Renault Cup: Worthy champions in difficult times
SEASON BALANCE After a year of forced break, the Renault Classic Cup 2021 took place again with different races. Among the eleven participants, multiple champions Tom Zürcher and Denis Wolf stood out.
Apart from the Porsche Sports Cup Suisse, which is only held on circuits in neighboring countries, the Renault Classic Cup was the only national one-make cup to complete a varied championship last season.
System change without positive echo
The race series, organized by the private club of owners and drivers of various Clio models, offered a still unique mixture of slaloms, circuit races and just one hill climb after a year's forced break.
Thus, the outcome of the championship is representative, although the split into classes for the Clio II, Clio RS III and Clio R.S. IV decided at the last general meeting shortly before the start of the pandemic in February 2020 did not have the hoped-for effect. The classes of the "twos" and the newer Turbos were never populated with at least five participants, so that only half points beckoned there.
Clio victories as consolation for Tom Zürcher
The "threesome" were only undermanned at the long uncertain start to the season at the Nürburgring in May and then well enough represented from the second of five race weekends with a total of eight runs. Thomas Zürcher (gallery, left), who returned to the Cup with the Clio RS III he took over from Dario Kasper, moved clear at the top of the standings thanks to his winning streak.
"Tom" could even afford to take a voluntary zero at the hill climb in Oberhallau to start there with the Tatuus-Abarth in the race cars. With the F4 monoposto, which had been restored to its best after the serious accident in Anzère in 2019, the man from Berne actually wanted to take part in the 2021 Swiss mountain championship. But firstly, there was none and secondly, the tuned Abarth engine ran anything but nice, so it went back to tuner LRM in Italy after Oberhallau.
The wolf bit at the season finale
Despite his absence, Zürcher remained ahead in the standings because Denis Wolf in the newer Clio IV (center gallery) had so far only Pirmin Scheidegger as an opponent and, like the latter, only received half points. The garage owner from Heimberg therefore took his last chance of winning the title in Ambri with the change of class and the direct duel with Zürcher.
On the two different slalom courses at the Ticino airfield, Wolf won with his 2017 and 2018 champion car ahead of the championship leader in both dry conditions on Saturday and wet conditions on Sunday.
Denis was unable to prevent him from winning his sixth title, but managed to pass Michael Schläpfer (right gallery) for second place overall. The Appenzeller switched from a Clio II to a Clio III purchased from Bleekemolen in the Netherlands in 2021 and celebrated class victory in Oberhallau.
A new star in the Clio sky
With loud half points for his second places behind Wolf and the two solo victories in the Clio R.S. IV in Ambri, Primin Scheidegger finished in fourth place. With four fully rated honors in the Clio III, the noticeably faster Meverick Gerber (lower gallery right) hoisted himself to fifth place in the standings. Like Schläpfer, he was absent from the Nürburgring in May.
In the absence of reigning champion Philipp Krebs (took a "Corona break" like bosom buddy René Schnidrig), Jürg Brunner was the fastest driver with a Clio II (lower gallery, left). The 25-year-old from Toggenburg in the Bergrenndorf Hemberg is a promise for the future. He does not lack courage and skill, only routine.
Exercise does good
Club president Stephan Zbinden, who took over the office again after 25 years, was only convincing in Oberhallau (lower gallery, center) in six participations. After achieving "worse lap times than ever before" in Hockenheim, the Bernese put in a test day at the circuit in Bresse. Which obviously did him good, as evidenced by third place in the hillclimb.
Besides class winner Schläpfer, only Marc Beyeler was faster there, who celebrated another podium as third in Ambri 1 and finished in 8th place with only four starts. After switching from a "two-man" to a "three-man", Patrick Gerber, on the other hand, still needs some practice. Meverick's cousin last proved what he can do in 2019 with three wins at Hockenheim.
Hope for more hill climbs and drivers in 2022
As an absolute newcomer to motorsport and second Cup rookie, Andreas Bohni classified tenth in a Clio III. With only three participations and second class places in each case in the proven green "two-man", senior Hans Sigrist took last place in the Renault Classic Cup 2021.
The event was concluded with the awarding of the championship and all those classified during a cozy evening in the cozy Gantrischhütte near the Gurnigel race. Provided that more races take place again in 2022, especially on the mountain and in slalom, more participants can be expected. Where and which format will be used will be decided at the next AGM in spring.
