Image: John and Rutger Houtkamp confirmed their status as the best and secured guaranteed acceptance to the 1000 Miglia Centenary Edition
Set against the backdrop of the majestic Alpine peaks and the historic centres of Salzburg, the third edition of the 1000 Miglia Warm Up Austria has come to a close. Now an established leg on the Red Arrow’s international calendar, the event saw crews from various countries (including the United States, Japan and numerous European nations) compete over three days of technical regularity trials amidst breathtaking scenery.
Thursday’s prologue got underway in the charming spa town of Bad Gastein with technical checks, regularity training and the first session of 14 Time Trials counting towards the Giuseppe Cherubini Trophy, contested in pouring rain which made the debut all the more thrilling.
On Friday, the convoy headed south through the Tauernschleuse railway tunnel to reach Mallnitz in Carinthia, skirting the lakes of Millstatt and Weissensee. From there, the crews tackled the route’s iconic climb: the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, ascending to over 2,500 metres in altitude before returning to the Salzburg region and finishing the leg amidst jubilant crowds and Red Arrow flags waved by young enthusiasts in Mittersill’s main square.
On Saturday, for the first time in the history of the Austrian Warm Up, the race passed through Kitzbühel before continuing towards Hellbrunn Palace and culminating in the heart of Salzburg, with the arrival in the historic Kajetanerplatz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Battle for the top
The race provided a thrilling head-to-head battle right up to the very end. The overall victory in the historic racing class (cars built up to 1957) went to the Dutch crew of John Houtkamp and his son Rutger, driving a splendid 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C Zagato. For Houtkamp Sr., this marked an unprecedented achievement, given that he has secured first place in all three editions of the Austrian Warm Up held to date. This success earned the crew the most coveted prize: guaranteed acceptance in the 1000 Miglia Centenary Edition in 2027.
The margin over the runners-up was the narrowest ever, with the young duo of Sebastian Busi and Fabio Bicelli (in a 1936 Fiat 1500) trailing by just 63 points. It was a close contest, which John Houtkamp commented on whilst looking at his rivals: “This is the future of our sport. Next year won’t be so easy for us”. The young Sebastian Busi responded immediately: “We’ll be back, and this time to win.” Completing the podium in third place was the crew of Mirko Busi and Matteo Ortalda in a 1954 Jaguar XK 120.
Other results
Alongside the winners of the main classification, the race crowned the champions of the various categories:
Modern Cars Challenge: victory went to Gianluigi and Federico Smussi at the wheel of a 2004 MG TF, who skilfully defended a lead of just 6 penalty points.
Post-1000 Miglia Category: first place went to Stefano Traverso and Nunzia Imbriaco in a 1971 Alfa Romeo GT Junior.
Average Trials: victory for Simone Carreri and Flavia Farina in a 1974 Fiat 124 Spider CS 1600, who managed to come out on top with the fewest penalty points in the Average Trials. In the classification reserved for modern cars, victory went to the crew of Fabrizio Macario and Giovanna Di Costanzo in a Ferrari 488 Pista.
Coppa delle Dame: the prize for the best all-female crew was won by the Austrians Nora Edberg and Bettina Heresch in a 1958 Austin Healey 3000.
Giovanni Franzoni Trophy: the special stage held at the foot of the legendary Hahnenkamm ski run in Kitzbühel saw the Smussi-Smussi crew triumph once again.
