In Slovakia, no one needs to be explained what football or hockey is. In fact, in recent years, thanks to the successes of our representatives, the field of national expertise has been expanding to include sports such as downhill skiing or cycling. However, few of us suspect that Slovaks also wear world crowns from the most prestigious events in motor sports disciplines. Even though Slovakia is still waiting for its first Formula 1 driver, know that in the discipline of hillclimbing we have not one, but even two racers whose successes reach far beyond our borders. And what's more, they share a common surname, the Ambrúzov couple.
We originally wanted to talk to Peter and Anna about their sport at perhaps the most iconic place for Slovak hillclimbing, Pezinská Baba. Since, unfortunately, Bratislava chose its only snowy day of the year for the date of our meeting, we had to reach for an alternative, the garage of the Ambruz Racing team. There, preparations for the upcoming season are in full swing, which is truly full of expectations after a successful 2019. Peter became the champion of the International Hill Climb Cup, which is a parallel competition to the highest hillclimbing championship, the European Championships. His wife Anna ended the year in third place, which she complemented with the Ladies trophy for the most successful female hillclimber.
Many find it hard to imagine why anyone would want to strap themselves into a seat that has more in common with sitting in a fighter jet than a car and hurtle up a hill at speeds approaching 200 kilometers per hour, while regular cars travel the same route at barely 60 km/h. However, it is a drug that is not so easy to get rid of.
“Adrenaline is definitely a motivation, but especially the goal of constantly improving, going faster…,” Peter reflects. “Whether it’s the car’s technology or the driving. Especially when you get into a racing car and put on a helmet, you switch off completely, you don’t think about anything, you just concentrate on your driving. You clear your head perfectly.”
“I can’t switch off, I have a child (laughs),” Anna adds in one breath. “I mainly compete with myself, comparing the results I achieved on a given hill before, if possible. I’m only riding professionally for the second season, so I often find myself on many hills for the first time.”
However, the successes of the Ambrúz couple do not end with these statistics. Peter has won five Slovak championship titles in a row and can also boast a victory in the Central European zone. The last year culminated for Peter with the aforementioned title in the FIA Cup. Anna, on the other hand, finished third in the same championship in only her second season. Another champion with the surname Ambrúz is on the horizon. Their son is slowly starting his motor racing journey in karts to carry on the family tradition. That is why we can't wait to see what the Ambrúz family has in store for the 2020 season. We will keep our fingers crossed for them!
"From that moment on, I wanted to achieve more and more, so my racing gradually moved from the Slovak Championship to international competitions, whether it was the Central European zone and later up to the European Championships themselves (which is the highest hillclimb competition in the world, ed. note). Now, for the fourth year in a row, I have been steadily racing the European Championship and the FIA (International Automobile Federation) Cup at the same time."
Anna was quite pragmatically drawn into racing by her husband. "He built me a car and told me to try it, but I could sell the car at any time if I didn't like it. Well, I stayed. At first I didn't even know what I was getting into, they put me in the car and voila. It's not easy, after all, during the third race I ended up on the roof, but the car was repaired and I kept going. It's true that I had respect for racing, during my first experiences my heart was faster at the finish line than I was."
What is hill climb racing?
Hill climb races are completed by drivers in modified touring or formula cars, and unlike circuit racing, which many of us are used to from television, the racer starts at the bottom of the hill alone and competes with competitors over a distance, using a timer. The goal is to reach the top of the hill in the shortest possible time. The races are held on roads that we also commonly use. The closest to Bratislava you can see the hill climb races on Pezinská Baba or Dobšinský hill.
