THE LAST PARADISE 2020
DRIVING IN
www.ennstal-classic.at
A ROOKIE IN PARADISE … MY FIRST ENNSTAL-CLASSIC AND ITS AFTERMATH. by Harald Pokieser (#189)
Trapped between an immaculate Corvette C1 and a very nice, very old Porsche, I am glad that the Volvo is at least freshly painted. The grownups prefer to take pictures of the Corvette tough, and I start wondering about these magnificent stickers. Vehicle inspection, the numbers big as towels, Ennstal Classic on the front, the names left and right and no bubbles or wrinkles, smooth as painted on. Is it the young, tireless Ennstal-Classic adhesive specialists? Or is it due to a diabolic adhesive recipe? Then the stickers would only be removable along with paint and tin. That would be sad for me, but millions in damage for the Bugattis and Ferraris. Today I know better, it is the perfectionism, the good spirit of the event that will guide me quietly and friendly through the three-day marathon. In fact, the Volvo will soon be doing better than me, the Swedish box is indestructible, my co-driver and I are not. Dripping sweat, missed turns, stopwatches pressed too late, and a perfect, relentlessly abstract roadbook frazzle our nerves. The odometer does not work - fine, one task less that we would inevitably fail in. Twilight on the legs is the time for anxious questions: Will our relationship last, Doris and I have overcome worse, but who knows, where are we, will the evening buffet be closed already, why are the others not getting lost, is there a prize for last place? While my wife plugs her ears, the dream cars of my childhood fly by, Ferrari Dino, Maserati Ghibli, Porsche Carrera RS, Jaguar E and so on. Incredible where Austria‘s smallest roads lead, right through the hallways of the mountain farmers and even further. Exhilarating how you can commute between Enns- and Murtal, on cart paths and through the Canadian wilder-
ness to the Red Bull Ring and back over the legendary Sölkpass. This road is the highlight of the Ennstal Classic, „Welcome home“ it calls out to the old jalopies in the last glow of the evening and chases them along rotten wood planks, steeply down over potholes and crazy hairpin bends, past cows, pines and stone fields into the rescuing valley. The Ennstal-Classic is a ticket to an exquisite club, members are gasoline brothers and sisters who in these three days strip away everything else. Dates and conferences, burst pipes, annual financial reports, jobs, status and income lose all importance when you stand on the side of the road with a smoking engine, when pistons and ignitions, years of construction and gasoline stories come into focus and when you realize that the numerous spectators along the route are waving less at the drivers, but much more at the cars. Oh yes, the good spirit of the Ennstal Classic. It arises virtually at the headquarters, where the possible has long since been done and mastering the impossible is routine. The good spirit is perceptible when the wipers fail in the pouring rain and are brought back to life, when six hundred hungry people are standing in front of an exquisite buffet that others would not have managed to present to a Dirty Dozen and when you feel like you have received a gift no matter how much entry fee you paid. Of course, in the end the stickers can be removed easily as butter, preconditioned you have the heart to do it. Because back home in the garage, the Ennstal-Classics sticker is like a certificate, it recounts a successfully fought battle and lifts the owner of an old Volvo from a vintage driver directly into knighthood.
2020: SALZBURGRING On a new route, that finds its climax on the first day at the Salzburgring and ends in Schladming, the regularity tests that are based on an average speed of 40 and 50 km/h will become an adventure.
NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES Only purely mechanic time and distance measuring devices are allowed. The timing system consists of – depending on the sort of regularity test – transponders, light barriers and/or GPS cameras as a back-up. Measurement is done according to a point system: The fewer points, the better! 1/100 equals one penalty point.
VREDESTEIN YOUNGSTER OF THE YEAR TROPHY The Ennstal-Classic is exerted to inspire young people for old cars. That is why we founded this trophy together with out long-term partner Vredestein. Awarded with a start for the next year is the best team where both, driver and co-driver, are not older than thirty years at the point of the event.
MYTH PORSCHE Also in 2020 Porsche is the number 1 partner of the Ennstal-Classic. The factory-museum in Stuttgart brings not only the family jewels to the Ennstal-Classic every year, but also stars like Walter Röhrl, Mark Webber, Patrick Dempsey, Hans-Joachim Stuck or Dr. Wolfgang Porsche himself. Since 2019 we are happy to have Porsche Design as our new “Official Timing Partner” aboard. Also in the upcoming year an Ennstal-Classic Special Edition will be presented.
ALFRED NEUBAUER TROPHY AND GOLD-SILVER-BRONZE Eligible are cars that have been built before the deadline December 31st 1972. The overall winner is awarded with the legendary Alfred Neubauer Trophy, that can only be won at the Ennstal-Classic. The legendary Mercedes race director Alfred Neubauer once gave this trophy to stars like John Surtees, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Jochen Rindt and Niki Lauda. The first five of the overall ranking win especially designed
trophies. For the places 6 to 10 gold medals are presented, 11 to 20 receive silver medals and the places 21 to 30 get the bronze medal. From the overall ranking a separate ranking in each of the four epochs (linked to the year of construction) is drawn: EPOCH I: until 1934 EPOCH II:
1935 until 1950
EPOCH III:
1951 until 1960
EPOCH IV:
1961 until 1972
VOICES FROM THE COCKPIT Mark Webber “If anybody predicted me ten years ago that I would some day have fun driving an old car at 80 km/h through the landscape, I would not have believed it” Achim Stejskal “The Ennstal-Classic belongs to the most important motorsports-events in the homeland of our family Porsche. Our first years of production are linked to Austria!” Tom Wlaschiha “It is so much fun! I only wished for a little bit more time in order to look to the right and the left in this beautiful landscape. At the beginning I thought this was only going to be sightseeing, but the ambition was fuelled fast… After two days in the sun I know: my next car will have a hood.”
Derek Bell The five-times Le Mans-winner Derek Bell has been content with his performance: “The older we become, the better we drive!” Wolfgang Porsche „What can I say, in such a car you love to drive through the mountains. If the weather is so beautiful as well it can hardly become any better.” Wolf-Dieter Baumann „You organise an event that I would describe as a benchmark for the historic rallye-sports. Organisation, route, side-events etc. simply amazing!“
Hans-Joachim „Strietzel“ Stuck in Classic Driver – „A glorious Ennstal-Classic“ “Can you see the smile on my face? How can a day be better than this one? We drive this fantastic old Porsche 356 „triangular scraper“ at the Ennstal-Classic and have so much fun on the mountain roads.” Thomas Reingruber (mayor of Gröbming) “Our village has a very special flair in the week of the Ennstal-Classic and we are very much looking forward to this event every year. It is the biggest event of the year and the publicity of Gröbming has risen enormously due to the Ennstal-Classic and is highly connected to it.”
PHENOMENA ARISE The Ennstal becomes a business class journey. Whether at the “Welcome Evening” at the beautiful Schloss Pichlarn, at the Notte Ferrari in Schladming or at the evening events that take place in the classic-tent in Gröbming – in the gun smoke of the event networks and acquaintances happen that would not be possible in normal business life. The EnnstalClassic offers a stage on which messages for a target group can be placed effectively, strengthened by a unique, medial lever.
SPEED-SHOW: RACING LIKE IN EARLIER TIMES It felt like in the 1950ies and 60ies at the big airfield races: The spectators had access everywhere, free entrance and racing that could be experienced closely. The Speed-Show – that happened in the course of the Ennstal-Classic at the Alpine airfield Niederöblarn – will be a benchmark in 2020 as well.
22nd – 25th JULY
SCHEDULE Modifications reserved
Tuesday, July 21st and Wednesday, July 22nd Thursday, July 23rd Friday, July 24th
Saturday, July 25th
Check in and Rallye-Check in Gröbming “Welcome Evening” at Schloss Pichlarn in Aigen Prolog with appr. 350 km „Notte Ferrari“ at the Posthotel Schladming Marathon with appr. 420 km „Porsche Night“ at the classic-tent Gröbming Stoderzinken mountain challenge Porsche Design Grand-Prix of Gröbming „Night of the Champions“ at the classic-tent Gröbming
The entry fee of € 2.850,-- applies to one team (driver and co-driver) and includes four evening events, catering along the route and an exclusive goody bag with team garments etc. The accommodation is not included. We ask our participants to book their rooms at our selected hotel partners. Registration on our website: www.ennstal-classic.at End of registration is February 28 th, 2020
Das Nenngeld in der Höhe von € 2.850.- gilt für ein Team (Fahrer und Beifahrer) inklusive vier Abendveranstaltungen, Catering entlang der Strecke und exklusivem Goodybag mit Teamkleidung, Erinnerungsmedaillen uvm. Die Unterkunft ist nicht inkludiert und von den Teilnehmern bei den ausgesuchten Partnerhotels bitte selbst zu buchen. Anmeldung unter www.ennstal-classic.at Nennschluss ist am 28. Februar 2020.
Ennstal-Classic GmbH Kirchplatz 15, A-8962 Gröbming, Tel. +43 (0)3685 / 232 70, email: office@ennstal-classic.at www.ennstal-classic.at