Custom-made season finale for TOMAC Racing: Michel Zemp finishes third in Les Paccots, sets a new class record up to 2000 cc with a time of 49.748, and defends his Swiss runner-up title. Only Robin Faustini and Joël Volluz were faster. Preparations for the 2027 season are already underway.
Following the success in St. Ursanne, TOMAC Racing experienced a setback in Oberhallau: After a solid 3rd place in practice, a crack in the airbox cut Michel Zemp's weekend short. Thanks to the quick response from Helftec Engineering and Carbonator, a new airbox is already in production. Next stop: the season finale on September 19/20 in Les Paccots.
TOMAC Racing celebrates the strongest weekend of the season so far in St. Ursanne–Les Rangiers: Victor Darbellay finishes 2nd in the FIA European Hill Championship and wins the Swiss standings, while Michel Zemp finishes 5th internationally and 3rd in Switzerland – both driving 2-liter cars against more powerful 3-liter competition. The action continues in two weeks: Zemp in Oberhallau, Darbellay in Turckheim (France).
TOMAC Racing celebrated one of the strongest weekends of the season at the Ayent–Anzère hill climb: Victor Darbellay set the absolute best time in the rain, secured 3rd overall, and won the 2-liter category ahead of numerous 3-liter prototypes. Michel Zemp improved from race to race and completed the strong team result with 5th place. Next stop: the FIA European Hill Climb Championship in St. Ursanne–Les Rangiers on August 15/16.
Heat and Thrills: Two Racing Weekends, One Strong Conclusion
La Roche – La Berra Hill Climb, 13–14 June 2026
Straight after Hemberg, Michel Zemp and the TOMAC Racing Team headed to La Roche – on a track that was still largely uncharted territory for Michel. A meticulous track walk was intended to compensate for the lack of familiarity with the course.
Training on Saturday was tough: Despite a noticeable lack of grip, Michel improved by two seconds in the second session to 1:46, but was unable to match this time in the third run. In the end, he finished 4th in training – behind main rival Victor Darbellay on P2.
For race Sunday, the team responded with new tires and setup adjustments. In the first race run, Michel clocked 1:44.508 (P4), while track record holder Robin Faustini redefined the best time with 1:38.487. A harder Pirelli compound brought an improvement of 0.8 seconds in the second run – yet a jump onto the podium remained just out of reach.
The third race run then delivered the most dramatic moment of the weekend: After a strong intermediate spurt, Michel had to brake abruptly in a left-hand corner when a competitor's crashed vehicle was left unflagged at the trackside. Only by deftly swerving around the hay bales did he avoid an accident – the yellow flag came too late for him. The resulting repeat run brought no further improvement due to the heat.
Heartfelt congratulations to Robin Faustini for the victory with a new track record, as well as to Victor Darbellay for 2nd place and a class record.
Reitnau Hill Climb, 28 June 2026 – 3rd Run of the Swiss Championship
With the clear goal of a podium finish overall, TOMAC Racing traditionally arrived as early as Friday. After a track inspection – including the new surface in the final corner – and a relaxed scrutineering, a sociable day in the paddock was on the agenda.
On race day, with temperatures of up to 38°C in the shade, Michel delivered consistently from the start: 49.57 in the first training session, improved to 48.12 in the second run – and thus intermediate 2nd place behind Robin Faustini, after loose stones caused vehicle damage to Victor Darbellay, who was forced to retire.
On the short, intolerant-of-mistakes track, Michel showed pure nerves of steel in the first race run: 47.53 meant a new personal class record and a clear path to the podium. In the second race run too, he delivered a confident, error-free drive with 48.22.
The result: 2nd place in the overall standings behind Robin Faustini, class victory with a new class record up to 2 liters of displacement – and only 3/10 seconds behind Faustini's track record from the previous year.
A weekend that shows: Despite adverse conditions, TOMAC Racing and Michel Zemp belong at the top of the Swiss hill climb scene.
Season opener with drama and triumph – Michel Zemp shines at the Swiss Championship round in Hemberg/SG
In glorious conditions in Toggenburg, the first weekend of the Swiss Hillclimb Championship for racing cars delivered unforgettable moments – both sporting and technical.
Saturday: Nerves of steel and teamwork under time pressure
The pitfalls of motorsport showed themselves as early as the first practice run: Michel Zemp's Norma M20 FC refused to engage fourth gear. The subsequent data analysis provided no clear indication of the cause – the team therefore decided to take a bold step and open the gearbox. What followed was a race against time.
To access the gearbox, the rear wing, underbody and numerous other components first had to be removed. The mechanics and Michel worked under immense pressure, located the defect and replaced the affected component. The remaining time before the second practice run dwindled to a minimum: Michel was already changing into his racing overalls while the last screws had not yet been tightened – and was sitting in the cockpit when the final touches were completed. He rolled onto the track at literally the last second.
An impressive testament to team spirit, composure and craftsmanship. Special praise goes to his mechanics!
Sunday: Class proven – 1st place and strong overall result
After three scored runs, the result was clear: Michel Zemp, TOMAC Racing, secured a commanding class victory in the E2-SC up to 2000 cc category with a new track record and finished in an excellent third place in the overall standings – with only half a second behind Marcel Steiner, who was competing with a significantly more powerful vehicle from the 3-liter class. The same applies to overall winner Robin Faustini, the reigning Swiss champion of 2024 and 2025.
Heartfelt congratulations, Michel – and an equally warm congratulations to the entire team for an impressive performance across the board!
During the test session in Eschdorf (LUX), Michel Zemp with TOMAC Racing showed strong performance and achieved the absolute best time in the first sector on Saturday – a remarkable achievement, as he competes under difficult conditions with his 1165cc turbo engine compared to the 3-liter class. The technical optimizations to the powertrain, especially the turbo response and gear shift times, are largely thanks to the motorsport department of HELFTEC Engineering in Hildisrieden. However, the test day was overshadowed by a serious accident on Sunday morning, in which a track marshal lost their life; TOMAC Racing expresses its deepest condolences to the family. With the tailwind of the positive test results and the clear focus on defending the title, the team is now preparing for the season opener of the Swiss Hill Championship 2026 on June 6 and 7 in Hemberg.
After thorough preparation of both man and machine, the team traveled to Rüti am Gurnigel on Friday morning for the penultimate race of the Swiss Hill Championship.The usual routine followed: set up the tent, get settled, complete the paperwork, and inspect the course.Saturday morning greeted us with dry but rather cool conditions. The first practice run took place in the morning. There was still no grip on the "green" track, and the clock stopped at 1:49.297. Victor Darbellay, the opponent in the 2-liter class, drove a 1:51.266.During the second practice run, Victor Darbellay really turned it on and drove a 1:43.821, while Michel Zemp clocked a time of 1:6.736. Even after the third practice run, Michel was still behind Victor, with 1:44.709 compared to Victor's 1:43.257. We knew what the problem was and did everything we could to turn the tide on race Sunday. After preparing the Norma race car and enjoying a fine fondue, a well-deserved night's sleep followed.During the night, the weather changed and it began to rain. It rained intermittently until just before the first race run on Sunday morning. As the road was wet, the entire field switched to wet tires. Michel Zemp's first wet-weather start of this season with the new engine update was good, and with his calculated-risk driving, the clock stopped at 1:59.677. Victor Darbellay drove a 1:57.393. Robin Faustini (Amweg) was at the top (both in the 3-liter class), Darbellay was 3rd, Michel Zemp was in 4th place, and Marcel Steiner (3-liter class) was in 5th place.As the rain had stopped in the morning and the track was slowly drying, everyone hoped for two more race runs. The sun quickly dried the open sections of the track, but in the wooded sections and especially in the first corner after the start, it was still damp, or even wet, during the second race run. This meant attacking on the dry sections and managing the pace in the wet sections. Michel Zemp was not quite successful enough in the second run, clocking a 1:45.770, as Darbellay was once again faster with a 1:44.332. Faustini was out of reach for everyone at the top. Amweg drove a 1:46 time due to a technical problem, and Steiner spun in the first still-wet corner. Thus, we began to smell the podium places for the 2-liter drivers.
Once again, we perfectly prepared the Norma Helftec-Honda, and after a flawless, brilliant drive, Michel Zemp was able to take the top spot in the 2-liter class with a 1:44.169, which also set a new class record. Victory in the class up to 2 liters, second overall behind Faustini (3-liter class) and ahead of Darbellay in 3rd place—simply amazing!Overjoyed, the team packed everything up and proudly headed home after the results were announced.
The action continues the following weekend (20/21 September 2025). The final race of the season in Les Paccots is approaching—and Michel Zemp with the TOMAC Racing Team currently holds an outstanding 2nd place overall in the Swiss Hill Championship, as well as 1st in the 2-liter engine class, which he wants to defend in Les Paccots.
We'll keep our fingers crossed!
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