Lienz Festival der Geschwindigkeit

 ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA — February 6th , 2006 — rFactor Motors, a world leader in manufacturing, motor sports and simulation, is proud to announce that it is a title sponsor in the 2006 Lienz Festival der Geschwindigkeit (Festival of Speed). “Being part of this great tradition is a true honor”, comments Gjon Camaj, Vice President of Advanced Product Development. “We will be introducing some of our new models at this years event and we couldn't find a more rewarding or challenging place to do so.” Festival coordinator, Wolfgang Krieger says, “We look forward to the level of competition that rFactor and its drivers will bring to this year's festival.”
Lienz Festival der Geschwindigkeit

 In 1949, as part of an effort to rebuild their economy and encourage tourism, the town of Lienz, Austria invited the world's finest Grand Prix drivers to come and compete there. The streets of Lienz, and a good portion of the surrounding roadways were sectioned off to form a 7.23km long road course. Thousands of people turned out on the day of the event, enjoying not only the spectacle of racing, but also the hospitality of the townspeople. The Lienz Festival der Geschwindigkeit was born.

In following years, the popularity of the event continued to grow. 1954 saw the addition of a second event, which was held a week after the first. Likewise, several local events were held during the week between the two races. With the influx of tourists the local economy boomed, much to t he delight of the town officials. Year after year, as its popularity increased, more race events were added, one every weekend for the length of the festival. In 2003, another event was added, bringing the total to five.

The festival opener is the shortest course, the "Altstadt", or "Old Town" circuit, as it's known. It's a very short layout that runs throughout Lienz's city center. Hay bayles and spectators line the streets, banners and flags are hung from the buildings, and drivers and crews prepare themselves for an exhausting run. The cobblestone roads were shear torture for men and machine in the early years of the festival and modern suspension hasn't lessened the constant vibrations and rumblings as much as drivers would like.

The second event is the Grand Prix "Short". This race takes drivers to the base of the Alps foothills, and along a tight, twisting cliffside road. Nerves of steel are required to handle the cliff road at racing speeds, and is only a hint of things to come.

Week three is a longer GP layout, and is the first time drivers take to the hills above Lienz. There is 214 meters of elevation seperating the circuit's highest point and the start/finish line. Stone walls, cliffs and shear drops are abundant. This is also the first layout to include "Achterbahn-Hölle" ("Switchback Hell"), a section of road that turns back on itself over and over as it carves its way up the hillside. To date, 4 drivers have lost their lives to the steep cliffs of the Lienz GP, and the addition of steel guardrails only offers slightly more safety.

The original Grand Prix circuit from 1949 is next on the calendar. This layout consisits of a portion of "Altstadt", as well as the hill course. The drivers also get to ex perience the "Sprungbrett", or "Ski Jump", for the first time. This is a fast downhill section of road where speeds just over 180mph are attainable with very high-powered cars. Halfway along this section is a rather nasty lift where many blow-overs have occurred.

The 24 Hour Grand Prix is run on week five and is the festival finale.  The course is a hodge-podge of the other layouts and spans 8.2km. This is a grueling race that calls for fearless driving, especially when darkness falls. Visibility at night in the hills is almost non-existent, and the presence of wildlife is always a danger.

The Lienz Festival der Geschwindigkeit is now an intregal part of the local economy and way of life, as evidenced by the rumble pads that are permantly installed on the roads that make up the circuits, and the original start/finish line which stands all-year long and is maintained to pristine condition.

Attendence is estimated to be at an all-time high this year, so be sure to make travel arrangements now.