Berg-SM Junior: The first winner is Rolf Reding
MOUNTAIN RACING REITNAU The Swiss Mountain Championship Junior, launched on the initiative of the Drivingcenter Seelisberg with the blessing of ASS, celebrated its premiere on Sunday. The first winner gave himself the best birthday present. Eight young men between the ages of 18 and 28 - one goal: Everyone wanted to win the first race and everyone wants to show with his results [...]
Eight young men between the ages of 18 and 28 - one goal: Each wanted to win the first race and each wants to become the first Swiss junior mountain champion with his results from four mountain races.
Recruited and trained by the Drivingcenter Seelisberg, whose owners Hans Schori (2011 mountain champion) and Yves Meyer (his son and instructor) conceived the idea and set up the Swiss Race Academy for this purpose, they took part in the first mountain race last weekend in Reitnau. All eight Toyota GT86 according to SuperSeries regulations are absolutely identical in terms of power (almost 200 hp), weight (1294 kg) and tires.
Only Benjamin Devaud knew roughly what to expect, as he had already competed in many such races as a driver with a REG license. However, with a VW Golf, so the switch to the rear-wheel drive car was more of a handicap than an advantage.
In May, they had only been able to practice with their equipment for one day on the small circuit in Seelisberg and by means of a guided excursion to the region. In Reitnau, however, they faced completely new conditions in that it rained in the morning during practice and was dry in the afternoon during the race.
Day winner with one race run
Rolf Reding adapted best to the difficult, changeable conditions. The automotive specialist from Immensee SZ, who turned 24 on Sunday, drove the fastest time in the wet and was also the fastest in the first race run in the dry. Because of the early stop, that already meant the day's victory in his classification.
This is by no means a fluke. Reding had already been by far the best in the tricky pre-test in Seelisberg. Second-placed Lukas Eugster (27) from Herisau acknowledged without envy: "I already noticed on the test day that Rolf is fast and can obviously make use of his experience from the automotive sector. I myself made a huge mistake after the start when shifting up, which cost a lot of time. That's why I'm very happy with second place."
The winner himself was modest: "There is certainly room for improvement for everyone. Because in the wet it was like riding on eggs. We all lacked a second dry run for the experience."
Benjamin Devaud (25), the only Frenchman in the field, came off respectably in third place. The junior from Aigle, who lives in Collombey VS, will then enjoy a home advantage at the next race in Anzère, where he is the only one who already knows the course by heart. That's what he'll really be judged on.
The fact that someone had to finish last was unavoidable. That it was him, of all people, caused 21-year-old Raphael Feigenwinter from Therwil "extreme disappointment".
Cheer up, Reitnau was not yet a benchmark. On July 22/23, the first "real" mountain race with three training runs on Saturday and three scheduled race runs on Sunday on a track that is more than twice as long is coming up. After that, it continues on August 28/29 in Oberhallau, before the first junior mountain champion will be chosen and known on September 9/10 at Gurnigel.
