Petit dominates 58th Osnabrück hillclimb; Michl wins touring car class
The 58th Osnabrück hillclimb took place at the Uphöfener Berg circuit near Osnabrück, Germany, under sunny conditions and warm temperatures. The internationally competitive event drew strong fields across multiple classes on the 2km+ course in the Borgloher Schweiz region. After a calm training day featuring four official practice runs plus an optional fifth session, race day saw several interruptions, prompting the organising team to reduce the event to three competitive runs before moving to an early prize ceremony in a well-attended festival tent.
Frenchman Sébastien Petit secured overall victory at the wheel of his Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo, delivering an impressive performance that peaked on race day with consistently strong times. Patrik Zajelsnik (Germany/Slovenia) finished second in his Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo, missing the top spot by just 0.55 seconds after two scored runs. Alexander Hin (Germany) completed the podium in an Osella PA30 Zytek LRM E2-SC prototype, impressing with spectacular driving across runs one and three.
Marcel Steiner (Switzerland) claimed fourth place in a Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo despite an electronics issue in run one, later dipping below the 52-second barrier. Benjamin Noll (Germany) rounded out the top five in a legendary Osella FA30 Zytek LRM, winning the 3-litre E2-SS formula class and missing fourth place by just 0.16 seconds. Bruno Cazzoli (Belgium) finished sixth overall in a Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo, taking fifth in the 3-litre E2-SC class.
Tommy Rollinger (Luxembourg) placed seventh overall in an Osella FA30 Zytek, just 0.06 seconds behind Noll after two runs and securing second in the 3-litre E2-SS class. Dany Demuth (Luxembourg) took eighth, missing seventh by 0.18 seconds in a Norma M20FC Judd, finishing sixth in the 3-litre E2-SC category. Julien Francais (France) claimed ninth overall in an Osella PA21 JrB BMW, winning the 2-litre E2-SC class, while Bastian Voss (Germany) completed the top ten in a Tatuus Formula Master S2000 Honda, taking victory in the 2-litre E2-SS formula class at his home event.
In the touring car category, Dan Michl (Czech Republic) secured the overall win ahead of Swiss competitor "Speedmaster." The event ran three competitive runs after organisers decided to reduce the schedule due to race-day interruptions, allowing an early finish to the ceremony.