THE GROSSGLOCKNER HILL CLIMB

THE GROSSGLOCKNER HILL CLIMB

The section of the new Grossglockner ornountain-road used for the hill-climb was .con the North side of the pass, and was 19.5 k.m., roughly 12 miles, in length. A crisis arose before the event through the wholesale withdrawal of the German ,entries. The reason given was that they did not consider the road to be in a suit.able condition for a speed hill-climb, but as the authorities had put the finishing touches to it a week before this was not

taken seriously. The suggested reason was the inability of German subjects to take sums of money out of the country ‘,owing to a government decree. This was +negatived by the lifting of the decree for the race. However a fair entry of Swiss and Italian entries had been secured, with several British drivers as well.

The attendance was disappointing. No doubt the weather had a good deal to do with it, for it rained heavily on the Saturday and on Sunday morning. The official ar figure was given as 1,133, while spectators on foot and on bicycles were negligible. The rain, followed by a drying wind, put a good surface on the road, which was dry all the way up except under the trees. The road was an ample width, round about 20 feet, and there seemed to be fewer hairpins than at Klausen. On the other hand gear-changing was greatly cecessary, and one driver estimated that he ” shifted ” 90 times

At half past ten an official car drove up the hill, and for several hours the motorcycle classes were run off. The first car to climb was a 604 c.c. D.K.W. driven by a Dutchman, E. A. C. Cornelius, followed by a brace of Ballila Fiats, Walter Wustrow’s M.G., and Franz Falk’s Austin. Villoresi’s Fiat was the fastest of the lot in 18 minutes 23.50 seconds. The Austin stopped after 10 kilometres with engine trouble. The 1,500 c.c. class was won by Strazza, driving Lurani’s Maserati. Time 16 min utes 9.74 seconds. Girelli (Alfa-Romeo) was second, and T. G. Clarke (AstonMartin) third, 3 minutes slower than the winner. Cholmondeley-Tapper (Bugatti) -came to a standstill at the 20 k.m. post

with engine trouble. Of the two-litre sports cars Kautz was the fastest, driving an Alfa-Romeo up the hill in 16 minutes 47.68 seconds. A Czechoslovakian driver delighting in the name of Dr. Georg Freiherr von Goldegg crashed his Alfa on a corner. He continued, but retired before reaching the summit.

The Ferrari driver, Carlo Pintacuda, was the fastest 3-litre sports car driver, in 15 minutes 15.69 seconds. Von Biro stopped on the way up, but eventually completed the climb in 23 minutes 36.66 seconds. The racing classes opened with a stirring climb by Bobby Korlrausch, with his single-seater M.G. Midget. He made a superlative climb in 13 minutes 10.30 seconds thus beating Pintacuda’s ” sports ” Alfa. The second racer was not so fortunate,, and Aldo Ban’s Fiat came to rest long before reaching the finish. Harry Herkuleyn’s Midget was not going well,

and he took over 20 minutes. A good M.G. climb was made by the Czech, Zdenek Pohl, who clocked 16 minutes 44.62 seconds. Then came a climb which put all others in the shade and sent the crowd into an excited state of appreciation. Richard Sea

man’s black E.RA. roared up in magnificent style, making fastest time so far in 14 minutes 54.44 seconds much to the annoyance of the Swiss driver, Hans Kessler, who thought his Maserati

was unbeatable. Rudolf Steinweg did not reach the top with his Bur.

gatti, engine trouble intervening. Eileen Ellison clocked a very creditable 17 minutes ;41.87 seconds, beating Cormack’s Alta which registered 17 minutes 45.28 seconds. An anonymous Viennese driver, “Blackshirt” came up next, his Bugatti being

pushed up into the 2-litre class. Gigi Plate and his old G.P. Talbot stopped on the 7th hairpin, but he got going again and eventually reached the finish in 24 minutes 57 seconds. Max Christen’s Maserati was the quickest 2-litre car in 15 minutes 55.54 seconds. Only three cars took part in the unlimited category, and the Ferrari driver Mario Tadini added to his many hill climbing successes by making the fastest time of the day in 14 minutes 42.74 seconds. Balestrero, another Alfa-Romeo driver, was second and Juan Zanelli (Nacional Pescara) third,

After the last car had climbed, the whole entry returned to the foot of the hill in a long procession, being heartily cheered by the groups of spectators at the roadside.

RESULTS. Sports.

Sports.

1,100 c.c. 1. L. Villorest (Flat) 18m. 23.5s. 2. 0. Epelli (Fiat) 111m. 20.138. ; 3. G. Mainardl

(Flat) 21m. 10.37s.; 4. E. A. C. Cornelius (D.K.W.) 28m. 12.86s. 1,500 0.0. 1. G. Strazza (Maserati) 16m. 9.748. ;

2.G. Girelli (Alfa-Romeo) 17m. 36.348.; 3. T. G. Clarke (Aston Martin) 20m. 8.34s.

2,000 0.0. 1. C. Kautz (Alfa-Romeo) lem. 47.688. ; 2. P. Rey (Bugatti) lem. 48.69s. ; 3. lug H. Tschugguel (Alfa-Romeo) 17m. 15.60s.; 4. W. Delmar (Adler) 21m. 21.24s.; 5. A. Poggio (Alfa-Romeo) 25m. 55.44s.

3,000 c.c. 1. C. Phstacuda (Alfa-Romeo) 15m. 15.698.; 2. Z. Pohl (Bugatti) lem. 9.018.; 3. C. von Frets (Alfa-Romeo) 16m. 88.318.; 4. lag W. Proskowetz (Bugatti) 17m. 6.8s. ; 5. Comte F. de Bremond (Alfa-Romeo) 17m. 26.588.; O. P. Cocagne (Bugatti) 18m. 31.37s.

RACING.

1,100 c.c. 1, B. Kohlrausch (M.G.) 15m. 10.3s. ; 2. Z. Pohl (M.G.) 16m. 44.62s.; 3. II. Ilerkuleyns (M.G.) 20m. 10.03s. ; 4. IL Flerschanderl

22m. 04.228. 1,500 c.c. 1. R. Seaman (E.R.A.) 14m. 54.448.;

2.H. Kessler (Maserati) 14m. 67.77s. ; 3. A. Wilhelm (Bugatti) 16m. 61.51s.; 4. Miss E. Ellison (Bugatti) 17m. 41,87s.; 5. A. J. Connack (Alta) 17m. 45.28s. C. G. Plate (Talbot) 24m. 57s. 2,000 0.0. 1. M. Christen (Maserati) 15m. 55.54s.; 2. ” Blackshirt ” (Bugattl) lem. 54.638. ;

Unlimited. 1. M. Tadini (Alfa-Romeo) 14m. 42.748.; 2. R. Balestrero (Alfa-Romeo) 15m. 16.25s.; 3. J. Zanelll (Nacional Pescara) 15m. 36.93s.