EVENT: Auto-Renntage Frauenfeld 2026

A good friend of mine asked me if I’d like to join him as a spectator for the “Auto-Renntage Frauenfeld” this year, commonly known as the “Slalom Frauenfeld*. It’s an annual race organized by the ACS Automobile club of Switzerland, on a Military training ground. On Saturday it’s basically open to everybody with basic safety equipment in the car, and a single-day racing license can be obtained from the club.

On Sunday, however the more professional and amateur racers use the opportunity early in the season calendar to race their cars and test them for the upcoming slalom and hill climb season.
While many cars are well-known, it’s nice to see them on a different track. The whole event is very laid-back. Spectator entrance fees are cheap, and the surrounding show’n’shine mile is free to be entered with every classic or Youngtimer, or special car.

So if there is space, you can park your car close to the spectator grand-stands. But people usually also take the opportunity to go there with their “special” cars and just park them in the regular parking lots outside the event.

Between the rounds, there are show-laps on a smaller (more spectator-friendly) track with all kind of cool cars, usually brought there by privateers or race teams. So you can always expect a great mix of cars on the track.

My focus is, as usual, a bit more on the Japanese cars in this post, while, as usual, the majority of cars at such events in Switzerland are usually German cars. Of course, I took plenty of photos of other favorites, too.

When we arrived, the first thing to see was a nice RX-7 FD3S at a parking spot close to the entrance. Not a very common sight in Switzerland (even if they were sold here, officially)

Once inside, it was just time for the race’s lunch break, so we went to the spectator mile to see a funky mix of cars. From classic Chevy Pickups:

To early Porsche’s:

To a Ukrainian Soviet-era ZAZ engineering marvel:

Or a classic Citroën and Mini. Every time you pass by the cars have changed and it’s quite fun to discover them:

We later walked around the whole track where we saw cars lined up for the starting line in the forest

And then checked out the four paddock areas, which are sprinkled around the premises and sorted by the different race-entry groups.

On the opposite side, we finally saw some racing action with the high-power / unlimited / Formula cars flying by. It’s kind of surreal seeing these purpose-built race cars racing on public roads in the middle of a forest.

We made it back to the start line to check out some of the cars burning rubber (traction problems).

And then made it back to the grandstands to see the cars racing around the obstacles of the makeshift track

We also went to check out the beautiful selection of cars in the “show cars” tent:

Before we made it home we made sure to check out some cars in the parking lot.

I haven’t been in a while, but it reminded me to go there more often. It’s such a simple grassroots event, with cars and teams from all eras and you can go there for only 2-3 hours, and you’ve basically seen it all, but there is so much to discover car-wise (and food wise) without making the wife or kids bored. But if you want, you can spend the whole day talking to drives, checking out the cars closeup and following them on the racetrack and fixing their cars in the paddock area. Definitely a fun way to spend your day!
Check out the Gallery below for all the photos: