Rechberg Hillclimb
Posted: Mon May 04, 2026 8:20 pm
A couple of you know my mate Ben very kindly invited me to his home country this year to see the biggest motorsport event in Austria, the Rechberg hillclimb. This is a little larger than the ones we're used to in the UK to say the least (!) You might know it if you follow the HillclimbMonsters or HillclimbFans pages. 15,000 fans attend and it's a bit more like the N24 than the cosy affairs in Blighty.
For starters, UK hillclimbs are much shorter. The longest track used in the British Hillclimb Championship is Harewood which measures 0.899 miles, this one clocks in at 2.76 miles. My local track, Shelsley is 1000 yards, just over half a mile. Hillclimb monster indeed. Here's some onboard with a map:
https://www.rechbergrennen.co.at/en/spe ... rack-plan/
The only previous exposure I'd had to Rechbergrennen, was this article from Roger Green back in 2009 where he describes it in intimidating detail: https://www.evo.co.uk/features/features ... limb.html
So to cut to the chase, 269 cars on the entry list, (some legendary that have been very highly developed for many years), glorious weather and amazing engine sounds bouncing round the mountains. Should be good.
First, a Sunny GTI-R in the car park. Can't remember when I last saw one.
Here are some photos of the paddock, followed by some videos from the start line on the Sunday.
Loved this livery, probably my favourite of the weekend barring a Dynorod orange delight that will come later. Wheel game was on a par with N24, look at these ffs
Felt pretty amazing arriving early seeing cars like this forming up
Nikolay Zlatkov's Audi S1 Pikes Peak replica. 830bhp, 985kg.
A Z4 V8 lurking. Also this shows how Tulwitz, the village at the start of the Rechberg, is totally taken over. Cars on all driveways through the main street
This sounded amazing. Video later.
This properly sent me down memory lane, had a bit of a chat with the owner. SR20DET, but avec sequential box.
Good to see JPS colours still in vogue overseas:
Lambo was nice, but only had eyes for this.
It's a Cossie Jim, but not as we know it...
Pleased to see badboi bonnets are still in fashion somewhere
If you're a widearch kit fan, welcome to Nirvana:
Forming up:
Lancia Beta in AlItalia colours launching from the start line:
Z4 V8 off the line:
928 off the line:
There's always one, but there was actually two drifters. Would love to know what the engine is in the black one!
Here's the widebody 205 you saw earlier flatchat
Here's my pic of Felix Pailer's Integrale on its way back down the hill. Yes for some reason spectators are allowed on the road when the cars come back down for the afternoon runs. Not seen that in the UK!
What a machine (and heroic man in a shed of course), here's a link: https://www.italpassion.fr/en/lancia/at ... e_vignette
Here's his launch on Sunday afternoon:
Here's some more footage of fans on the track for the return of the cars back to the paddocks, amazing atmosphere
As an addendum, Ben really rolled out the red carpet for us. His friend Toby was also at the hillclimb and races a Lupo, so he very kindly invited us for more beer at his family's house. Several of his mates showed up including some more racers with a Saxo VTS that competed that weekend. The Beetle is Toby's dad's and the Cayman GT4 is Ben's. The Mk6 Golf is Kevin's who'd driven through the night from Italy to just make the first day. I'm hoping to get them to post on this thread as I've told them that Matty runs clublupo.co.uk!
The Lupo, which Toby took me out in. Handling was spot on and it sounded excellent:
The Beetle:
Toby's Mk2:
Raphi's Mk2 Fire and Ice
(I know it's the second time I've posted it on this forum, but just look at it)
Cheers folks, I'll end with a video I took of just a small sample of the cars returning down the hill. Decent selection I thought!
I'll try and reply with more actual race footage in a sec.
For starters, UK hillclimbs are much shorter. The longest track used in the British Hillclimb Championship is Harewood which measures 0.899 miles, this one clocks in at 2.76 miles. My local track, Shelsley is 1000 yards, just over half a mile. Hillclimb monster indeed. Here's some onboard with a map:
https://www.rechbergrennen.co.at/en/spe ... rack-plan/
The only previous exposure I'd had to Rechbergrennen, was this article from Roger Green back in 2009 where he describes it in intimidating detail: https://www.evo.co.uk/features/features ... limb.html
So to cut to the chase, 269 cars on the entry list, (some legendary that have been very highly developed for many years), glorious weather and amazing engine sounds bouncing round the mountains. Should be good.
First, a Sunny GTI-R in the car park. Can't remember when I last saw one.
Here are some photos of the paddock, followed by some videos from the start line on the Sunday.
Loved this livery, probably my favourite of the weekend barring a Dynorod orange delight that will come later. Wheel game was on a par with N24, look at these ffs
Felt pretty amazing arriving early seeing cars like this forming up
Nikolay Zlatkov's Audi S1 Pikes Peak replica. 830bhp, 985kg.
A Z4 V8 lurking. Also this shows how Tulwitz, the village at the start of the Rechberg, is totally taken over. Cars on all driveways through the main street
This sounded amazing. Video later.
This properly sent me down memory lane, had a bit of a chat with the owner. SR20DET, but avec sequential box.
Good to see JPS colours still in vogue overseas:
Lambo was nice, but only had eyes for this.
It's a Cossie Jim, but not as we know it...
Pleased to see badboi bonnets are still in fashion somewhere
If you're a widearch kit fan, welcome to Nirvana:
Forming up:
Lancia Beta in AlItalia colours launching from the start line:
Z4 V8 off the line:
928 off the line:
There's always one, but there was actually two drifters. Would love to know what the engine is in the black one!
Here's the widebody 205 you saw earlier flatchat
Here's my pic of Felix Pailer's Integrale on its way back down the hill. Yes for some reason spectators are allowed on the road when the cars come back down for the afternoon runs. Not seen that in the UK!
What a machine (and heroic man in a shed of course), here's a link: https://www.italpassion.fr/en/lancia/at ... e_vignette
Here's his launch on Sunday afternoon:
Here's some more footage of fans on the track for the return of the cars back to the paddocks, amazing atmosphere
As an addendum, Ben really rolled out the red carpet for us. His friend Toby was also at the hillclimb and races a Lupo, so he very kindly invited us for more beer at his family's house. Several of his mates showed up including some more racers with a Saxo VTS that competed that weekend. The Beetle is Toby's dad's and the Cayman GT4 is Ben's. The Mk6 Golf is Kevin's who'd driven through the night from Italy to just make the first day. I'm hoping to get them to post on this thread as I've told them that Matty runs clublupo.co.uk!
The Lupo, which Toby took me out in. Handling was spot on and it sounded excellent:
The Beetle:
Toby's Mk2:
Raphi's Mk2 Fire and Ice
(I know it's the second time I've posted it on this forum, but just look at it)Cheers folks, I'll end with a video I took of just a small sample of the cars returning down the hill. Decent selection I thought!
I'll try and reply with more actual race footage in a sec.
). 
What on earth did I say?! Sorry!
