Motorslog and nostalgia: Alpine ride Revival delights Melk!

Motorslog and nostalgia: Alpine ride Revival delights Melk!

On May 20, 2025, the second Alpine trip Revival took place in the Wachau Arena in the Melk district, a motorsport event that enjoys great popularity. A total of 48 teams, including top-class rally icons such as Rauno Aaltonen and Franz Wittmann, took part in the event. Aaltons presented his 1969 BMW 2002 Ti, while the Austrian rally epilot Sepp Haider started with an Opel Ascona A from 1973. The event began on Saturday morning shortly before 9 a.m.

Despite initially unfavorable weather forecasts, the weather was surprisingly good on the first day. On Saturday the participants started at 9:01 a.m. with eight special stages, including two exams on the waxing ring in Melk. A total of over 300 kilometers were covered, of which 130 kilometers of special exams were shown. The driver and front passenger expressed a positive statement about the route and the schedule. Co -guide Rudi Wallner reported particularly enthusiastic participants, but some, like the favorite Peter Pungersek with his datsun 240 Z, left out prematurely.

results and winners

The mood among the participants and fans was consistently good, and on Sunday the third stage started at 9:01 a.m. under the direction of Mayor Patrik Strobl. This stage comprised 170 kilometers, of which 90 kilometers of specification were. The starters were divided into a total of four classes:

The winners were in the individual classes:

• Class 1: Christian Schallenberg/Martin Rigl (Volkswagen Käfer)
• Class 2: Christian Baier/Margot Baier (Lancia Fulvia)
• Class 3: Klaus Wendt/Ernst Rohringer (Fiat 131 AK Racing Abarth)
• Class 4: Christian Windischberger/Peter Grohs (Lancia Delta Integrale)

The overall victory went to the duo Christian Baier and Margot Baier in their Lancia Fulvia, followed by Martin Hüsgen and Andreas Kurz at a BMW 2002 Ti as well as Willy Illy and Eugen Botay in Fiat 124 Sport Spider. The team classic 1000 prevailed in the team classification, followed by Orc Neuhofen and Spider Sport by Vredestein.

The Renaissance of the Rallyes

The Alpine trip Revival continues a long tradition that started in Monte Carlo in 1911 in the birth of the car rally in 1911. At that time, the event was an orientation and amusement trip for participants from different cities. In the following decades, the rally developed into an internationally recognized motorsport discipline with a variety of significant events, including the first official rally championship 1973.

The introduction of group B cars in the 1980s revolutionized the sport with its powerful engines. However, this era ended due to security concerns and created space for the group A years with series-based racing cars. The Alpine trip Revival not only attracts rally enthusiasts, but also a new generation of motorsport fans on the route and shows how deeply rooted this sport is in automotive history.