Rally Championship

An upside-down world and lots of retro feeling in Rebenland

Baumschlager ventures into the Rebenland Rally this time with an old acquaintance

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

New cars, old co-drivers and an "upside-down" special stage. The Rebenland Rally has a lot to offer fans again this year.

It will be loud again around Leutschach next week when the Rebenland Rallye makes a guest appearance in southern Styria. On Friday (15.3., from 13.40 hrs) and Saturday (16.3., from 8.10 hrs), 16 special stages over 162 kilometers are on the program for the 91 named participants.

Reversed stage
"We have hardly changed anything on the route, but the Schlossberg stage will be run in the opposite direction this time. We have Mundl Baumschlager to thank for that," explained Leutschach's mayor and organizer Erich Plasch with a twinkle in his eye.

When you know almost all the bends by heart, people get faster and faster and the risk gets higher and higher.

Raimund Baumschlager

Baumschlager was aware of this "guilt": "When you know almost all the bends by heart, people get faster and faster and the risk gets higher and higher. With the route reversed, you drive more cautiously, which is why I suggested it to Erich."

Successful duo reunited
Five-time Rebenland winner Baumschlager does not think he has any chance of winning this time, but is instead turning the rally into a revival with his long-time co-driver Thomas Zeltner, with whom he has won six national championship titles together.

"We've been trying to drive together again for four to five years. Unfortunately, Thomas had problems with his voice for a long time, but now it's working again," says the 64-year-old record-breaking national champion.

A Porsche for Knobloch
Styrian Günther Knobloch is also not expecting any chances of victory. Last year's third-placed driver in the ÖRM recently became a father and is therefore taking a step back from the sport. He bought a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup from Kris Rosenberger, but will hardly be able to compete against the modern Rally2 all-wheel drive cars with the powerful sounding rear-wheel drive.

"But I've noticed what an attraction this car has for the fans. And it's also a lot of fun to drive," says Knobloch. Speaking of Rosenberger: the man from Graz will be driving a 2017 Ford Fiesta World Rally Car in the field - according to the newly created "Rally4you" regulations outside of the classification.

Last year's winner was the eventual national champion Simon Wagner.

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Wagner against Neubauer
But who can be expected to compete in the Rebenland? "Simon Wagner and Hermann Neubauer will be battling it out at the front. There's no way around it. But between third and seventh place it will be very hotly contested," analyzes Baumschlager, who as team boss has five cars on the grid this time.

Among them is that of Upper Austrian Michi Lengauer, who surprisingly won the January rally and is therefore coming to Rebenland as the championship leader.

Fabian Zeiringer from Birkfeld, who will be competing in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 for the first time, also has high ambitions. "The car is brand new from Great Britain," says the former ÖSV skier, looking forward to his debut.