Who are the favourites in Ilirska Bistrica?

This year's international hill climb speed race in Ilirska Bistrica will differ from the last few. This year, no particular favourite can be found among the participating racers.  One can reasonably account for at least 6 drivers to have chances for winning. Among them is also Vladimir Stankovič, who also stated his ambitions at the press conference before the race. But it will not be easy for anyone, minimal differences are expected, perhaps even in hundredths of a second!
The first two among the favourites are certainly Petr Vitek and Miloš Beneš. Before the race in Ilirska Bistrica, Czech drivers hold the second and third place in Category 2 – in front of them is only last year's and this year's champion Faggioli. The same as the Italian, also they race with Osella prototype. Vitek with Osella PA30 and Beneš, who is only five and a half points behind his compatriot, with famous model FA30. The most dangerous rivals for them will be Fausto Bormolini and Vladimir Stankovič. The Italian, who is currently the highest-ranked driver with classic F3000, is currently fourth in the EC, but still has chances for the third place, and the Slovenian, who will race with Osella FA30 for the third time and aims at finally standing at the top step of the winning podium at the homeland race. Ambitious are high also with Dušan Neveril in Otakar Kramsky, two Czechs, who hold the fifth and the seventh place in the EC.
They could be dangerous, although the experts claim that they do not belong directly to the top. However, they will wait for their chance in the background, like probably few other drivers, including Slovenian Marjan Smrdelj from Pivka. The driver of F3000 in the Ferrari F1 colours (believe it or not, he even has the official authorization from Maranello!) is in great shape this year, the same as Patrik Zajelšnik. The driver from Slovenian Styria who temporarily lives in Germany, has won quite a few international victories with his prototype Norma M20F. To predict the winner of this year’s Ilirska Bistrica race or at least the fastest threesome is a pure lottery – however, for the competition this is certainly the best forecast.
In Category 1, which features drivers with remodeled serial cars, the situation is slightly different. Last year's champion Aleš Prek does not defend the title, since he will only race in Ilirska Bistrica and in Buzet, Croatia. He has focused on the national championship, where he holds the first place. His most serious rival from the last year took his place in the EC. Serb Dušan Borković has to only reach the finish line and he will become the European Champion. Czech Lukaš Vojaček theoretically still has chances, if he wins two races and Borković drops out two times, but this scenario seems unlikely to happen. The same holds true for Austrian Christian Schweiger, who will also compete in the race on Saturday and Sunday. They will fight for the second place in the European Championship, as onlya point of difference separates them. Oskar Beneš and the rest are already too far behind. Only Croat Tomislav Muhvič can spoil their day, while from our "Gentleman Driver” Peter Marc something alike is not expected.
Also vintage cars will race in Ilirska Bistrica
At the biggest race in Slovenia also vintage racing cars have competed for many years, practically from the very beginning. Those who keep racing cars that have won the races years ago and like to show what they can do today, have always found a place in the service area of TIB premises. Many like to return each summer and it is no longer possible to imagine the race without them. Among the most regular participants with vintage cars worth mentioning are certainly Czech Josef Michl and Petr Tykal and Austrians Walter Komornik, Friedrich Huber and Leo Theuretsbacher.
This year, the list of the drivers who will be on the track to Šembije with their racing cars of respecOne of the oldest and most loyal fans of Ilirska Bistrica is for sure Czech veteran Josef Michl. Gentleman at the age of 63 still knows how to push the pedal. This is not at all surprising; he raced with a sports car for the first time back in 1973 in Czechoslovakia – before that he raced with motorcycles. He has raced with Škoda and with a few breaks remained loyal to the brand for years. He competed in rally and circuit races and with his accomplishments managed to become a part of the factory team. He competed with the famous Škoda 130RS throughout Europe. He was a member of the team that won the Czech factory the title of the European Champion among touring cars in 1981. He later raced a few times with Renault and VW Scirocco and retired after the season in 1982. But it did not took long before he returned to the hill climb racing in 1986 and remained in this sport until today. He again sat behind the wheel of Škoda 130RS of Group 2 and with the legendary racing became popular also in Slovenia. This year he will race with Porsche 911Rs from the early 1970s. This is the third season with this racing car, which he also took to Gorjanci and Lučine this year. In his career he collected 28 national titles and eight European Champion titles (among the vintage cars). The family tradition is kept alive by his son Dan, who is one of the fastest European hill climb drivers.
His compatriot Petr Tykal is much younger; he comes from Brno and has with his Formula Easter competed in Slovenia for almost a decade. Formula Easter is a kind of Eastern European F3 with 1.3 liter Lada engine, reined in on more than 90 hp. Tykal’s racer was produced by METALEX tagged with MTX 02 – from the series of 1970’s and 1980’s which were back then driven especially in the countries of the East block. Some not the most competitive attempts came from East Germany and the Soviet Union, but only the Czech formulas always won. Few years ago also charming Kamila Stara competed in the same racing, but she quit racing now.
Two further vintage drivers will be mentioned, with the first one being Austrian Leo Theuretsbacher, who will this year race already for the tenth time in Ilirska Bistrica. Interestingly, also this racer is connected with Škoda; in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s he competed with his 130RS model at Austrian and Czechoslovak national championship rallies. Since 2001, he has competed with his Bavarian vintage car in numerous hill climb races all over Europe. The second is Slovak Jaroslav Baranek, who participates in the race of Ilirska Bistrica for the first time. We have already seen him at Gorjanci and Lučine. He is worth mentioning especially because of his racing car – he drives a Ferrari 308 GT4 Dino. This racing car has been for the first time shown to the public by Maranello in the second half of 1973 – it started racing a year after. It classified under Group 4, which was reserved for the processed GT super racers. In 1957, the members of the U.S. team N.A.R.T. raced with the same car in Group 5 at the famous 24-hour race in Le Mans. The appearance and the sound of this car excite the crowds even today. The car will race also in Ilirska Bistrica.
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Stankovič will take you around the track of Ilirska Bistrica Race on Šport TV channel.
While waiting for the biggest automobile sports event to start, Ilirska Bistrica Hill Climb Race for the European Championship, Šport TV Channel has interviewed Vladimir Stankovič. During the interview, the driver of Osella FA30 drives you around the track to Šembije.

This year, Vladimir replaced the steering wheel of Reynard F3000 for famous and currently the best racing car for hill climb races - for famous Osella FA30. He raced with the car twice; the race in Ilirska Bistrica will be his third appearance in this perfect Italian racer. For viewers of the sports channel Šport TV Stankovič drove his Reynard F3000 once again around the Ilirska Bistrica racing track and explained its traps and characteristics.
Vladimir Stankovič has so far raced in hill climb races with F3000, but this year he has moved to a faster car. He pulled off the deal and appeared on two races in Osella FA30, the same vehicle as used by European champion Simone Faggioli. However, for the audience of the Šport TV Channel he once again sat into Reynard F3000 and drove along the 5,010 m long track. He explained the characteristics of the track and its dangers and emphasized that it is neither possible nor recommended to put any speed records in the open traffic. For such things, organized competitions are much better, since the track is only open for the racers – the real racers…