Zurich, June 2003 – With a real Hillclimb to FIA Appendix K regulations in the City of Zurich, the Swiss will celebrate their racing heritage this summer - July 19/20. Switzerland has had, and still has, an important number of first class drivers, of world standard racing teams and even of race-car manufacturers. Think of names like Clay Regazzoni, Jo Siffert, Herbert Müller, Toulo de Graffenried, Jean Jacques Thuner, Alain Menu, Walter Brun - or the Sauber Formula 1 Team.
And, as we all know, Switzerland hosts some of the most thrilling car collections in the world. No wonder then, that already in its first running, the entry list of the Swiss Motorsport Festival reads like one of a well established international premium event: Two 250Fs, a 4CLT, 4CL and 6CM represent the Maserati Trident. No less than eight racing Ferraris, from the ex Ascari 500 F2 of Jo Vonlanthen through several fifties racing GTs, to two Daytona Group 4 racers, show the importance of the Swiss Market for the ‘Prancing Horse’. Other highlights are two Porsche 908/3s (including Sifferts’s Targa Florio winner), the 1979 Le-Mans-GT-Category winning Porsche 934 of Angelo Pallavicini (who co-drove with the Swiss Herbert Müller), an ex-Siffert Chevron B18, and many Sauber Sports Racers. Or original cars of the famous Swiss Scuderia Filipinetti; like the Ford GT 40 or Corvette L88 Group 4 (Le Mans 1968). Also on the grid are some Swiss curiosities, such as the only racing Enzmann, driven by the constructor Emil Enzmann himself, or the beautiful Formula Tasman Cegga-Maserati, with a birdcage-engine, built by Claude Gachnang of Aigle, always, and still is, driven by his brother Georges.
The Swiss Motorsport Festival is based on the original Albis Hillclimb, one of the oldest Swiss motor racing events, founded in 1907, and held several times until 1951, when Rudolf Fischer has won in a Ferrari single-seater. Entries to the Swiss Motorsport Festival are limited to 92 by invitation only, and the entry-list is already closed. However, owners of special cars with Swiss Racing History, such as drivers, teams or events, may soon apply for an invitation for next year. The Albis Hillclimb is organized by Alex Beeler, who was responsible for the Luxemburg City Grand Prix in 1997, and the first Grand Prix Berne Revival in 1998. He expects more than 25 000 spectators.
Find further information on the website (in English as well) - www.albisbergrennen.ch
