Berg-SM Junior: Champion Rolf Reding remained unbeaten

And in the end it was again a clear thing for the young man with the strongest nerves...

After the first race run, which unlike the practice session took place on a dry track, Rolf Reding built up a one-second cushion on his two pursuers Benjamin Devaud and Lukas Eugster. Since fifth place would be enough for him to win the championship if Eugster had won, Reding could have taken it more comfortably in the final heat.

But true champions are made of different stuff. The 24-year-old from Schwyz went one better and was the only one of the eight drivers to achieve a running time of less than two and a half minutes on identical Toyota GT86 Race cars, which, as always, were well prepared and used by Eventcenter Seelisberg.

Even the head of the Swiss Race Academy, Yves Meyer, was amazed: "Rolf is incredible. At the briefing after the first run, I had warned him that anything could happen with only two race runs - and then he goes faster again. That's just his winning mentality. He absolutely deserves the title."

The first junior champion had a simple explanation for why he gave his all once again: "It went so well from the start that I also wanted this victory. In addition, I feel safer when I drive full speed than when I suddenly have to do it tactically. Many people demanded this of me, but I just couldn't do it..."

The battle for second place in the fourth and final hill climb was also nerve-wracking. After the first run on the 3734 m long course to Gurnigelbad, Benjamin Devaud was five hundredths ahead of Lukas Eugster. In the second run, the man from Herisau improved by more than a second, while the Frenchman was only three hundredths above his first run time.

In the addition this meant for Devaud the second place with two hundredths ahead of Eugster! Thus, as in Reitnau, Anzère and Oberhallau, the same three juniors were on the podium, only for once they alternated on the places of honor. In the championship, however, Eugster remained a safe second ahead of Devaud.

Raphael Feigenwinter also had reason to celebrate. At the season opener in Reitnau, he was still in a dejected last place, but in the last race, the man from Basel catapulted himself to fourth place, which had always been occupied by Mario Koch.

Feigenwinter was not quite able to confirm his third-best times behind Reding and Eugster in wet practice in the race, but they proved his vehicle control in difficult conditions. The son of the successful Kadet warhorse Seppi Koch was nevertheless not to be deprived of fourth place in the championship.

A good vintage
However, Aurelio Demski and Florian Klein swapped places in the final classification. After two fifth places in Reitnau and Anzère, Demski had to give way to Klein in the other two races, who advanced to fifth place in the championship thanks to his improved performance. Demski, Feigenwinter and Joshua Reynolds took 6th, 7th and 8th place in the final standings.

Rolf Reding may be the superior first junior champion and Lukas Eugster the crown prince. But what distinguishes all eight drivers is their learning process and consistency. All of them finished the four races in the classification, everyone made personal progress and no one stood out negatively due to an accident. Bravo!

They have all thus provided confirmation that the Swiss Race Academy, with the championship initiated by Hans Schori and Yves Meyer of the Eventcenter Seelisberg with the blessing of Auto Sport Schweiz, is absolutely justified. It is an enrichment of the Swiss mountain races.

Anyone who wants to be there in 2018 can find out more and apply online. The starting places are limited - and you can't become Swiss champion cheaper than for the all-inclusive price of 8865 Swiss francs...

www.drivingevent.ch