DTM 2000 - Norisring - Highlights
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00:00We're going back to the future.
00:07This is the German Touring Car Masters 2000.
00:10Hello everyone, welcome to the Norris Ring and the third weekend of racing in the German
00:17Touring Car Masters.
00:18I'm Milt Fitzwater as we join some 99,000 fans this weekend to see some of the top touring
00:24car stars in Europe in action.
00:32Before we take a look at the starting grid, we'd like to show you one of the most important
00:36people in the series.
00:51The German Touring Car Masters, AMG and Hans-Werner Alfrecht.
00:55This is the man that keeps German Touring Car racing alive.
00:58He's the successful head of AMG Mercedes teams.
01:02AMG is known for quality cars and race cars.
01:07He was president of the ETR and has been president since 1988.
01:12Touring Cars and Alfrecht, one name together.
01:17He was born in 1938.
01:18He lived in the shadow of the Second World War and the German Reconstruction.
01:23He developed his abilities and tenacity that he now shows today.
01:35He started AMG in 1967 and fulfilled his dream.
01:40His love of cars and racing became his profession.
01:49AMG became known for quality and then an agreement with Daimler-Benz followed and finally Daimler-Benz
02:00took over the company in a friendly takeover.
02:15His AMG teams have won four driver's titles and have made Mercedes the most successful
02:19team in German Touring Car racing.
02:24He's a taskmaster, even when it comes to one of his favorite drivers, motorsports legend
02:38Klaus Ludwig.
02:41I don't know if it's really a weakness if he demands everything and always asks questions.
02:50It's always important to have someone who is back there asking the questions and challenging
02:54us.
02:57When the Touring Car Series folded, Alfrecht then started a successful series for Mercedes
03:02in GT racing.
03:08Nothing pleased him more than to see his cars in victory lane, which happened at Hockenheim.
03:21But now we're at the Norris Ring.
03:24The street course in the city of Nuremberg, a tough course for the drivers, promises always
03:29to be some great racing.
03:32The course is 1.43 miles long.
03:35The cars have gone through a qualifying period that saw a lot of rain.
03:40Some of the drivers taking a last minute break before they get into the cars to get ready
03:44for the racing today.
03:47This is the only street course in Germany.
03:49The last two were Singen and Berlin.
03:52It basically comes down to three left-handers and one right-hander, but there are two hairpins,
03:57one of which they get up to speeds of 155 miles an hour and they shift down to 31 miles
04:02an hour.
04:03What makes it even worse?
04:04Well, they don't get any chance to test here.
04:07They like to call this the guardrail canal, but it's also called the little Monte Carlo.
04:12Winkelhock and Thiemann, there are the first two cars on the grid.
04:15Then comes Bernd Schneider and Klaus Ludwig in Mercedes.
04:20Then Modena and Reuter in the Opels, followed by Fessler and Jaeger, two of the new drivers
04:26in the field.
04:27Then Menzel and Ellery, two veterans of touring car racing.
04:30Then the first of the Audis with Abt and Olsen in the Opel.
04:34And then comes Lamy and Bartels.
04:37And in the back of the field, Scheider and Turner.
04:39Scheider, one of the top young drivers in the series.
04:42And then Aiello and Nissen fill out the field with the Audis.
04:45And Peter Dumbrek, who had an accident in open qualifying, is at the end of the field.
04:49His accident forced him to miss qualifying, so he'll have to start at the end of the
04:53pack because they simply had to rebuild the car.
04:57Winkelhock's speed, 88.91 miles an hour as the cars head out.
05:00There are 13 cars within a second here as we're ready to start the first race of the
05:05day in the German touring car masters here at the Norris Ring.
05:1044 laps per race.
05:1319 cars ready to go.
05:16Darrell Gross driving the pace car.
05:18Brings them around for the final time to head in front of the major grandstand, and we'll
05:23see who's got their car set up properly for what is one of the most difficult races of
05:28the season.
05:29One of the things missing, though, is heat.
05:31It's rained a lot, but usually this is a race of heat.
05:35There isn't much heat today.
05:36It's cold with a threat of rain.
05:40Winkelhock in the orange car on the right.
05:42Tieman on the left in the Mercedes, and we're underway.
05:45And Jochen Winkelhock seems to have gotten the jump.
05:47This is the longest straightaway in the course.
05:50There's a bend here to the right.
05:51Tieman is out in front.
05:53And then it's Winkelhock, and now you see the hairpin all the way down to first gear.
05:58Around the hairpin, everybody seems to be getting through pretty well here.
06:02And Jochen Winkelhock in the Opel is out in front.
06:07Tieman is second.
06:08Klaus Ludwig is third.
06:09Bernd Schneider is fourth.
06:12And Reuter.
06:13Manuel Reuter is running fifth.
06:15Behind him, Modena, Stefano Modena.
06:18So Schneider and Reuter running together there in fourth and fifth.
06:22They're tied for the points lead coming into the race with 52 points apiece.
06:27So the two drivers with championship aspirations at this point are running together, but a
06:31little behind the leaders.
06:34Jochen Winkelhock.
06:37Raced super touring cars last year, in the last few years, for BMW.
06:41Riding his first year in an Opel.
06:44He had a little acclimating to do.
06:46He had a tenth and a sixth at Hockenheim, two second place finishes at the last race
06:50weekend at Oschersleben, and here at Norrisring in the early going, he is out in front.
06:56Running right behind him, though, is one of the season rookies, Marcel Tieman, a German
07:00who makes his home in Monte Carlo, his best finish this season so far.
07:03Our two sixth place finishes.
07:06And we have an accident here in the opening moments at the hairpin.
07:12Timo Schneider and Peter Dombrek involved there.
07:15Schneider, also one of the top rookies, youngest driver in the field at 21.
07:20Tieman trying to move up on Winkelhock as they go into the second of the hairpins out
07:25near the Zutzenteich, which is a lake located along this straightaway here.
07:32So far, Tieman is right up there with Winkelhock as they come across the line.
07:37Marcel Tieman, who is challenging here, headed toward the hairpin.
07:41He's got the inside line.
07:42Is he going to hold it?
07:44He's staying with it, and he shut the door and gets by Winkelhock.
07:50And so does Klaus Ludwig.
07:53We've had a change in leaders.
07:55Ludwig has not gotten by Winkelhock.
07:57Winkelhock has a line into the next corner, and Ludwig is going to have to drop back into
08:01third.
08:02So, Marcel Tieman, one of the rookies this season in the German Touring Car Masters,
08:07has the lead here at the Norris Ring in Nuremberg, Germany.
08:13What a great start for the young driver.
08:16Looking back to see what happened, it was a case here where Dombrek hit Schneider, and
08:23they went off.
08:26Get a look at it from inside the car, coming up to it, and you can see that these two locked
08:30up, and it was a chance to drop way back and see how well they can come to the front.
08:37Tieman continues to lead here as they go through the chicane, one of the tightest parts of
08:42the course.
08:46Winkelhock running second, then Ludwig, Bernd Schneider is running fourth.
08:51Schneider, the winner of the races at Hockenheim.
08:58And here comes Winkelhock.
09:00He wants to make the move and get the lead back again.
09:04Winkelhock on the outside, and Tieman loses it, bumps Winkelhock, but both of them keep
09:07control.
09:08Part of the car of Tieman hanging off to the side, Ludwig is right behind Tieman right
09:13now.
09:14The part flies away, but more important, Winkelhock has taken the lead.
09:20Tieman second, Klaus Ludwig, the veteran, running third.
09:25The oldest driver in the field at 50 years of age, three-time touring car champion.
09:30He's disappointed in the first couple of races he's had this season, not happy with his performances,
09:34but here today he's running third.
09:40Take another look as Winkelhock tries to get by Tieman.
09:45They come out of the second hairpin, head down the long stretch, there's a kink to the
09:48left here.
09:50And here, Tieman got a little loose, bumped into Winkelhock, Tieman kept control, and
09:57is still running second as we rejoin the race action.
10:06Now they have to find the breaking point, the key point in this whole race course.
10:09You can see them having to break down and shift down.
10:16They get up to about 155 miles an hour, shift from 6th to 1st to get down to 30-some-odd
10:21miles an hour into that hairpin.
10:25The brakes take a tremendous beating here at the Norris Ring, these 44 laps.
10:33Uwe Ahlsen, one of the Opel drivers everybody had thought was going to be doing well in
10:39that black and red Opel, has certainly had his acclimation problems this year.
10:45He has not had quite the success that he has had in the past.
10:49He is now battling Pedro Lamy in a Mercedes, who has brand-new sponsorship, changed the
10:55number of his car to 24 to represent the 24-hour service of the company that is sponsoring
11:00his car.
11:02Winkelhock, Tieman, Klaus Ludwig, they're your top three here at the Norris Ring, first
11:11race of the day, and the German touring car masters.
11:15There you see the part flying off Tieman's car after the collision with Jochen Winkelhock.
11:23And Winkelhock now has picked up a good lead as Hans-Werner Aufwescht watches all the action.
11:34There's your battle for second and third, and you can see how far Winkelhock has pulled
11:38ahead.
11:39Here comes Klaus Ludwig, working on the rookie.
11:45The veteran and the rookie, and Ludwig is by him.
11:48Tieman, with qualified second, is now back into third, and he's got Bernd Schneider right
11:56behind him.
11:57And here comes Manuel Reuter inside Schneider, and Reuter takes over fourth place.
12:03Manuel Reuter, who won the two races in Oschersleben, is now moved into fourth, getting by Bernd
12:08Schneider.
12:09So you have a four-way battle here, from second all the way back to fourth.
12:19Back behind them is Eric Ellery, in another of the Opals, but right now it's this four-way
12:25battle for second.
12:27Into the hairpin, by the lake, a very difficult section with that guardrail, then it's straight
12:34ahead with the kink to the left as they head down the long straightaway in front of this
12:38huge crowd.
12:39Robert Haug, the Mercedes team manager, paying close attention here, this is a tough battle.
12:46Here comes Manuel Reuter, working on Tieman, Tieman on the outside, Reuter's got the line,
12:51he's in the dry part of the course, and gets by.
12:55Manuel Reuter now moves into third place, Tieman is back into fourth, and challenging
13:01him next is Bernd Schneider.
13:04In the first two races of weekends of the season, the young drivers certainly made names
13:09for themselves, Schneider, Tieman, Fessler, all of them.
13:14And here, as you see in this picture, as Reuter gets by Marcel Tieman, the veterans have taken
13:19over here at the Norris Ring.
13:21The track looks so simple, and yet the ones who know how to race here, and know how to
13:26use the draft, and know how to pick up the most space when they can, they're the ones
13:31that are winning, and they're your veterans.
13:34Second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth place, and only one of the rookies in that group,
13:41and that's Marcel Tieman, right there in that dark blue and gray Mercedes.
13:51And Fessler spins, all by himself it looks like, a teammate of Klaus Ludwig, and now
13:59Ludwig has got Reuter running right up on his bumper.
14:06Here comes the battle now for second place.
14:12Klaus Ludwig, Manuel Reuter, two of the top veterans of touring car racing here in Germany.
14:21Reuter now on the right, Ludwig on the left.
14:25Heading up toward the chicane, Ludwig brakes late, Reuter has no chance and spins.
14:35Ludwig held his braking to the very last moment with Reuter trying to get in on side, Reuter
14:39had to try to get by, and he waited too long to put his foot in the brakes, and drops back.
14:48And now he's being challenged by Michel Bartels, in another Opel, see here?
14:54Ludwig waited to the last minute, cuts inside as Reuter goes outside on the spin, a great
15:01move by Klaus Ludwig, the veteran, three-time German touring car champion, one of the toughest
15:08drivers in the field.
15:11Meanwhile, out in front all by himself, Jochen Winkelhock, Ludwig is running second, then
15:18comes Schneider, Timon, Reuter is back in fifth, Bartels is sixth, Jaeger, Altsinn and
15:23Lamy round out the top nine.
15:27Eric Ellery in the orange Opel there certainly has had his share of problems this year, the
15:33Frenchman, very popular with the fans, and blinking right now at Marcel Timon, telling
15:39him to get out of the way, he wants to get by, that's the last thing that Timon wants
15:43to do, and Timon did it to himself, he spun out.
15:48Ellery is by, two more cars get by, so Timon, who had started so strongly, is now dropping
15:56back and further into the field.
16:00What a tough break for him.
16:04Ludwig, and then Schneider.
16:13There you see what happens, it was a mistake by Marcel Timon, the rookie, and he spun out
16:21and lost a lot of space.
16:26And the Audis head into the pitch.
16:30The three Audis in the field having their problems here, and another mistake, this time
16:35by Bernd Schneider in the hairpin.
16:40Schneider running behind Manuel Reuter now, but when he went into the hairpin, he lost
16:47it.
16:48Ludwig, Reuter, and Bernd Schneider, second, third, fourth.
17:05On the long stretch in front of this huge crowd, an amazing crowd, they were in the
17:10neighborhood of some 30,000 or more in qualifying yesterday, and that was in the rain.
17:18Always one of the largest crowds, in fact, it is the second largest racing crowd in the
17:22season.
17:23The first being formula one.
17:27And now, Jochen Winkelhock, halfway through his last lap, looking for his first victory
17:32in the German touring car masters.
17:36He's had a great race, he's been out in front, he's been able to control things.
17:41At Hockenheim, Winkelhock was 10th and 6th, at Oschersleben, he had two second place finishes,
17:46and now here at the Norris Ring, if things hold up on the long last straightaway, he'll
17:49pick up his first victory.
17:51He's back.
17:52BMW star, now Opel star, has won the first race of the day here in the street course
17:58in Nuremberg.
17:59Klaus Ludwig finishes second, Reuter is third, Bernd Schneider is fourth.
18:05That means that Reuter has taken over the point lead after the first race of the day.
18:11That was Volker Strzick, and there's the new wing door on the Opel, bringing in some fresh
18:18air, and of course, the Opel fans couldn't have been happier.
18:24So Jochen Winkelhock becomes the third driver to win an event here in the German touring
18:27car masters 2000, and the Opel crew couldn't be happier.
18:41Now let's take a look at the man that makes the Opel move.
18:52Opel's Volker Strzick has all the responsibility.
18:59He doesn't like paperwork, he's an all around person.
19:05As the technical project director, he's the man that made the Opel Colibra a winner.
19:18He himself has been driving cars for some 20 years.
19:24He started in Formula Renault 5 in 1977, and people didn't really see much of a bright
19:28future for him.
19:31He began by flipping his car over, and Ralf Schmidt, who was a driver development at that
19:35time, said he had to find a solution for this, but he didn't want the responsibility.
19:40And I didn't want to have it either, so we suggested maybe we should send him home, recommend
19:44maybe another sport.
19:45Well, that hurt Volker.
19:47He was angry at us, and really angry at me, and he said, I'm going to show you.
19:52And he was.
19:53Two time champion, and later, a touring car champion.
19:55And now we know what he is today.
19:57He surprised us after the spectacular start, and then he gave me a poster to hang on my
20:00wall after he won the title.
20:09And that German touring car title came in 1984 in a BMW.
20:15Since 1989, Stritzig has been under contract with Opel.
20:33He did some racing in the International Touring Car Championship in 1996, he decided to end
20:38his career as a factory driver.
20:41But he still tests cars, and that's what he does today.
20:47As well as running the Opel Future.
20:54He knows the long course of the Nürburgring better than anyone in history.
21:02And he brought the fans the Opel Astra.
21:06He's one of the main movers in bringing German touring car racing back to the public.
21:14But the opening race of the season didn't go well for Opel.
21:17Bernd Schneider and Marcel Fassler had double victories for Mercedes.
21:32Opel came back and Ossius Leven, Manuel Reuter and Jochen Winkelhoff gave Opel 1-2 in both
21:40races.
22:00Bernd Schneider, who had won at Hockenheim, was back in the pack, battling for position.
22:16And then Schneider left the race with a few laps to go, quite spectacularly.
22:26Manuel Reuter and the Phoenix Opel team brought the Opel fans victory.
22:42So now we're ready for the second race of the day here at the Norrisring in Nuremberg,
22:47Germany in the German Touring Car Masters.
22:52It's been raining between races, and the drivers now have to come up with a choice
22:56of running the wet tires or staying with the slicks, all of them running with Dunlop tires.
23:02There isn't really much choice, rain or slicks.
23:05Winkelhoff is in the pole.
23:07He won the race.
23:08Then comes Reuter and Schneider, your two title battlers.
23:13Then Bartels and Thiemann, Jaeger and Olsen in the middle of the pack.
23:19Pedro Lamy, who is going to be starting on slicks, and Modena.
23:23Then comes Turner and Schneider.
23:27And then toward the back of the pack is Fessler and Dunbrek.
23:30Dunbrek is also going to be on slicks.
23:31Ellery and Menzel bring up the end.
23:34There is only one of the Audis remaining.
23:36Chris Nissen came out.
23:37The other two went out in the first race with gearbox problems.
23:41So the Audis continue to have their problems in this season.
23:43They are not the factory-supported team, as are the drivers in Opel and Mercedes.
23:48It's an independent team from App Sports Line, and they certainly had their work cut out
23:52for them here to keep the cars at least somewhat competitive.
23:55Although they do get faster and faster.
23:58Here we go.
23:59Coming off the last bend, Winkelhoff is on the right.
24:04Klaus Ludwig is on the left.
24:07And we're ready to go here at the Norris ring.
24:09Race number two.
24:1117 cars.
24:15Take the green flag, and Winkelhoff gets the lead again.
24:18And it's Ludwig right behind him.
24:20You can see the water coming up off the track.
24:24The question is now, will it rain again?
24:26And Winkelhoff went way wide, almost lost it, and kept going.
24:33And Eric Ellery is spun by Darren Turner.
24:38Winkelhoff has held the lead, going into the chicane.
24:42Klaus Ludwig is running second.
24:44They come out against the wall, but it's all wet here.
24:46They won't be going too near the wall at this point.
24:51Schneider is running third and trying to move up on Ludwig,
24:54and the Reuter is running in the fourth slot right now.
25:00And Bartels, Michel Bartels, is behind Reuter,
25:04followed by Uwe Ahlsen.
25:05You can see how slippery it is because of the rain.
25:09What makes it even more difficult here
25:10is there are three different types of surfaces.
25:13And the back section, when you get near the wall in the back,
25:15is cement, which is very difficult to handle,
25:18particularly when it's wet.
25:22Schneider wanted to make a move on Ludwig.
25:24He does as Ludwig goes wide and drops into third place.
25:28So Klaus Ludwig, evidently, was a late breaking point,
25:32went way wide, and Schneider got by him.
25:36So Klaus Ludwig is running third,
25:38and Reuter is running fourth.
25:43You can see some of that cement there on the left,
25:45where the cars slide a little bit when they go out.
25:47Take another look at that.
25:48You can see there, first of all, it's a three-car start.
25:53And it looks like Timon is the man who was in the sandwich
25:56there with Ahlsen.
25:58And then as they come around, Ellery
26:00is caught in the middle between Fesler and Turner.
26:03And Turner turned Ellery.
26:10And look at this.
26:13Winkelhoff has opened up a good lead on Bernd Schneider.
26:18But he goes wide, coming out of the turn.
26:22Ahlsen goes way wide and off your screen.
26:27And Bernd Schneider is in the lead.
26:29And he's got a good lead.
26:33Schneider is second.
26:35Then comes Ludwig with the red mirrors.
26:37And then Manuel Reuter running fourth.
26:46Ahlsen was able to hold on to position,
26:48came back in front of Modena, as the rest of the field
26:51sorts itself out.
26:52That yellow lone Audi of Chris Nissen in the back of the pack.
26:58Into the hairpin by the Dutzendteich,
27:00the lake, which is to the right of the track here.
27:03And Ellery has come in after the spin.
27:07They've got to fix the back end.
27:10You can see what happened when he bumped the wall
27:12after spinning with Turner.
27:14They've got to try to get that straightened out
27:16so they can get him back on the track.
27:18Ellery certainly has had his share of problems this year.
27:22Very strong driver, but he just has had problems with this car.
27:29Uwe Ahlsen now, and Jaeger.
27:31Ahlsen in front of Jaeger as they go into the hairpin.
27:35Jaeger gets inside as Ahlsen goes wide.
27:37Fessler is right there with him.
27:39Ahlsen loses a position.
27:42This is for sixth place.
27:45And Faisler goes way wide in his Mercedes.
27:52So Thomas Jaeger in the gray Mercedes,
27:54followed by the black and red Opel of Uwe Ahlsen.
27:58And behind them is Faisler in another Mercedes.
28:02Behind them, Modena in the Opel.
28:05Two abreast headed toward the hairpin,
28:08but here comes Winkelhock.
28:11He's your leader with a breathing
28:14space between Schneider.
28:16Then comes Ludwig Reuter.
28:19Behind him, Michel Bartels.
28:23Then Jaeger.
28:23And the rest of the field coming through.
28:27Timo Schneider in that blue and white Mercedes coming through
28:29has had his share of problems.
28:35Here is the Uwe Ahlsen going wide.
28:38Jaeger cuts inside.
28:40Behind them is Marcel Fessler around the hairpin.
28:47And they really get loose going around.
28:51And we have a change in position.
28:52But meanwhile, Bernd Schneider continues to run second.
28:55Klaus Ludwig third.
28:56We have some spacing now between the first one
28:58through five cars.
28:59There goes Manuel Reuter, the former ITC champion.
29:04Makes his home in Austria now.
29:10And Klaus Ludwig, the oldest driver in the field,
29:17and probably the most experienced driver
29:19in the world, and probably one of the happier ones right now,
29:22even though we aren't even through the second race.
29:25He brought his car back in the top five.
29:29He's back in business after a difficult start
29:32in the beginning of the season.
29:35Timo Schneider spins out and is hit by cars going by.
29:43Fessler now has dropped back a position.
29:48He has Modena behind him.
29:49You can see that the cars are still getting squirrely
29:51on certain parts of the course.
29:56Jaeger, then Fessler.
29:57And Fessler flips his lights on.
30:00He's not close enough yet to tell him he wants to pass.
30:02But let's see what happens.
30:05They're headed toward the hairpin.
30:08No one's going anywhere.
30:11No one's going anywhere here.
30:14The question now is, it is not raining.
30:16They're running, all of them except two drivers,
30:18are running on the rain tires.
30:22And the rain that everyone thought
30:24was going to come again hasn't.
30:27So sooner or later, they're going to have
30:29to do something about their tires.
30:31The rain tires are great when it's wet.
30:33But when it dries out, they start to disintegrate.
30:37Van Schneider, one of the co-leaders in the points
30:45coming in, dropped into second place
30:47after finishing fourth in the first race here,
30:52is now lapping the field, trying to run down Jochen Vingelhoff,
31:00which is not going to be an easy assist to do.
31:03Schneider had two first place finishes at Hockenheim.
31:06He was third and 12th at Auschwitz-Leben,
31:08finished fourth here in the first race at the Norris Ring.
31:11Chris Nissen, the lone Opel out there,
31:17he did not finish in the first race.
31:21And the Opels have just had their share of problems.
31:24You just saw Vingelhoff going by as they come carefully around.
31:30Here comes Ellery into the pit.
31:36And Volker Strzcik watching all the action
31:39and also looking to see what happened to Ellery.
31:42More cars are coming into the pits.
31:45Schneider has already pitted as they're
31:47coming in to change tires.
31:48So Bernd Schneider's already been in.
31:50The rest of the Mercedes teams here
31:52are coming in to change tires.
31:53This is going to change the standings dramatically.
31:57Jochen Vingelhoff is still out on the course,
31:59so he is your leader.
32:00But now it's a question of who gets in and out
32:02of the pits the quickest.
32:06There you see Ellery going by and the rest of the pack.
32:10Timo Scheider in that blue and white Mercedes
32:12with the redone aerodynamics up front.
32:17And Bernd Schneider has changed to slicks,
32:21but he is back in the pack a little bit.
32:26The question now is, when will Vingelhoff come in?
32:31And what will happen to the standings at that time?
32:37Bernd Schneider is putting down some good times here
32:39in the first and second race.
32:41Schneider, know that he needs to stay ahead of Manlo Reuter
32:46to get back into at least even with him in the points race
32:49and possibly take the lead.
32:55And here comes Vingelhoff, and he's coming into the pits.
32:58Your leader, Jochen Vingelhoff, is coming into the pits
33:01to change to slicks.
33:06Brakes to get down to the 30 mile an hour limit coming in.
33:14And the Opel crew is waiting for him here.
33:16Now it's a question of how quick can they get him out?
33:18And can they get him out before Schneider comes by?
33:24Your leader on the course right now, I believe,
33:28is Michel Bartels or Dumbrek.
33:30And Dumbrek, you remember, started on slicks.
33:33And Vingelhoff is out.
33:37But he has lost the lead.
33:40Jochen Vingelhoff has lost the lead.
33:45Bernd Schneider has taken the lead.
33:49Here you see Vingelhoff coming back onto the course,
33:52going down into the hairpin.
33:55Ludwig is now running second.
34:01Well, that's not quite right.
34:02It looks like Bartels and Dumbrek may be ahead of him.
34:04There's Bartels right there.
34:07So Bartels inherited the lead, but now he's coming in.
34:12So the question is, does he go across the finish line
34:14first in the pits, which does count,
34:15which means Bartels then most likely would
34:17give him a lap as a leader.
34:19And Dumbrek would take over the lead.
34:23So Schneider still is not your leader.
34:26You have to remember, Dumbrek was
34:28the man that started in slicks and has not come into the pits.
34:31So Peter Dumbrek is out in front.
34:35Everyone else is pitted.
34:40And there's Jochen Vingelhoff and Klaus Ludwig.
34:50That's what's happened to Dumbrek.
34:51We couldn't find him.
34:52He spun.
34:54Can you believe it?
34:54The man was out in front, had a chance to lead the race,
34:57spins, and loses positions.
35:02And Ludwig is gotten by Vingelhoff.
35:09Another of the Pearson cars comes out.
35:15But here's the battle right now with Ludwig and Vingelhoff.
35:24Here comes Ellery into the pits.
35:27Schneider is also coming into the pits.
35:32So the last of the cars that were on wet tires
35:38are in to change to slicks.
35:41This is Timo Schneider's car, youngest driver in the field
35:44at 21.
35:46A great talent, but he's having his lesson here
35:49with the veterans around the Norris Ring.
35:53Schneider now has taken the lead.
35:58Bernd Schneider is your leader.
36:02And he has a huge lead over Klaus Ludwig
36:06and Jochen Vingelhoff.
36:08Here they come.
36:12Manuel Reuter is now running in fourth place
36:15and Chris Nissen is in third place.
36:20And Chris Nissen in the Audi is running in fifth
36:24but they have not pitted yet.
36:27So Nissen has brought the Audi as far to the front as
36:30they've been this season, but he's going to have to make a pit stop
36:33sooner or later to change tires.
36:36So with Schneider in the lead and Reuter in fourth,
36:39the battle between the points leaders now is once again underway
36:42here at the Norris Ring.
36:44And there's Chris Nissen.
36:47Sooner or later he's got to come in though and
36:49change the rain tires for slicks.
36:52So the Norris Ring, that's known to be a course
36:55that has a lot of heat, is cold and rainy today
36:58but the competition is tough.
37:00Look at this one here.
37:01Jaeger gets inside of Thiemann and pushes him off.
37:06Olsen and Fensler get by on the inside.
37:12Take a look at it.
37:13Whoa, Jaeger just went way past the braking point and hit Thiemann.
37:18And there you see Olsen in that black and red Opel
37:21pulling in on the inside.
37:24A sandwich there
37:27for Jaeger.
37:30And there goes Thiemann. He pulled his car out.
37:35Back up with your leaders.
37:38This is the battle for second, third and fourth place.
37:44Ludwig is running second.
37:46Winkelhock is running third and then behind them is Manuel Reuter.
37:51Norbert Haag, the head of Mercedes, watches this action.
37:55Three of the top drivers in touring car racing in Germany
37:58are running in the battle.
38:00Meanwhile, Werner Schneider has lapped several of the cars
38:04as he is out in front
38:06and enjoys a huge lead of almost 11 seconds or so
38:09over the second place car.
38:14As you can see now, there comes Ludwig.
38:16And see how close he comes? That's a cement wall.
38:19And you can see as he dried out, the driver used every bit of the track
38:22over onto the cement right up against the wall.
38:26Of course, some drivers have been known to kiss that wall quite nicely.
38:29Some use the wall. Kurt Thiem used to use the wall.
38:31He'd come around, tap it just a little bit,
38:33and get straightened out and keep going.
38:37But here's your battle for second, third and fourth.
38:41Klaus Ludwig, Jochen Winkelhock and Manuel Reuter.
38:46Reuter wants to make the move on Winkelhock.
38:48You can see how uneven the course is
38:51going into the breaking point for this hairpin.
38:57The trio running together here.
39:02And Winkelhock wanted to get inside of Ludwig and couldn't do it.
39:08Behind Reuter, further back, Bartels and Alsen,
39:10Thesler, Jaeger, Lamy, Dombrek came back in after the spin.
39:14He's back in 10th place.
39:16Moden in the Opel is in 11th.
39:21Reuter wants to get inside on Winkelhock into the hairpin.
39:24But Winkelhock's going inside of the Mercedes of Ludwig.
39:27Look at Ludwig!
39:29Ludwig, look at Ludwig!
39:31Whoa, what driving!
39:32Ludwig went way wide, cut between the two,
39:35and kept the hold of second place.
39:38And Winkelhock lost his place.
39:40Reuter has moved up one.
39:42Spectacular driving.
39:49So now Reuter, who is leading in the points with a short margin,
39:52wants to head towards Schneider. Let's take a look.
39:54Look to get gone wide.
39:56Gets inside of Winkelhock, cuts off Reuter.
40:00Meanwhile, Winkelhock got loose, lost the position to Reuter.
40:06Great piece of driving.
40:11Ludwig runs second, Reuter third.
40:13Reuter would like to move up into second if he could.
40:16To keep the points very, very tight.
40:20That's Schneider.
40:24Let's see what happens here.
40:26Can he get inside? No, he can't.
40:28And Winkelhock made a big mistake in the braking.
40:30Went way wide.
40:32That takes him out of contention right now.
40:34He won't be in the battle for second.
40:36But a fourth place finish won't bother him either.
40:38It'll put him upright in the points race.
40:41So he has been going very well.
40:43Joachim Winkelhock can finally do some more smiling
40:45after his two second place finishes at Oschersleben
40:48winning in the first race today.
40:49But you can see how far he is now behind Ludwig and Reuter.
40:53So Bernd Schneider with a big lead out in front.
40:56Winkelhock now trying to catch up.
40:58But these are the two that are battling for second and third.
41:02Klaus Ludwig, 50 years old, the oldest driver in the field.
41:07And Manuel Reuter, 38, two of the veterans.
41:12They both won Le Mans, they both won touring titles.
41:14Here comes Reuter on the inside.
41:16Here goes Ludwig, he gets it back.
41:19He got it back.
41:21Reuter waited too late.
41:22Went wide and Ludwig got inside and held on to second place.
41:28It can't get much tighter.
41:30Heading into the chicane.
41:35Take another look at it. Ludwig is way outside.
41:37Reuter goes in.
41:39You can see Ludwig then cut back into the dry.
41:42Took the inside and held on to second place.
41:45And held on to second place as Reuter went way wide.
41:51This is why the German fans love their touring cars.
41:55They're some of the most loyal touring car fans you're ever going to see.
41:58Bernd Schneider out in front.
42:00Then Ludwig, then Reuter and Winkelhock sitting back in fourth place.
42:05Once again, Reuter and Ludwig.
42:09Ludwig waited a long time there.
42:11Reuter right up on his bumper.
42:15You see Michel Bartels in the Opels running fifth.
42:18Ahlsen in an Opel is running sixth.
42:20So Opel is doing quite well here.
42:24But all eyes are on these two.
42:27The battle of Mercedes and Opel.
42:30Ludwig and Reuter.
42:38So far Ludwig has had the best of Reuter in their duels.
42:43Let's see what happens here.
42:46Once again in front of the main grandstand.
42:51Reuter right now is in a perfect place to slip out if he can do it.
42:54Out of the slipstream.
42:56Here they come.
42:57To the braking point.
42:59Reuter braking.
43:00You can see the car wiggle.
43:01He gets inside and gets by.
43:03Listen to the fans.
43:05The Opel fans are going nuts.
43:09Manuel Reuter has moved into second place.
43:12Klaus Ludwig is back in third place.
43:16So right now Mercedes leads.
43:18And Opel is second.
43:20And Mercedes is third.
43:23With an Opel fourth.
43:25Very clean pass.
43:28Reuter in the dry part of the track.
43:30This time Ludwig couldn't cut back in on him.
43:34So Manuel Reuter has taken over second place.
43:37And is extending his lead over Ludwig a little bit.
43:40You can see how far back Winklehawk is.
43:42Unless something drastic happens.
43:44Winklehawk will not be in contention.
43:46Here in the second race.
43:50That was not Schneider going by.
43:52That was Jaeger.
43:53His teammate.
43:54You know Schneider's car is the grey Mercedes.
43:57With the red mirrors.
44:04So it looks like the battle for second place has been settled then.
44:09With only a few laps to go.
44:13Manuel Reuter.
44:15Running second here in the Opel.
44:19Had a third and a thirteenth at Hockenheim.
44:21He actually had finished in the top five at Hockenheim.
44:23But then was penalized time.
44:25Because he was involved in an accident.
44:27He sent Dunbrink off.
44:29And Aschersleben.
44:30Reuter was winner of the first two.
44:33And he was third in the first race here at the Norris Ring.
44:35Meanwhile Bernd Schneider.
44:37Is your leader.
44:39Schneider a fourth in the first race here at the Norris Ring.
44:41Earlier two wins at Hockenheim.
44:43A third and a twelfth at Aschersleben.
44:46He went off the course with a few laps to go.
44:48So both he and Reuter have had one bad race.
44:50The rest of the time they've been up into the top five.
44:56And consistency this year is certainly going to be the key.
45:02Coming into the race only six drivers have completed all the laps.
45:05In every race.
45:07Reuter was one of them.
45:08Winkelhock was another.
45:14Right now it's a matter of Bernd Schneider.
45:20With Modena a lap car running right behind him.
45:27Schneider with no trouble.
45:29A good lead after the pit stop.
45:31And a good lead after the pit stop.
45:33A good lead after the pit stop that got him out in front.
45:36He was the first in to change from the rain tires to the slicks.
45:44After a couple of laps after he had come out.
45:46He took the lead because Winkelhock came in.
45:50And Winkelhock had been leader at the time.
45:52And then this is the way it's been.
45:54Bernd Schneider.
45:56Took the lead. He's in his last lap.
46:00So if Bernd Schneider continues to roll at the rate he's going.
46:02He'll take over the points lead.
46:11It's amazing how the Opel of Stefano Modena.
46:14Who is a lap car.
46:15Is staying right there with Schneider.
46:22Schneider will pick up then his third victory of the season.
46:25If everything holds up to form right now.
46:32We've only had two winners then in the second races of the weekends.
46:36And here he comes.
46:37Bernd Schneider.
46:38Your winner of the second race of the day.
46:40At the Norris Ring.
46:41The street course in Nuremberg, Germany.
46:45And that's the Mercedes crew.
46:47All out on the wall.
46:50Congratulating Bernd Schneider.
46:52This man for his win here at the Norris Ring.
46:58Schneider has taken over the points lead with a victory.
47:01Reuter is now second in the points.
47:05There's only a three point difference between the two.
47:08Minkov is third in the points.
47:10After his great day today.
47:12So the championship now is wide open.
47:17In the teams.
47:18The Opel Team Phoenix.
47:19The one that Reuter drives for.
47:21Is first in the team championship.
47:24Schneider's team.
47:25The D2 AMG Mercedes is second.
47:28There's your winner.
47:29Bernd Schneider.
47:33He has won in just about every kind of car.
47:35He was a former Formula One driver.
47:37Who didn't have much success there.
47:38But boy in GT racing he was great.
47:40And touring cars he's fantastic.
47:42Your winner today here at the Norris Ring.
47:46There's Klaus Ludwig.
47:47Who can be very happy with his performances today.
47:49The veteran coming back.
47:51Pushing his Mercedes up into a second and third place finish.
47:54Norbert Haug.
47:55The Mercedes.
47:56Team manager.
47:58So the day here belongs to Mercedes.
48:00And Bernd Schneider.
48:02I'm really satisfied.
48:03Because we could not expect.
48:04Especially after the first run.
48:06That we are fighting for winning the second one.
48:10And I'm really happy.
48:11We gambled a lot in the second.
48:13And that time it's worked out.
48:15And we won everything.
48:17And I'm very happy.
48:18And I'm congratulated to the team.
48:20Because this is for sure a victory by the team.
48:22Because this pit stop.
48:23Was amazing.
48:29Jochen Winkelhoff in the center.
48:31Manuel Reuter on the right.
48:33Klaus Ludwig on the left.
48:36The victory ceremony.
48:37Here.
48:38At the Norris Ring in Nuremberg.
48:40Germany.
48:41The next stop.
48:42Will be the Sachsenring.
48:45And there are the second place.
48:46Second race finishers.
48:48Bernd Schneider on your screen there.
48:50The season then tightens up quite a bit.
48:53And you see the points.
48:54With Schneider, Reuter, Winkelhoff.
48:56All right up in front.
48:57Ludwig is into fifth place.
48:59After his strong performance here.
49:03So that does it for our coverage.
49:04Of the German Touring Car Masters.
49:06Here at the Norris Ring.
49:08In Nuremberg, Germany.
49:10The drivers are celebrating.
49:11The fans are now celebrating.
49:13This race weekend.
49:14And they're looking for another strong one.
49:16Coming up next.
49:17This race weekend.
49:18And they're looking for another strong one.
49:20Coming up at the Sachsenring.
49:22It'll be coming up in a couple of weeks.
49:24Will these drivers be the ones that are on top at that time?
49:27Who knows.
49:28But the battle between Mercedes and Opel.
49:30Will be as strong as ever.
49:32If not stronger.
49:33And they split here today.
49:34After the two makes dominated.
49:36The first two races of the season.
49:40Once again the next stop on the tour.
49:42Will be at the Sachsenring.
49:44Hope to see you then.
49:47Thanks for watching.
49:48See you next time.