# 1979 Rhein-Pokalrennen

The 14th Rhein-Pokalrennen (Rhine-Cup Race), was the Round Eight of the 1979 European Championship for F2 Drivers. This was the second time F2 visited the Hockenheimring, during the 1979 season, with the race on 10 June.

## Report
### Entry

A total of 30 F2 cars were entered for the event, however just 24 took part in qualifying. As with previous F2 events at Hockenheim, the race would be run over two heats, and the result aggregated to decide the winner.

### Qualifying

Stephen South took pole position for the Project Four Racing – ICI Racing Team, in his March-BMW 792, for both Heats.

### Race

The final was held over 40 laps of the Hockenheim Grand Prix circuit, split into two 20 lap heats. Stephen South took impressive lights-to-flag victories in both heats, for the Project Four Racing – ICI Racing Team, in their March-BMW 792. South won in an aggregated time of 1hr 20:56.57mins., averaging a speed of 126.004 mph. Second place went to his team-mate, Derek Daly. The best of the works March's was Beppe Gabbiani in third, ahead of Patrick Gaillard, Marc Surer and Bobby Rahal. Guest driver, Hans-Joachim Stuck had pushed South hard during Heat 1, before retiring with engine failure.

## Classification
### Aggregate Results

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Car - Engine | Time, Laps | Reason Out |
| 1st | 8 | Stephen South | Project Four Racing – ICI Racing Team | March-BMW 792 | 1hr 20:56.57 | |
| 2nd | 7 | Derek Daly | Project Four Racing – ICI Racing Team | March-BMW 792 | 1hr 21:09.49 | |
| 3rd | 3 | Beppe Gabbiani | Polifac BMW Junior Team | March-BMW 792 | 1hr 21:34.21 | |
| 4th | 39 | Patrick Gaillard | Chevron Cars | Chevron-Hart B48 | 1hr 21:58.17 | |
| 5th | 1 | Marc Surer | Polifac BMW Junior Team | March-BMW 792 | 1hr 22:13.4 | |
| 6th | 6 | Bobby Rahal | Ampex Chevron Racing Team | Chevron-Hart B48 | 1hr 22:26.08 | |
| 7th | 26 | Markus Höttinger | Jägermeister Racing Team | March-BMW 792 | 1hr 22:27.21 | |
| 8th | 21 | Norman Dickson | Dickson's of Perth | March-Hart 792 | 1hr 23:35.74 | |
| 9th | 29 | Walter Raus | Österreicher Automobil Sport Club | March-BMW 792 | 39 | |
| NC | 22 | Eje Elgh | Marlboro Team Tiga | March-BMW 792 | 37 | |
| NC | 4 | Teo Fabi | March Racing Ltd | March-BMW 792 | 34 | |
| NC | 5 | Juan Traverso | March Racing Team (Bob Salisbury Racing) | March-BMW 792 | 31 | |
| NC | 11 | Alberto Colombo | Sanremo Racing Srl | March-BMW 782 | 30 | |
| NC | 10 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | March Racing Ltd | March-BMW 792 | 26 | |
| NC | 23 | Huub Rothengatter | Docking Spitzley Racing / Racing Team Holland | Chevron-Hart B48 | 23 | |
| NC | 19 | Siegfried Stohr | Trivellato Racing Team | March-BMW 792 | 21 | |
| NC | 16 | Miguel Ángel Guerra | Racing Team Everest | March-BMW 792 | 20 | |
| NC | 12 | Ariel Bakst | Sanremo Racing Srl | March-BMW 792 | 20 | |
| NC | 77 | Derek Warwick | Team BP with Theodore Racing | March-Hart 792 | 19 | |
| NC | 14 | Brian Henton | Toleman Group Motorsport | Ralt-Hart RT2 | 15 | |
| NC | 9 | Eddie Cheever | Osella Squadra Corse SH | Osella-BMW FA2/79 | 9 | |
| NC | 45 | Eugen Strähl | Lista Racing Team | March-Hart 782 | 5 | |
| NC | 15 | Rad Dougall | Toleman Group Motorsport | Ralt-Hart RT2 | 1 | |
| DNS | 27 | Armin Hahne | MM Mampe Team | Maurer-BMW MM1 | | Piston |
* Fastest lap: Alberto Colombo, 1:59.98secs. (127.200 mph)

### Heat 1

| Pos. | Driver | Time, Laps | Reason Out |
| 1st | South | 40:25.61 | |
| 2nd | Daly | 40:36.85 | |
| 3rd | Stuck | 40:41.88 | |
| 4th | Surer | 40:54.66 | |
| 5th | Gabbiani | 40:55.15 | |
| 6th | Guerra | 40:55.34 | |
| 7th | Stohr | 41:09.50 | |
| 8th | Rahal | 41:09.85 | |
| 9th | Gaillard | 41:17.37 | |
| 10th | Höttinger | 41:26.37 | |
| 11th | Dickson | 41:36.87 | |
| 12th | Raus | 41:46.79 | |
| 13th | Baskt | 41:53.91 | |
| 14th | Traverso | 42:00.58 | |
| 15th | Warwick | 19 | |
| NC | Elgh | 17 | |
| NC | Henton | 15 | Gearbox |
| NC | Fabi | 14 | Throttle linkage |
| NC | Colombo | 10 | |
| DNF | Cheever | 9 | Accident |
| DNF | Strähl | 3 | Engine |
| DNF | Rothengatter | 3 | Accident |
| DNF | Dougall | 1 | Accident |

### Heat 2

| Pos. | Driver | Time, Laps | Reason Out |
| 1st | South | 40:30.96 | |
| 2nd | Daly | 40:32.64 | |
| 3rd | Gabbiani | 40:39.06 | |
| 4th | Fabi | 40:39.83 | |
| 5th | Elgh | 40:40.24 | |
| 6th | Colombo | 40:40.47 | |
| 7th | Gaillard | 40:40.80 | |
| 8th | Höttinger | 41:00.84 | |
| 9th | Rothengatter | 41:05.61 | |
| 10th | Rahal | 41:16.13 | |
| 11th | Surer | 41:18.74 | |
| 12th | Dickson | 41:58.87 | |
| 13th | Raus | 19 | |
| DNF | Traverso | 11 | Engine |
| DNF | Stuck | 6 | Engine |
| DNF | Stohr | 1 | Accident |
| DNF | Warwick | 0 | Accident |
| DNF | Cheever | 0 | Accident |
| DNF | Baskt | 0 | Accident |
| DNF | Guerra | 0 | Accident |