Lignières 2021: pilot project and revival 🎥

The municipal and cantonal authorities have granted permission for four motor sport events to be held in Lignières each year. The first one would have been planned as a pilot project for the third weekend of April 2020, so it has nothing to do with next year's anniversary of the TCS.

TCS Training & Events, which operates the small circuit at the foot of the Chasseral as a road safety center, and Swiss Legends Racing wanted to jointly stage a new license-free motorsport event on April 18 and 19, 2020. For the drivers of the Swiss Legends Cars, it would have counted towards the 2020 Club Championship.

Two completely different one-day events
On Saturday, April 18, a slalom was planned, the other day a time trial, whereby the circuit would have been defused with brake chicanes. In a given time window, the fastest laps of each driver would have been scored.

Registered road vehicles would have been permitted, as well as electric cars in the new LE1 category and racing vehicles whose noise level does not exceed 95 decibels. A valid driving license was sufficient for participation.

Maybe it will become a national race
Although the event was not registered and listed in the National Calendar of Auto Sport Switzerland purely for cost reasons and is not expected to be in 2021, the usual safety requirements will be met. A perfect condition of all vehicles will be checked on site by the technical commissioners. In addition, an experienced licensed race director will supervise the proceedings.

For the organizing partners, the whole thing will now also be a pilot project in 2021. If it meets with widespread interest, it could become an LOC and REG event or even a future round of the Swiss Slalom Championship. For the time being, the primary goal of the organizers is to offer cost-effective motorsport for their club members in their own country.

Again a historic event
The "Lignières Historique" is planned as a motor sport anniversary event. It was held for the first time in 2013 and for the second time in 2015 on the first weekend in July. In 2021, it will no longer be held in midsummer, but from September 17 to 19.

Training and racing runs with historic racing vehicles are planned, which will be divided into several fields. Not only licensed drivers are to be eligible to participate, but also sporty vintage drivers on two, three and four wheels. Further details are not yet known, as the event is still in the planning phase.

Shortly after its opening in 1961 and until the 1990s, Lignières was used for club races. Legendary are the license-free 100-lap races, where quite a few later winning drivers made their first good or bad racing experiences.

The three-minute video summarizes the events of 2015. TCS ambassador Marcel Fässler also has his say in an interview.

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