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Austria-Trophäe Salzburgring (Preis der Firma Elan)

Salzburgring, Austria

Date: 24/4/1977
Track length: 4.255 m
Attendance: 5.000
Entries accepted: 60
Starters: 35
Finishers: 17

Pole position: Bell/Rouse in 1.26,08
Fastest lap: Schenken in 1.25,76

Distance: 3,5 hours
Average speed: 155,243 kmh
Weather: Dry start, then rain, culminating in snow...
Ruleset: Group 2/76
Car info: 1977 Cars

 

It promised to be a good fight. Compared to Monza, there was another Luigi car entered. Practice was marred with rain; during one of the few dry period, Nilsson was able to split the pair of Jaguars.
Practice was marred with rain; during one of the few dry period, Nilsson was able to split the pair of Jaguars.

But when during the race the first pit stops were made, the picture was already clear. Nilsson took over from Quester, both the Jaguars were already out, with suspension failure this time. The pace was reduced, Alpina in the lead in front of the Luigi trio Xhenceval, Grano and Joosen. A big fight in the smaller classes: Brun (BMW 320) had a small lead over Kelleners (Scirocco) and Kluit (Escort). Ertl could not quite keep up with this pace; but the Audi had done well in the wet practice. The Alfetta of Bigliazzi and Facetti was far from a class lead too - but that would change soon.
Brun retired, then the rain came. Torrential rain. Most cars left the track at least once. After 90 minutes of mayhem, Alpina was still in the lead.

The Grano/Mohr Luigi car had passed team-mate Joosen/Dewael and was second, since Xhenceval had retired. Finotto took over, in search for ETCC points, but left the road and damaged the suspension in his first lap. Joosen/Dewael moved to second, third was, (un)surprisingly the Autovama Alfetta.

The Jägermeister Spiess Scirocco had retired, the Swiss sister car lost time in the pits. The Audi had ignition troubles, the Kluit/Poole Escort lost time in the pits. Bergmeister, who had moved to another sister car of Henzler, could not catch the surprisingly reliable Escort.
They finished in this order, in tenth spot (and first in division 1) a semi-works Alfasud sprint with Argentinean drivers.


Division 1-5
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine
Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)
Engine
Type
Group Distance,
time
Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1 3 BMW-Alpina
BMW 3.0 CSL
Gunnar Nilsson, S
Dieter Quester, A
3212 L6 Div. 5 129 laps, 3:31.25,16 2 1.26,59    
2 2 7 Luigi Racing UFO
BMW 3.0 CSL
Eddy Joosen, B
Claude De Wael, B
Martino Finotto, I
3196 L6 Div. 5 124 6 1.31,64    
3 1 32 Autovama Firenze
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV
Amerigo "Joe" Bigliazzi, I
Carlo Facetti, I
1985 L4 Div. 3 122 13 1.36,95    
4 1 47  
VW Scirocco
Anton Stocker, CH
Jörg Siegrist, CH
1596 L4 Div. 2 117 11 1.36,04    
5 2 29 Squadra Caposcarico
BMW 2002
Kurt Mirer, CH
Armin Buschor, CH
1990 L4 Div. 3 117 14 1.37,41    
6 3 34 Arrow
Ford Escort II RS
Ron Kluit, NL
Alec Poole, IRL
1840 L4 Div. 3 115 7 1.33,95   Oil pressure
7 2 48 Spiess
VW Scirocco
Helmut Henzler, D
Willi Bergmeister, D
1596 L4 Div. 2 115 9 1.34,76    
8 4 25 Rhein-Ruhr Racing Team Düsseldorf
BMW 2002
Dieter Hegels, D
Siegfried Müller Jr, D
1990 L4 Div. 3 113 15 1.37,64    
9 1 23  
Mazda Savanna RX-3
Ernst Hamberger, A
Hans Weihnacht, A
2 x 491 R2 Div. 4 112 19 1.39,82    
10 1 57 Team 43-70
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint
Eduardo Marquez, RA
Jorge Serafini, RA
1299 L4 Div. 1 111 35 1.45,10    
11 3 45 Abex Pagid Racing
Audi 80 GTE
Harald Ertl, A
Hans-Joachim Nowak, D
1596 L4 Div. 2 111 12 1.36,95   Drowned ignition
  2 20 Racing Corporation Vienna
BMW 3.0 CS
Harald Neger, A
Gerd Huber, A
2985 L6 Div. 4 110 25 1.42,26    
16 4 50  
VW Scirocco
Drago Regvart, YU
Dagmar Suster, YU
1596 L4 Div. 2 109 29 1.43,29    
  2 68 Zaghet & Pavanello
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint
Renzo Zaghet, I
Manfred Mohr, D
1299 B4 Div. 1 109 26 1.42,42    
  5 49 Spiess
VW Scirocco
Erich Kornmann, D
Hans Georg Erhardt, D
1596 L4 Div. 2 109 21 1.40,98    
  3 18 Racing Corporation Vienna
BMW 3.0 CS
Heribert Werginz, A
Alois Müller, A
2985 L6 Div. 4 108 17 1.38,04    
  3 63  
Alfa Romeo 1300 GT Junior
Harry Schultze, D
Dirk Amthor, D
1290 L4 Div. 1 102 32 1.44,21    
  4 14 Team Besico Bernd Siller
Ford Capri RS 2600
Bernd Siller, D
Kurt Pöschkö, A
ca. 2700 V6 Div. 4   23 1.41,76    
    38  
Mazda Savanna RX-3
Michael Mitterer, A
Sepp Kreuzberger, A
2 x 491 R2 Div. 4   16 1.37,89    
    26 Rhein-Ruhr Racing Team Düsseldorf
BMW 2002
Rolf Rummel, D
Siegfried Müller Jr, D
1990 L4 Div. 3   18 1.38,29    
    31 Jolly Club Switzerland
Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV
Tarcisio Fornera, CH
Ruedi Franz, CH
1962 L4 Div. 3   20 1.40,28    
    33  
Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV
Edgar Gillessen, B
Richard Mattozza, B
1962 L4 Div. 3   22 1.40,99    
    39  
BMW 2002
Egon Timmer, A
Tripo Gölz, A
1990 L4 Div. 3   24 1.42,25    
    30  
BMW 2002
Rainer Zweibäumer, D
Peter Ernst, D
1990 L4 Div. 3   28 1.43,03    
DNF?   8  
Ford Mustang
Josef "Sepp" Reiter, D
Alfons Reiter, D
  V8 Div. 1   27 1.42,73    
DNF   57 Team 43-70
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint
Juan-Pablo Zampa, RA
Eugenio Breard, RA
1299 L4 Div. 1   33 1.44,56   Head gasket
DNF   2 British Leyland
Jaguar XJ 12C 5.3
Derek Bell, GB
Andy Rouse, GB
5412 V12 Div. 5 20 1 1.26,08   Holed radiator/ Wheel flange
DNF   1 British Leyland
Jaguar XJ 12C 5.3
John Fitzpatrick, GB
Tim Schenken, AUS
5412 V12 Div. 5 10 4 1.29,57   Wheel flange
DNF   28 Eggenberger Motorsport
BMW 320
Kalli Hufstad, D
Jürgen Reinke, D
(Walter Brun, CH)
1990 L4 Div. 3   10 1.35,20   Con rod
DNF   6 Luigi Racing UFO
BMW 3.0 CSL
Jean Xhenceval, B
Pierre Dieudonné, B
3196 L6 Div. 5   3 1.28,40   Gearbox oil leak
DNF   4 Luigi Racing UFO
BMW 3.0 CSL
Umberto Grano, I
Manfred Mohr, D
? Martino Finotto, I
3196 L6 Div. 5   5 1.30,77   Accident
DNF   46 Jägermeister Racing Team
VW Scirocco
Willi Bergmeister, D
Helmut Kelleners, D
1596 L4 Div. 2   8 1.34,67   Accident
DNF   62  
Fiat 128
Lothar Moll, D
Bodo Eichner, D
  L4     34 1.45,04    
DSQ   11 Smith Kendon Travel Sweets
Mazda Savanna RX-3
Wendy Markey, GB
Thomas Hunt, GB
2 x 491 R2 Div. 3?   30 1.43,87   Blackflagged: push start
DNQ   42 Leyland Austria
Triumph Dolomite Sprint
Ernst Chalupa, A
Josef Chalupa, A
1998 L4 Div. 3   31 1.43,92   Piston
DNQ   10 Smith Kendon Travel Sweets
Mazda RX-5
John Markey, GB
David Palmer, GB
2 x 654 R2 Div. 4         Engine
DNQ      
Chevrolet Camaro
Robert Eberhard, D
7443 V8 Div. 5