Caracciola Wins Klausen Hillclimb

The Klausen Rennen Memorial, promoted by the Automobil Club Glarus und Uri, took place in Switzerland on 24th-25th July. Over 450 pre-war cars and motorcycles took part, and 40,000 people came to watch. It was an against-the-clock event, with competitors attempting to cross the finish line, 3800ft, 21.5km and 135 bends above the start, within a set time. For the racing car classes that time was Caracciola’s record set in the W125 Mercedes at 52.5mph on 5th August 1934. No-one was able to beat the 59-year-old record. That was not for lack of trying. On the practice day, when the sun shone, several runners such as Lord Raglan (Bugatti 151), Martin Morris and John Llewellyn (ERAs), Fred Giles (AC-GN) and Rodney Felton all beat the Caracciola time or got within spitting distance of it on their first runs. The Swiss weather clerk ruled in favour of the defunct nonegenarian, however, by sending four inches of rain in the couple of hours which the racing car class took to climb the pass. Felton was within two seconds of Caracciola, and achieved fastest time of the day, followed by Morris, Llewellyn, Giles, David Andrews (1932 Morgan-JAP) and Raglan. Jost Wildbolz (Maserati 6C34) was the fastest local. T J T