Merli starting at the 100-year anniversary of Trento – Bondone
After his victory in the Czech Republic, Christian Merli will be at the start of the 74th Trento – Bondone, the sixth round of the European Hill Climb Championship, on Sunday. His Nova Proto NP01 with the naturally aspirated Cosworth V8 engine will bear the competition number 16. It is the centenary edition of the event. On 5 July 1925, a group of friends organised a “timed excursion for cars and motorbikes” in which sixteen motorbikes, two motor bicycles and eleven cars took part. The race on an unpaved road was thirteen kilometres long with the finish line at Vaneze. The winner was Ruggero Menestrina at the wheel of a Fiat 501 in 21'57", at an average speed of 35.352 kilometres per hour. One hundred years later, the race, organised by the Scuderia Trentina in collaboration with the Automobile Club of Trento, starts from Montevideo and arrives in Vason after 17.300 kilometres. It counts towards the European championships for modern and historic cars, respectively, the Super Salita and the northern Italian hill climb championship. It is a unique event, where a large number of entries have been received, so it is not surprising that the organisers have closed the entries early, stopping at 310 starters for the 100-year anniversary edition.
From Montevideo to Vason
Along the 17.300 km track, which has an altitude difference of 1350 m, there are 42 hairpins and more than 180 bends. The race is unique in Europe, and it is a tough test both for the cars and for the drivers’ physical stamina. A hill climb race where managing the tyres, the engine and the brakes demands the utmost attention. Ten breathtaking minutes of maximum concentration.
Interview with Merli
“After the win in Sternberk we have a little more energy, but the calendar is very tight. We left the Czech Republic on Monday, and we’re racing at Monte Bondone on Sunday. A very special race, and we’re working to optimise the car. For us it will be a tough climb with lots of restarts, a very demanding race. At the moment we are working on our naturally aspirated Nova Proto NP 01 Cosworth. Our opponents have turbocharged engines with about thirty more horsepower and more torque, which will help a lot on the many restarts in what is Europe's most famous hillclimb. Not only that, but there are over fifty sports racers with all the continent's big names at the start. In any case, we will do our best to bring home full points for the European championship.”
The FIA European Hill Climb Championship programme
13 April: Col Saint-Pierre (France), 27 April: Rechbergrennen (Austria), 11 May: Rampa da Falperra (Portugal), 18 May: Subida al Fito (Spain), 1 June: Ecce Homo (Czech Republic), 8 June: Trento – Bondone (Italy), 20 July: Limanowa (Poland), 3 August: Osnabrück (Germany), 17 August: Saint-Ursanne (Switzerland), 31 August: Ilirska Bistrica (Slovenia), 21 September: Buzetski dani (Croatia).
Translation by Ruth Scheithauer