After two days of classic car preparations in and around Gröbming, the 30th edition of the legendary rally got underway. Activities included participant check-in, vehicle scrutineering, Tripmaster calibration, and special stage dress rehearsals. The event traditionally began with the Welcome Evening at the Imlauer Hotel Schloss Pichlarn.
259 teams, including 25 in the new Racecar Trophy, presented themselves and their vehicles in a gala setting before the rally. As every year, the event confirms its claim of “motoring in the last paradise” and starts on Thursday at 9 a.m. with the Großglockner loop.
In the castle courtyard, anniversaries come together: the 30th Ennstal-Classic meets 50 years of hotel tradition, celebrating hospitality at the highest level in one of Austria’s most beautiful landscapes since 1972.
Ines Wohlmuther-Maier, general manager of the hotel, emphasizes the close connection between the hotel and the Ennstal-Classic. The hotel, which places strong emphasis on golf, is often associated with the Ennstal-Classic beyond the classic car season. The tradition of the opening evening is a cherished highlight in this setting. Hotel owner Georg Imlauer describes the Ennstal-Classic as one of Austria’s largest and highest-quality classic car events. He highlights the exclusivity of the vehicles and the selection of drivers as key quality factors. The event fits perfectly into the hotel’s framework and anniversary celebrations this year.
Celebrity Guests and Rally Atmosphere
Guests in the idyllic castle courtyard enjoyed perfect summer weather. Among them were prominent rally participants such as Wolfgang Porsche and Rudi Roubinek. Racing figures like Jo Ramirez and Arturo Merzario were also present. Friends of the event included former ski star and TV entertainer Hans Knauss. He has taken part in the Ennstal-Classic three times. “Three times I was there, three times I was amazed at how hard you have to work to be at the front,” he said. As a former professional athlete, Knauss found it difficult to rule out a top result. “But I had to admit: I lack experience,” he added. The Schladming native still gets goosebumps thinking about the special stage at Niederöblarn airfield. “That’s real racing — it goes straight through my spine,” he said.
Time and again, fans have asked when the legendary racecar classification will return — now, for its 30th anniversary, the time has come. 35 purebred race cars will compete at the Niederöblarn airfield and at the ÖAMTC Driving Experience Center Gut Brandlhof in Saalfelden.
Whether the Ennstal-Classic anno 2022 represents a kind of time capsule in the midst of a modern society? “Quite the opposite is the case,” says Helmut Eggert. “When you drive through the towns here in these wonderful old cars, you are welcomed with great warmth, enthusiasm, and love. I believe that the enthusiasm for the subject of automobiles, with all its heritage and history, which is wonderfully charged by events like the Ennstal-Classic, is still there.”
Arturo Merzario and Rudi Roubinek at Ennstal-Classic 2022
That a racing legend like Arturo Merzario, now 79 years old, feels increasingly disconnected from current social trends is hardly surprising. Merzario, known for his distinctive cowboy hat, raced in Formula 1 from 1972 to 1979, including for Ferrari. He became world famous for his heroic rescue of Niki Lauda at the Nürburgring. He pulled Lauda from the burning wreck and opened his seatbelt. Rudi Roubinek is a long-time guest in the Enns Valley. He is attending the event for the ninth time. Roubinek speaks openly about the current situation in motorsport culture. He says they are “living in a bubble” with their passion. They are effectively fighting a defensive battle to preserve rolling cultural assets. “But it’s worth fighting for,” he adds.
