Wagner Festival in the rain of Weiz

Wagner Festival in the rain of Weiz

This year's edition of the Weiz Rally had a premiere character. After the East Styrian motorsport classic could not take place last year due to Corona, this time there was a glamorous reunion. In compliance with all health authority Covid requirements, a state championship run with an audience was possible again for the first time in almost a year and a half. And they seized the opportunity both gratefully and responsibly. On the other hand, the Weiz Rally 2021 also caused an international stir with a world premiere. For the first time, record national champion Raimund Baumschlager sought a sporting comparison over a full rally distance with a fully electrically powered car against conventional vehicles with combustion engines. 

The organizer was once again the Rallye Club Steiermark with its entire staff of officials. In addition to the Austrian championship, the FIA ​​European Historic Rally Championship (EHRC), i.e. the official European championship for historic vehicles, and the European Rally Trophy (ERT) were also held, as in 2019. 

Changing conditions

The opening party organized by “Junge Stadt Weiz” on Europa-Allee in the middle of the city was not new, but once again all the more successful. Numerous motorsport fans enthusiastically took advantage of the opportunity to chat with the rally aces, admire their cars up close, collect autographs, take selfies for their private photo archives or simply enjoy the rally feeling from the very first minute. “This was once again an incredible commitment from the local population to the Weiz Rally,” said OC boss Mario Staple about the huge response.

With traditionally changeable conditions (sun on Friday, rain on Saturday), the rush of fans on the special stages was treated to top-class rally sport. Mario Bracke: "I would like to thank the many fans for, firstly, once again making the Weiz Rally a real celebration and, secondly, for adhering to the requirements of our Covid concept in an exemplary manner. I would also like to thank our sponsors, the many helpers from the fire department, police and rescue departments. I would also like to thank the ten neighboring communities, the city of Weiz and our own staff of officials, who worked tirelessly before the rally and during the event anyway say a huge thank you.”

Spectacular start

The Weiz Rally 2021 began in the most spectacular way. Kris Rosenberger smashed his Skoda Fabia right at the start with a quadruple rollover, but thankfully escaped the wreckage with co-driver Sigi Schwarz uninjured. Former national champion Hermann Neubauer set the next highlight with a crash on the Anger circuit, in which he dislocated his shoulder and knocked himself out of the competition, which he had won three times so far.

An incident with consequences, because it practically paved the way for Simon Wagner's victory. The 28-year-old Upper Austrian with European Championship experience is considered Neubauer's toughest opponent for the ORM title this year and proved in Weiz why this is so. Calm and highly concentrated, he navigated his Skoda Fabia Rally2 through Saturday's heavy rain and let his first pursuer, the young Czech Erik Cais, prove his talent, but still couldn't get to him. Ultimately, the two were separated by 32.7 seconds.

Rally Weiz winner Simon Wagner: "This is a great victory for me after the recent turbulence in the Schneebergland. I hardly made any mistakes in the dry and today in the rain. Erik Cais is a very fast young man who is at the front of the European Championship and will be racing in Rome soon. Keeping him at a distance wasn't that easy. These are very, very important points for the championship. I'm very happy." 

After a strong second day, third place was taken by the one on whom perhaps the most eyes (and ears) were focused. Raimund Baumschlager finished the world's first comparison of a fully electric car with gasoline engines over a complete rally distance on the podium, exceeding his own expectations. "This is an incredible result for me. Competing in a complete rally with an electrically powered car for the first time in the world and then standing on the podium, I'm almost at a loss for words. At the moment I can only see positive things. It was a great job from everyone around us. From the AMF, who found fair regulations, starting with my team. Many thanks to the engineers at Kreisel for the great work."

Upper Austrian Johannes Keferböck was also extremely satisfied with his performance. He had a thrilling two-day match for fourth place with his Styrian Skoda colleague Günther Knobloch. And ultimately won this one by just 2.9 seconds.

The eternally young duel

This time, Stefan Fritz from Weizer won the eternally young duel for the best Skoda S2000 driver. His Birkfeld friend Gernot Zeiringer was behind by over a minute.

There were also clear conditions in the 2WD classification for a long time. However, the Styrian Roland Stengg in the Opel Corsa Rally4 threw away his chance on SS 11 on the Naas circuit. A slip cost two minutes and also a possible victory. The Czech David Stefan (Peugeot 208) benefited from this. Overall, he crossed the finish line 23.3 seconds faster than the Styrian Michael Röck, who also drove an Opel Corsa Rally4 from Stengg. Third place went to Christoph Lieb (Opel Adam)

ORM Junior: The rating for the best young drivers went to the Styrian trio Michael Röck, Christoph Lieb (both Opel) and Fabian Zeiringer (Peugeot).

In the Austrian Rally Cup (ORC), the Lower Austrian Mitsubishi driver Martin Kalteis won ahead of the Upper Austrian Michael Lengauer (Subaru) and the Lower Austrian Gerald Bachler (Subaru).

The Weiz winner in the Austrian Rally Cup 2000 (ORC 2000) is Peter Klamminger (VW Golf) from Styria ahead of Luca Pröglhöf (Lower Austria/Ford Fiesta) and Manfred König (ST/Honda Civic).

Since all Weiz participants in the European Historical Championship also count towards the Austrian Historical State Championship and are entitled to points there, the interim result of the EHCR at the bottom also applies to the HRM.

In the Austrian Historical Cup (HRC), as in the HRM, victory went to the Spaniard Daniel Alonso Villaron (Ford Sierra). The Tyrolean Alfons Nothdurfter ((Ford Sierra) and the Styrian Mathias Hass (BMW) follow in second and third place.