Renault Cup: Two nippy twos

Nine of the eleven Renault Classic Cup drivers entered for Hockenheim (Borer and Maschietto from Basel-Country cancelled) took the second opportunity to start in a circuit race. It almost failed because the organizer of the Special Touring Car Trophy allegedly lodged a protest because the Swiss squad was not competing in his field as before, but within the same event (Porsche Club Days Hockenheim) in the Cup & Touring Car Trophy.

Small war for nothing
The STT was successful in that all those who did not have the necessary license had to request it at short notice from Auto Sport Schweiz. NSK president Andreas Michel then personally intervened to ensure that they received it unbureaucratically and were thus able to start in Hockenheim for the second time this year. So it was a small-scale war that came to nothing.

After they had expected a cancellation until the last moment, the nine Swiss competitors had all the more fun in their two races. Especially those who were allowed to occupy the podium places afterwards.

Premiere for Schäpfer and Zbinden
In the first race over 15 laps on the GP circuit, Michael Schläpfer was allowed to place himself on the top step of the podium for the first time, in the second race Patrick Gerber already for the third time after having prevailed twice at the end of March. Both took advantage of the wind-cheating aerodynamics of the older and lighter Clio II RS, giving the Clio IIIs led by Denis Wolf and Stephan Zbinden a run for their money.

With the help of the slipstream of a competitor from the Cup & Touring Car Trophy, Zbinden managed a dream lap in qualifying for the first race, which earned him the first pole position of his long career. Having become somewhat nervous, he promptly failed to start, whereupon Wolf took the reins. Both Clio II drivers soon fell upon him, but only Schläpfer succeeded in taking him down.

Wolf had to practice again
Zbinden still ran in fourth position ahead of Meverick Gerber, Johanna Amann and Pirmin Scheidegger and was allowed to place himself on the podium in third place, as Wolf was only a guest starter. The latter gave the changeover from the Formula Renault Caparo to the Clio as the reason why it was not enough for him as champion of the last two years to win. He also exercised restraint.

Denis Wolf: "I noticed the lack of routine in the touring car and didn't get up to speed quickly enough. I also rented the car to Marcel Wälchli for the Anzère hill climb. That's why I didn't risk everything and backed off a bit in the duel with the two Clio IIs. But it was a successful event and a lot of fun."

Intermezzo by Thomas Zürcher
Excluding Wolf as another runner-up, Meverick Gerber took third place in the Cup standings in the second race behind his cousin Patrick and Schläpfer. Zbinden finished fifth in Gerber's slipstream, followed by Scheidegger and Amann.

Clearly the fastest in both races, with an advantage of over 50 seconds in each case, was Thomas Zürcher in the more modern Clio IV RS with turbo engine. The former champion had decided at short notice to start in Hockenheim and had previously signed off in Massongex because the long-promised LRM-Abarth race engine for his Tatuus F4 is still not ready. By Anzère it should finally work out.

Return to the mountain
In Valais, Philipp Krebs (Clio II) and René Schnidrig (Clio III), who dominate hill climbs, will also return to action. Krebs slipped from the top of the standings to fourth position due to his absence. Since Cup newcomer Schläpfer has already shown his strength uphill, it will be interesting to see when mountain specialist Krebs will catch up with him.

renault-classic.ch/pdf's/Intermediate_rankings/2019/05_Intermediate_rankings_2019.pdf