ACS Thurgau: title hunt in Frauenfeld
SPORTSMEN AND FANS Swiss motorsport enthusiasts and fans are eagerly awaiting the last weekend in April. The Frauenfeld Auto Racing Days, organized by ACS Thurgau, mark the start of the 2024 Slalom Championship.
Racing slaloms have their own rules. If you want to win in this discipline, you have to be able to combine courage with skill. At speeds of sometimes more than 200 km/h, precise steering is just as important as bravado. In the end, only those who drive through the 3.5 meter wide gates, which are formed by consecutively numbered pylons, not only quickly but also without making any mistakes will be successful. Any shifting or knocking over will be penalized with a ten-second time penalty, and missing a gate will even result in disqualification.
Permanent winner
The 3.2-kilometre course on the Grosse Allmend in Frauenfeld is one of the slowest courses on the Swiss Slalom Championship calendar - but also one of the most challenging. For many years, the course record holder and multiple daily winner has been Philip Egli. At the event organized by ACS Thurgau, the Glarus resident from the canton of Zurich has been unbeaten in his Dallara F3 racing car since 2015, although several opponents have always challenged him for victory on the day. "This slalom course is challenging, but not as fast as the other races. That's why you have to find a good flow quickly after the fast start straight and also carry as much speed as possible after the slow gates. I've always managed this well," says the soon-to-be 40-year-old civil engineer, trying to explain his run of success. On Sunday, April 28, he will be going all out for his ninth victory of the day, especially as this slalom is his home race, so to speak. "Nowhere else are so many friends and relatives watching, so this is an important race for me."
Free admission
After the inspection run, all racing fields divided into different classes complete two training runs, which are followed by the two race runs after a break. The faster of the two race times is awarded. As in 2022 and 2023, all visitors will enjoy free admission to the race site and paddock. Information on other attractions for the public relating to the races and the supporting program, as well as the food truck festival, can be found on the ACS Thurgau website.
