA Alsace.
One hour drive from Basel
Apart from the two mountain slaloms at Arlberg and Gargellen in Vorarlberg, which we have reported on, there is no mountain race near the Swiss border this year. And in Switzerland in 2020 there is only the Arosa ClassicCar, also running this weekend, and in two weeks' time the Bernina hill climb, both for historic vehicles.
The pretty wine town of Turckheim (7 kilometers west of Colmar) can be reached in less than an hour from Basel. Riders from Switzerland always take advantage of the proximity to make a guest start. This year there are a few more than usual.
Race test for Marcel Steiner
For Marcel Steiner, it will be the first test run under racing conditions with the newly powered LobArt - a 1750cc turbocharged engine from the Honda Civic Type R developed by Helftec. As French mountain champion Geoffrey Schatz and his compatriot Cyrille Frantz are also running turbocharged engines in their E2 sports cars, the man from Oberdiessbach will have a good comparison.
Under normal circumstances, the five-time mountain champion has no chance of winning the day against track record holder Schatz (2'20.703) and former champion Sébastien Petit, who has already won several Eastern European hillclimbs in 2020, in a new four-wheel-drive sports prototype.
But with the other Frenchmen and foreigners (including Alexander and Patrik Zajelsnik and Alexander Hin from the same E2-SC class), Steiner can fight for third place on the overall podium if the car runs properly.
Competition for Philip Egli
Since his Dallara F393 also complies with the French regulations, Philip Egli can also start in the main French field. The two-liter race car class is one of the most strongly contested of all. Like Steiner, Egli knows the 5.95-kilometer track to the Trois Epis climatic spa from previous starts.
With Bruno Ianniello and Martin Bürki
The announcement of a Trophée des 5 Nations did not find the expected echo with 19 entries - 40 starting places were reserved. The national competition for drivers with racing cars not homologated for France will nevertheless be interesting.
Some well-known Swiss want to put in here honor for their country. First and foremost, Bruno Ianniello in the Lancia Delta S4, who has already competed several times in Turckheim and is popular with the French.
Like Steiner, Martin Bürki completes a functional test under racing conditions with his second VW Polo with the new 1600cc engine. He leaves the tried-and-tested green Polo at home in Uetendorf.
Nicolas Cattin, Bertrand Favre (both BMW), Elio Macchi (Renault Clio), Ludovic Monnier and Yann Schorderet (both VW Golf) represent French-speaking Switzerland.
The complete list of participants, divided by classification (FFSA, VHC and 5 Nations), classes and sorted by start numbers, is available at this Link.
Strict corona measures
Unlike at most international circuit races, spectators are allowed on site. However, spectators must wear masks and leave their personal details and contact addresses.
In the 2020 season, which is otherwise poor in hill climbs, everyone is happy to put up with this - including the author of this article.
