Hemberg: Full house for the start of the hill climb season
SWISS SPORT The first Swiss hill climb of the 2017 season features a great field of around 200 vehicles. The date clash with the Romont slalom has practically no impact on the Toggenburgers. Many have been waiting for this for weeks: as of today, the start list for the Hemberg hillclimb race on June 10/11 is online. It holds some positive [...]
Many have been waiting for this for weeks: As of today, the start list for the Hemberg hill climb on June 10/11 is online. It contains some positive surprises. 196 drivers are registered, 160 of them "national". They are competing for points towards the Swiss Hill Climb Championship, the Hill Climb Cup and - in the case of the 13 Clio drivers - the Renault Classic Cup.
To whom honor is due: Race number 1 belongs to last year's winner and multiple mountain champion Eric Berguerand. With the man from the Valais on the aerodynamically further modified Lola-Cosworth, Simon Hugentobler (Reynard), Grégoire Siggen (Lola) and Markus Bosshard (Reynard), four drivers are on the grid in the three-liter race car class.
Eleven more, led by Thomas Amweg (Dallara-Mercedes) and Christian Balmer (Tatuus-Honda), are in the two-liter. With Marcel Steiner in the LobArt-Mugen, they will decide the places on the overall winners' podium among themselves.
For Amweg, it will be one of the last races with the Formula 3 car. A sponsor will provide him with a Lola-Cosworth F3000, with which he will emulate his successful father Fredy Amweg. In order to prepare seriously, Thomas is not putting himself under time pressure. He is planning the premiere in Reitnau (July 2) at the earliest.
Although the slalom in Romont takes place on the same weekend, several specialists from the touring car categories decide to participate in the popular hill climb. A great battle for the touring car best time is to be expected, since all the aces from Group E1 and InterSwiss are entered except Bruno Ianniello (he starts in Romont like his customer Jürg Beiner).
Defending champion Reto Meisel still has a score to settle with the Mercedes SLK 340 in Hemberg, as he began his 2016 season here with a retirement. So this E1 record still belongs to Ronnie Bratschi in the Mitsubishi, who had fought an exciting duel with Roger Schnellmann last year. Both are again at the start, plus Thomas Kessler and Michael Widmer with other husky Mitsubishis and Romeo Nüssli in the Ford Escort Cosworth.
With further little stories we will make you "gluschtig" on the mountain race Hemberg in the next three weeks.
