DTM 2000 - Oschersleben - Highlights
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00:00We're back to the future.
00:05This is the German Touring Car Masters 2000.
00:12The German Touring Car Masters today coming to you from the Motorpark in Oschersleben.
00:18This racetrack seats some 52,000 fans and 19 drivers are there to entertain them all.
00:44It started with cat cars, lawnmowers, go-carts and then came the stop in formula racing.
00:54The career was already planned, but then came an accident and changes had to be made.
01:00In 1987, he was runner-up in the German Touring Car Championship in a Ford, then moved on
01:07to sports cars.
01:09The breakthrough, 1989, victory at Le Mans in a Sauber Mercedes.
01:25More successes followed with a Porsche and Manuel Reuter, seven years later, came back
01:30and won Le Mans again.
01:32In car number seven, of course.
01:37What about that number seven?
01:38Well, it's his lucky number.
01:40In 1996, he won the International Touring Car Championship, in number seven, of course.
02:05Seventeen times, he's been on the podium.
02:08Precise driving, tough competitor and perfect fitness.
02:14This is Manuel Reuter.
02:23First his home in Monaco and then a move to Austria with his wife, Michela, and his daughter,
02:29Anna-Theresa.
02:30She happened to be born in the seventh, by the way.
02:37Without a family life, life would be unthinkable for Manuel Reuter.
02:45In the first race of the new season of the German Touring Car Masters, he started on
02:48the pole.
02:49Things looked good in his white and yellow Opel, but then a mistake and it was catch-up
02:54time for Manuel Reuter.
03:01He made up for the mistake, though.
03:02He battled from the back of the pack all the way back toward the front.
03:06Naturally, the boss, Volker Strzick, had to enjoy it, even though it was a tough battle.
03:19When it was over, Bernd Schneider won the race and then Marcel Faisler was second,
03:23but third, Manuel Reuter.
03:26What a battle it was.
03:27How is he going to do here at Auschwitz-Leben?
03:30We're about to find out.
03:37And this is the track in Auschwitz-Leben, 2.28 miles long.
03:40They'll be running 28 laps per race today.
03:43Two races make up a race weekend in the German Touring Car Masters.
03:48Some 52,000 fans are on hand as they watch Manuel Reuter start from the pole position.
03:53Next to him, another Opel, Michel Bartels, making a great start for himself.
03:57And look at this, Opel is also three and four, Jochen Winkelhock and Eric Allory.
04:01The first Mercedes, Bernd Schneider fifth, but then two more Opels.
04:06So Opel sitting sixth of the top seven cars.
04:09Marcel Faisler, eighth place in a Mercedes.
04:13Well, it's a little bit different color than normal.
04:14You expect the yellow or you expect blue, but a little bit of dark there.
04:17The firemen have got their work cut out for them before we can start the race today.
04:21Reuter qualified here at about 96.17 miles per hour.
04:25Top 13 cars were all within a second.
04:30Ready to go.
04:3119 cars, last corner before they head down the very long straight here.
04:37Reuter will be on the right.
04:39Bartels on the left.
04:45And we're underway.
04:48Reuter gets a great jump.
04:49Bartels drops in behind.
04:51And then it looks like Allory and Winkelhock will fit into third and fourth place.
04:56They go side by side.
04:58Stefano Modena has moved all the way up to fifth place.
05:01Somebody's had some aerodynamic changes to their car.
05:03Can't tell who had that one.
05:05But right now, it's Reuter out in front.
05:08Then comes Bartels.
05:10Then comes Winkelhock, Allory, Modena, and Scheider.
05:14And then comes Ben Schneider.
05:17All the way back in seventh place.
05:18He had started fifth and drops all the way back.
05:20You can see the yellow Audis in the back of the pack still trying to put their cars together
05:25to be competitive with the Mercedes and with the Opels.
05:29But they got their work cut out for them.
05:30They do have a third car here in this particular race weekend with James Thompson who has come
05:36in.
05:38We're going to talk more about the Audis in just a minute as the cars sort themselves
05:41out here and getting into a train in the opening moments of the race here at Ostersleben.
05:46In the back section of the course now, they're headed toward a right-left chicane.
05:51This is a very quick part of the course and fans standing all along that back stretch.
05:56A very fast chicane.
05:59It straightens out into a right-hander, a short straight, another right-hander, and
06:03they're back to end the first lap of the race.
06:06And Reuter is sitting out in front with no trouble whatsoever.
06:09And Modena remains in fifth place.
06:12And Schneider is now definitely in seventh.
06:14There goes Klaus Ludwig, getting by Uwe Ahlsen.
06:17That is back in the pack a little bit, around tenth position.
06:22Reuter leads the first lap, and there you see the top 18, 19 cars.
06:28Thompson has evidently had some problems and may have to pull out.
06:36He had trouble in qualifying.
06:38He's one of the last running of the yellow Audis.
06:42You're riding now with Marcel Faisler, who had such a great race at Hockenheim.
06:50Into a fifth-gear left-hander.
06:53It's a sweeping left-hander that sets up for a 180 to the right.
06:59There are three, basically, 180s here, and this is the quickest of them.
07:03They come back up, and you can see that chicane.
07:07When they go through that chicane, they just use the curbs and nothing more.
07:10You don't pay much attention to the curve of the road.
07:14You get through as quick as you can, you head straight ahead.
07:17Reuter continues to lead.
07:20Absolutely no problems for the Opel crew, and what a change this is from Hockenheim,
07:23where Mercedes dominated.
07:25And now, there are four Opels in front, five Opels in front, six Opels in front.
07:31Schneider is running in sixth place.
07:36So Opel has come back in a big way.
07:39The question now is, can Bernd Schneider in the Mercedes with the yellow mirrors fight
07:45back toward the front?
07:47He won the first two races, but now he's got his work cut out for him.
07:51There you see the left-hand bend that takes him into one of the 180s after the start-finish
07:56line.
07:59This brings them out into a straight chute, another 180 that takes him back toward the
08:04fans.
08:05The fans who are watching in this area can see about 70% of this course.
08:08It was perfectly built for the fans.
08:10There goes Schneider trying to get inside Timo Schneider.
08:13He can't do it.
08:15He's got a lot of catching up to do.
08:19It's a hard course to pass on.
08:22There are a couple places where you can out-break the competition, but it's a little tough.
08:26Here's the start again.
08:27You get to see the jump that Manuel Reiter got.
08:31Bartels, one of his best starting positions, drops him behind him.
08:37And Winkelhock on the left, in what you'd call that red Opel, and behind him the orange
08:43Opel of Ellery.
08:44And the rest of the pack is sorting itself out as they head into the left-hander that
08:48gets them out onto the course.
08:50But you can see they can go three and four abreast here.
08:52It's a very wide course.
08:55Plenty of room down the front straightaway.
09:00Once again, you're with Faisler.
09:02Ahead of him is Uwe Ahlsen.
09:09And Schneider has just passed Timo Schneider.
09:16So Bernd Schneider has moved up, and once again, Marcel Faisler, and you're right behind
09:22Uwe Ahlsen.
09:23Ahlsen in an Opel who's had his share of acclimation problems trying to get used to this car.
09:32He's been off the course in qualifying a couple of times here in practice.
09:37Something very unusual for the man.
09:40And Michel Bartels is off.
09:42Michel Bartels in the Opel is off and stuck in the gravel.
09:49After a great qualifying, he's taken himself out of it here.
09:54And there comes Schneider working up on Stefano Modena.
09:59Schneider going after another Opel.
10:07He's looking now for fourth place, and there's Bartels' car.
10:12Bartels would like to get out without help so that he can get back to the pits and continue
10:15to race.
10:16Timo Schneider, that 21-year-old that did so well at Hockenheim, right now sitting behind
10:23Bernd Schneider who wants to get inside of Modena.
10:26They're coming down the long straight.
10:28This is one place he could get by, but it looks like Modena may hold him off unless
10:33Schneider can duck inside.
10:36Can't do it.
10:37Stefano Modena.
10:39The lone Italian in the field holds off Bernd Schneider.
10:45Drives for the Euro team.
10:47They were a late entry, and the car was finished just before the first race.
10:52The rest of the field sorting itself out very nicely.
10:56There's the Faisler car that we've been riding with periodically, the black Mercedes, right
11:02there at the tail end of that train.
11:05Klaus Ludwig, the other identical car with the red mirrors, the teammate of Faisler.
11:10Ludwig, one of the veterans of the series.
11:13Where the battle right now is for Bernd Schneider.
11:16Can he move up to fourth and challenge the leaders?
11:21But right now, Manuel Reuter has had the track to himself and has built up a pretty good
11:25lead, and he's going to be hard to catch.
11:31There's the Ellery.
11:33Opel, here comes Schneider again.
11:35He wants to get by Modena.
11:39The back chicane.
11:41He's right up on the bumper.
11:42Here we go down the long stretch.
11:44He gets inside in the last corner.
11:47He made it.
11:49He forced his way by.
11:52And Timo Scheider would like to do the same.
11:56Can't do it.
11:58Bernd Schneider has now moved up into fourth place.
12:02Stefano Modena is fifth.
12:05Timo Scheider is sixth.
12:08Thomas Jaeger, the teammate from Bernd Schneider, is seventh.
12:14But now Schneider has some clear track ahead of him and can try to do some catching up.
12:20He's already started to pull a little bit away from Modena.
12:24The train behind him here is a difficult one, and tight.
12:35Nobody seems to be making much motion there in the back.
12:37Another look at it.
12:38It was a nice move by Bernd Schneider.
12:40He simply got inside and took him before the last corner.
12:45It was a great pass.
12:51Bernd Schneider, one of the veterans of the series, a former champion, has driven for
12:56Mercedes for years, a very consistent driver, touring cars, some of his best, but he's done
13:02great in the GT cars.
13:05Just about anything he's driven.
13:06Did a little bit of Formula One.
13:08Had some unsuccessful years and seemed to have found a place for himself in touring
13:12cars.
13:13And now he really has set himself aside apart from Stefano Modena.
13:20He is rolling.
13:21In the first two races of the season, he had fastest laps in both races.
13:29Reuter can take it somewhat easy.
13:30He has to keep pushing, of course, but he now controls the race and it's up to him to
13:34see what's going on as he's riding with Marcel Fesler once again.
13:38Into the left-hander.
13:39And then that sweeping right-hander.
13:50That's Michel Bartels.
13:51He was able to get back on the track and right behind him is Reuter.
13:54Then comes Winkelhoff, Ellery, and look at this.
13:58Bernd Schneider continues to pull up on the Opel trio out in front.
14:05The rest of the Mercedes crew and the rest of the Opels are bunched in the back of the
14:09pack.
14:15There's Klaus Ludwig.
14:16He had with the red mirrors and now you're back with Marcel Fesler.
14:24He's trying to chase down Uwe Ahlson.
14:31Good look at the young driver, new to the series, his debut at Hockenheim.
14:37And there are what remain of the Audis.
14:39We were talking earlier about the Audi situation.
14:41Christian Abt and Laurent Aiello, the regular Audi drivers, are running at Le Mans.
14:47And so they brought in Roland Asch, one of the veterans of touring car racing, to go
14:51along with Chris Nissen.
14:53And James Thompson was brought in from England.
14:56He's going to appear with the Audi team later this season.
14:59He had problems in the qualifying.
15:02They let him start at the back of the pack in his first race, but he's had problems and
15:06has parked the car.
15:12And Bernd Schneider has now moved up on Eric Ellery.
15:16Schneider going for third place.
15:18You have to realize, Reuter can hold out in front.
15:22He gets 20 points for the win.
15:24And so that every place that Bernd Schneider, who right now is the points leader, can make
15:29up in this first race, will be that much less that Reuter can pull up toward him in
15:36the points.
15:40And with this type of racing, where it's very, very tight, whoa, and Schneider went way off.
15:45Schneider lost it and is still trying to run down Eric Ellery.
15:57It was Jochen Winkelhock who said in the practice session, it's not so much finishing
16:02the race as it is staying on the course.
16:05And one of those going off the course, Bernd Schneider.
16:11A number of drivers have been humbled by this place.
16:15They have seen a lot of grass and a lot of gravel.
16:19Schneider pulling up on Eric Ellery, the Frenchman, one of the most popular drivers in the series.
16:26Very friendly man.
16:29Very fair driver.
16:31But he sure can be tough when the time gets to that point.
16:37Rest of the pack working its way through.
16:40There's Pedro Lamy.
16:41He has gotten by Stefano Modena.
16:44Lamy, who is making his debut in the German touring car scene, had a difficult start in
16:51the Hockenheim races, but is doing quite well here at Oschersleben.
17:01Right behind them is Klaus Ludwig.
17:04And there is how Lamy got by Stefano Modena.
17:10Clean pass.
17:11Timo Schneider, then comes Jaeger, then comes Lamy, Modena, and then Klaus Ludwig.
17:20This is the pack in the back, trying to move up as best they can.
17:27The car with that red dot on the hood, right there, the red marking, that is Uwe Ahlsen.
17:34And he is trying to get by Fessler, and he does.
17:41Whoa, and he cut him off.
17:43He clipped him, it looked like.
17:46Behind them, the two blue and gray Pearson Mercedes cars.
17:52Ahlsen was really tight.
17:54Grindelholzer on the left.
17:58And more of the car falls apart.
18:01As Ahlsen is behind Fessler.
18:09This is quite a battle.
18:10You can see that they've rearranged the front end of Uwe Ahlsen's car.
18:20Ahlsen and his Opel have not quite come together yet.
18:25Here's what happened as, whoa, Fessler got by, but then cut in, and when he cut in, he
18:34clipped part of Uwe Ahlsen's car.
18:39Volker Stritzig on the left, a former German touring car champion, and now running the
18:44Opel operation.
18:51Uwe Ahlsen's going to have his hands full now to hold off the two Pearson Mercedes.
18:56That's Marcel Thiemann right behind him, and then Peter Dumbrecht behind Thiemann's car.
19:08Here comes Ludwig once again, Ludwig with the red Mirrors and the black Mercedes moving
19:12up on Stefano Modena.
19:14Fessler behind him, the smoking wheel of Uwe Ahlsen in that black with red trim Opel.
19:23Ahlsen getting off to a very slow start at Hockenheim, not at all happy with the way
19:28things went there.
19:33He picked up overall two points at Hockenheim, and finished ninth in the second race, did
19:40not finish the first race.
19:41Here comes Thiemann, Thiemann gets inside, and Dumbrecht tries to get inside and bumps
19:49into Ahlsen.
19:52Dumbrecht was trying to follow Thiemann by Uwe Ahlsen, and Ahlsen goes off the course.
20:02So Ahlsen continues to have his problems in the opening races of the season here in
20:06the German Touring Car Masters.
20:10Certainly a tough touring car competitor, started in Porsche Racing, one of the few
20:15drivers in this field that didn't start in Formula Racing.
20:19He's been in the hard tops his whole career, drove the GT cars successfully, did a good
20:25look here at Oschersleben.
20:29There it happens again, whoa, well, they'll discuss that one, who did what to whom there.
20:37Dumbrecht had the line, it looked like Ahlsen might have come in and cut him off.
20:41Here comes Ludwig on the right, trying to get by Modena, and he does.
20:47Ludwig moves up a slot, getting by Stefano Modena.
20:53Klaus Ludwig, who has also not had a great start for a champion of the German Touring
20:58Car Championship, a three-time touring car championship, actually.
21:03He's had a couple wins at Le Mans, but right now he's having a hard time getting his car
21:07sorted out to be competitive.
21:09Bernd Schneider now, attacking Ellery.
21:17Eric Ellery, Bernd Schneider, the battle for third.
21:23And this is tight.
21:24Schneider has passed just about anywhere he can.
21:27The Mercedes is very strong, he does have the fastest lap so far here in the first race.
21:34And Ahlsen's brought his car in.
21:36Uwe Ahlsen has brought the car in for some work, getting ready for the second race.
21:40After all the damage here in the first race, I don't blame him.
21:45Here comes Schneider on the inside, they're going to go down the straightaway here.
21:51Speeds of 175 miles an hour at the end of this straight, and they're side by side.
21:56Who's going to give?
21:59That's Ellery on the right, Schneider on the left.
22:03He holds him off, they bump, Ellery spins, and Schneider goes off.
22:10Ellery keeps going, so does Schneider, but Schneider is by.
22:18Not the pass you might want to see, but he certainly got by him.
22:21Timo Scheider now has pulled up behind Ellery.
22:26And Thomas Jaeger is behind Scheider.
22:30So Bernd Schneider now is in third, Ellery is in fourth.
22:39Rather unceremoniously dropped back, Scheider is now running in fifth position, Thomas Jaeger
22:44is sixth, and Pedro Lamy is running seventh.
22:48Another look at it from up in the helicopter.
22:53There was no room, when Ellery tried to go in, he was hit by Schneider, Schneider was
22:58lucky that he didn't hit him, they stayed basically on the track, it looked like they
23:02went off all the way, they got off a little bit into the dirt, Schneider looking for a
23:07place to go by, Ellery had good control to keep it going, and then Schneider gets by.
23:13Volker Stritsig now, not too happy about that one.
23:19And there goes Modena, and Fasler, Fasler gets by, Modena spun out.
23:28Might have been a little help there.
23:29Meanwhile, this is the man that is out in front.
23:35Manuel Reuter took the pole, and has rolled ever since.
23:39There are two lap cars, and then comes Jochen Winkelhock, long time BMW driver, this year
23:45in an Opel.
23:46He is running second, but Manuel Reuter, after races at Hockenheim, where he was dropped
23:56back to 13th in the second race because of spinning someone out, Reuter finished third
24:01in the first race, and he now looks like he's headed for victory here at Ostersleben.
24:10Reuter riding with Winkelhock, Smokin' Joe, they call him.
24:17Winkelhock won the Super Touring Car Championship, he won the British Touring Car Championship,
24:24a touring car specialist, and one of the most popular drivers in the series.
24:34Reuter with a good five second lead here, five and a half second lead, and the crew
24:40continues to work on the Uwe Ahlson car, setting it up for the second race, getting the work
24:46done now.
24:47They have between races, there's 15 minutes to work on the cars, so Ahlson brought it
24:53in early so they could get some work done.
24:55We're into the final lap of the first race of the day in the German Touring Car Masters
25:00Here in Ostersleben, Germany, near the city of Magdeburg, Chris Nissen goes off the course
25:06in one of the Audis.
25:08They're running back in the pack.
25:11Meanwhile, Manuel Reuter continues to roll.
25:18Ellery back and forth, there's Scheider fifth, Jaeger is sixth, Lamy is seventh, Ludwig is
25:25eighth.
25:32Bernd Scheider, who had dropped back to seventh, is up into third, then comes his last pack
25:36of fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth.
25:44With the final lap, it's going to be difficult for anybody to make a pass here, unless they
25:47really force the issue.
25:52And Ellery, who was so unceremoniously passed by Bernd Scheider, certainly is going to not
25:56let a 21-year-old Timo Scheider get by.
26:01But Scheider certainly has had some great racing, two fourth-place finishes at Hockenheim
26:08and right now he is running sixth, not bad for a rookie.
26:14And here comes Manuel Reuter, he'll take the chequered flag in Ostersleben to win the first
26:19race of the weekend.
26:21And the German Touring Car Masters is a very happy crew, and certainly a very happy Manuel
26:25Reuter.
26:26And the same for Jochen Winkelhock.
26:29Winkelhock, who had a tenth-place finish at Hockenheim, certainly improved it.
26:33And there's Jochen, you can see the tube up there for a little fresh air coming into the
26:40helmet.
26:41And Ellery comes in with a good fourth-place finish.
26:49So Ellery has also improved from where he was last time.
26:54But there's the man, Manuel Reuter has brought Opel back to the victory circle.
27:00And the Opel crew couldn't be any happier.
27:05He drives to the Opel Phoenix team.
27:09Ernst Moser has put that together, it's the first time they've been out there.
27:13But there it is, the top eight, Reuter, Winkelhock, Scheider, Schneider, Ellery, Scheider, and
27:18then Jaeger, Lamy, and Klaus Ludwig running in eighth position.
27:22So Reuter has pulled up in the points to within 20 now of Bernd Schneider.
27:28So the points race once again was tight, it looked like Scheider might get a good jump
27:31and get away.
27:32He didn't.
27:33But the rest of the field, Fasler, Thiemann, Dumbrek, Modena, who had driven so well in
27:38the beginning, got off the pace and dropped back to 12th.
27:41Then comes Darren Turner, Menzo, Asch, and Christensen, the two Audis running in the
27:45back of the pack.
27:47Thompson did finish, but he was down a lap.
27:51Then Michel Bartels was another of the casualties early in the race, but he was able to come
27:56back around and at least bring the car across the finish line.
27:59Fifteen minutes break now as the mechanics have a chance to work on the cars, get them
28:03ready for the second race of the day here in Oschersleben.
28:10It's a very difficult time because they have to wait until everything, they get a signal,
28:13they get a signal, and then they can start to do the work on the cars.
28:18And there's Bernd Schneider, and he's talking to Norbert Haug.
28:23He's the Mercedes team manager, Haug is at the Formula One race in Canada.
28:27And so they're right now talking about how things are going here in Oschersleben.
28:34Bernd Schneider is your point leader, and Reuters, we said, is within 20, as is Marcel
28:39Faisler.
28:40Ready to go.
28:41Second heat of the day here in Oschersleben, 2.28 mile course.
28:45A challenging course.
28:47Just a little bit south of the city of Magdeburg.
28:50Very wide, actually, 14 corners on this one.
28:53There are two long 180s, and then a very tight 180.
28:58The narrowest part of the course, about 12 yards, the widest section, 14, which means
29:02you can see three and four cars abreast, particularly here at the start.
29:08Rolling around the last corner, they come out onto the long straightaway.
29:14On the left is Winkelhock, and that red Opel on the right, Manuel Reuter.
29:19Waiting for the green.
29:22They're underway.
29:27And Reuter gets the jump.
29:28Winkelhock tucks in behind him, but the battle for third and fourth is tight.
29:32It looks like Ellery got by.
29:35He did.
29:36He got by Schneider, and we have some bumping going on back in the pack.
29:43Cars are spinning.
29:44Cars are going off.
29:48We have a major collision here that's going to—all Opels, it looks like.
29:52And there is the Opel of Menzel, Christian Menzel.
29:57It looks like his race is over.
29:59Menzel, Schneider, and Modena all involved.
30:03Looks like Menzel is out of it.
30:09Now we have to see if the Mercedes folks—there's the Menzel, Ermscher, Opel.
30:14He's not going anywhere in this race.
30:23The cars sorting themselves out here in Ossersleben in the German touring car masters.
30:28Second event of the day.
30:29There's your leader, Manuel Reuter in the Opel, followed by the Opels of Jochen Winkelhock
30:34and Eric Ellery, and then the Mercedes of Bernd Schneider.
30:39Schneider fought his way back to third, has dropped back to fourth here.
30:43And Uwe Ahlson has gone off, along with Darren Turner.
30:49Ahlson's been off this course a number of times, and Turner seems to be out for the
30:53day.
30:54Darren Turner's car is parked.
30:57At last count, Uwe Ahlson has been off the course here about eight times.
31:06He has had a hard time sorting that car out and getting used to it.
31:15But the man that is out in front is having no trouble.
31:17Manuel Reuter, that first quartet, running well.
31:20Jaeger is running fifth.
31:22Pedro Lamy is running sixth.
31:24Fesler is running seventh.
31:27And then comes Klaus Ludwig, followed by Dumbrek and Thiemann.
31:33And then that black and red Opel of Uwe Ahlson.
31:41So far, it has certainly been an Opel day here at Ossersleben, although the beginning
31:47of this race, three of them collided with each other, which certainly will cut back
31:52on their effectiveness.
31:56Eight Opels started, eight Mercedes.
31:59Now the blue car going off the course right there is Schneider, the 21-year-old rookie.
32:03He comes out and bumps into Jaeger.
32:05Now everyone else is trying to play avoid here and not hit anybody.
32:12And then Schneider spins and more cars spin in the back.
32:18There goes Menzel.
32:20He is helped along by Modena.
32:22Menzel is the only one that fell out.
32:23Everybody else was able to keep going.
32:25Uwe Ahlson off the course.
32:30Uwe trying out the grass.
32:32Boy, he's had a tough time getting used to this car.
32:36Michel Bartels' car is being pushed back in.
32:39So he's had a tough weekend.
32:41Bartels had hoped for better things, I'm sure.
32:46He had finished eighth and third at Hockenheim.
32:51He finished 18th in the first race here, and now it looks like the car is out of it.
33:00Klaus Ludwig behind his young teammate, Marcel Fesler.
33:07Fesler, 24 years old, from Switzerland.
33:11Klaus Ludwig, the veteran, winning just about everything you can win in touring cars, that's
33:16for sure.
33:17And he's won Le Mans.
33:18In fact, he's won it a couple times.
33:21Right now he's behind his young teammate, Marcel Fesler, 24, from Switzerland.
33:27He came from go-karts to Formula Renault.
33:29Last year he was in German Formula 3.
33:31Uwe Ahlson, again spinning.
33:37He lets the Audis get by him.
33:39Uwe's got some problems.
33:41He had that bumping incident in the first race, and a couple of bumping incidents.
33:46Went off the course a couple of times.
33:47The car doesn't seem to be sorted out at all now.
33:51Reuter comes across.
33:53Then Winkelhock, Ellery, and Bernschneider.
34:01There are those who feel the Mercedes is meant to run stronger at the end than it is at the
34:06beginning of each race.
34:08If that's the case, Bernschneider has a good chance to make up ground.
34:11But it looks like between Hockenheim and here, the Opel team has done their homework.
34:18The cars are running very, very strong.
34:26Lamy and Klaus Ludwig are battling.
34:28Lamy in that white Mercedes right there.
34:30Ludwig in the black Mercedes with the red mirrors.
34:37Pedro Lamy, coming from Portugal.
34:40Lives in Lisbon.
34:43Keke Rosberg's team prepares the car.
34:46He was a GT2 champion in 1998, and he's been at Le Mans.
34:52Now he's in touring cars here in Germany.
34:58Manuel Reuter continues to set the pace.
35:02And Jochen Winkelhock seems to be able to settle right in there in second.
35:05He's not been able to make up much ground on Reuter.
35:08Eric Ellery third, and once again being challenged by Bernschneider.
35:13The top quartet has stayed together from the opening moments of the race.
35:18Ellery got a good jump.
35:20Got ahead of Schneider, who had beaten him in the first race.
35:24So now Schneider's going to have to make that pass again.
35:29You're right now with Marcel Fesler as he works his way through the field.
35:35And it looks like Ellery may have some problems.
35:40Eric Ellery's car has slowed down.
35:44Cars are passing him quite easily.
35:46Something's wrong with the Ellery Opel.
35:55He spun. That's Eric Ellery and his Opel right there.
35:58He spun on his own.
36:00And Bernschneider had to go through the dust and hope that he didn't hit him.
36:06He went out on his own. Something wrong with the car and he's been dropping back ever since.
36:12So Bernschneider moves up into third place.
36:18There is Ellery way back in the pack ahead of the Pearson Mercedes.
36:22That is Dumbreck ahead of Thiemann.
36:25And that is Pedro Lamy who has dropped way back.
36:32Lamy behind the two Pearson Mercedes.
36:37Here comes Klaus Ludwig and there is Marcel Fesler.
36:42He continues to pull forward here.
36:45Fesler finished second twice at Hockenheim.
36:49He finished ninth.
36:51He finished second twice at Hockenheim.
36:54He finished ninth in the first race and a car has gone off.
36:57It's Bernschneider.
36:58Bernschneider has gone off the course into the tires.
37:05Bernschneider who was the point leader,
37:08who had fought his way up into third place finish in the first race,
37:12was running third and it looks like his day is over.
37:18What happened?
37:20He's on his own.
37:21See him up there in the center of your screen?
37:23On his own.
37:24He went off on his own through the tires.
37:28So something happened with the car.
37:33And he went off with some speed.
37:37But the course here in Ostersleben is a very safe built course.
37:41One of the most modern courses in Germany.
37:43One of the newer ones actually.
37:44It was constructed and started in 1996.
37:46It opened in 97.
37:49It's praised for everyone as far as the safety angle is concerned
37:52and for the fans who can see a lot.
37:54But right now all they're seeing is that Bernschneider
37:59has got some problems.
38:01Well he'd like to get back in and get it started.
38:03The question is going to be Kenny or not.
38:05Who knows?
38:06Stefan Amodna's car is in the pits.
38:09Something's wrong with his car.
38:13And there comes one of the remaining Audis.
38:20These guys have worked very hard this season.
38:22They got the cars finished late before the start of the season.
38:26And they've had to battle ever since.
38:29That was Roland Asch in number twenty-three.
38:32Ahead of him is Chris Nissen.
38:35Chris Nissen.
38:40Nissen has been with the Audi app team for quite some time.
38:43Schneider's got it running again.
38:45Schneider's got his car running again.
38:47He's bringing it back out.
38:48We'll try to get it into the pits to see if he can get back out.
38:52It's very important if he can pick up some points here.
38:55There's twenty points for a win.
38:57And if Reuter wins here and Schneider finishes out of the points
39:01then Reuter ties him for the points lead.
39:06There are only fourteen cars I believe running at this point.
39:10So the points go all the way down to tenth position.
39:13If Schneider can get in and get some breaks somewhere
39:16he might be able to pick up at least one point.
39:19But that's just something for speculation.
39:22There are the two Pearson Mercedes.
39:26Running behind Eric Allory.
39:27Here comes Baron Schneider.
39:29Missing one rear view mirror.
39:31They're going to have to do some clean up work on that car to get it out.
39:39The AMG HWA prepared car comes in.
39:44They're going to have to change the hood
39:46and see what else they can get him out in time
39:48so he doesn't lose too many laps.
39:50Klaus Ludwig leading this pack right here.
39:53Hans-Werner Alfresch down the left.
39:55The head of the AMG operation.
39:57His top driver went off the course
40:00either on his own through a mistake or something broke on the car.
40:06Meanwhile back in the pack the two Pearson Mercedes have gotten by
40:10Eric Allory.
40:14Thiemann is trailing behind Peter Dombrek.
40:18Still working on Baron Schneider's car in the AMG pit.
40:22They are going to get him out.
40:24The question is how far back
40:26is he going to be?
40:28He's back at least two laps.
40:34He's in the car.
40:35They should be able to get him out momentarily.
40:38Reuter continues to roll with Joachim Winkelhock
40:40running in second place
40:42with absolutely no problems so far.
40:48Marcel Fesler is running right now
40:51in the third position
40:53and out comes Baron Schneider.
40:56He is now three laps down.
40:59Baron Schneider three laps down
41:01in the second race of the day
41:03in the German Touring Car Masters
41:05here in Ossersleben.
41:11There he is but he's got a long way to catch up.
41:14All he can really hope for here is that
41:16some of the cars that are running ahead of him
41:18have mechanical problems and fall out
41:20and he can inherit at least tenth place
41:22which is worth one point.
41:27Every point counts in a season like this.
41:29Nine race weekends but there are two races per weekend
41:32and so you try to pick them up as early as you can
41:34as many as you can.
41:36And Manuel Reuter right now is one of those
41:38who'd love to pick up twenty
41:39and he's way out in front.
41:41But you can see that
41:43Baron Schneider now is running behind
41:45Joachim Winkelhock
41:47three laps down.
41:50And he really is going to have his work cut out for him.
41:54And a car going off the course.
41:57It looks like Uwe Ahlson.
41:59It is.
42:02Boy, Uwe Ahlson has certainly tried
42:04every line in the world in this course.
42:08Sooner or later he and that Opel
42:10will become friends but right now
42:12they're battling each other.
42:16Klaus Ludwig then comes in
42:18Klaus Ludwig then comes Peter Dumbrek
42:20and then comes Marcel Thiemann
42:22and Thiemann wants to get by his teammate
42:24but Dumbrek says nothing to it.
42:26Thiemann's got his headlights on.
42:27Hey, I'm here. I'm running quick.
42:29Let me by.
42:30And Dumbrek's going I gotta go after
42:32Klaus Ludwig.
42:35Peter Dumbrek
42:37known last year because he was in that Mercedes
42:39that Le Mans that went up in the air
42:41and flipped over end for end.
42:44Uwe Ahlson
42:46working his way forward.
42:50Down the front straightaway.
42:54He has passed
42:56Eric Ellery.
43:00But he is way down in the pack.
43:03He has had to battle all the way along
43:05throughout this weekend with this car.
43:09He did not finish the first race
43:11He's running in the top ten here.
43:15Here comes Winkelhock
43:17moving up on
43:19getting by one of the Audis
43:21who just pulled over and out of the way.
43:23The Audis just have got a long way to go.
43:26They're built by the App Sportsline team
43:28a very competent team
43:32but they're not quite the same factory support
43:34that Opel and Mercedes have.
43:36And so they're certainly far behind
43:38in terms of performance
43:40and so they're certainly fighting against windmills here.
43:42It's a difficult battle
43:44an uphill one and what's a little bit
43:46a shame is that they haven't
43:48picked up much time from where they were
43:50at Hockenheim. On the other hand
43:52the two top drivers Laurent Ayala
43:54and Christian Abt are not here
43:56in Ostersleben, they're at Le Mans.
44:00Marcel Fassler continues
44:02to roll. This young driver has certainly
44:04shown he belongs in touring cars.
44:11Ninth place in the first race
44:13but right now he's running third.
44:15Doing an excellent job.
44:23He brought everybody's attention
44:25when he qualified fourth at Hockenheim
44:27and had two second place finishes.
44:29An amazing start for a rookie.
44:31He's got to make up almost five seconds
44:33though if he wants to catch up
44:35with Jochen Winkelhock.
44:38So far this season
44:40the pole sitter has won
44:42each race.
44:44In fact the pole sitter so far
44:46in the first three have swept from start to finish.
44:52Timo Scheider who is running
44:54back in the pack a little bit here
44:56had two fourth place finishes at Hockenheim
44:58but he is another rookie that is up in the
45:00top group.
45:02Opel can certainly smile
45:04winning here and showing so strong.
45:06They had two third place finishes at Hockenheim
45:08but they certainly have turned
45:10things around.
45:13Now when you think that Manuel
45:15Reuter had run so well
45:17and had run up into third in the
45:19second race at Hockenheim but then
45:21was penalized because of a rough bumping
45:23incident and dropped
45:25back all the way to 13th. He would have been
45:27in the points race if not leading the points race
45:29at this time.
45:32Long season to go yet though.
45:36They'll be coming back here to Oschersleben
45:38later this season in fact.
45:40The next stop on the tour though
45:42will be the Norrisring, a street course in the city
45:44of Nuremberg.
45:46Thousands of people will be there.
45:48It's an amazing crowd.
45:5052,000 have come
45:52here to Oschersleben.
45:54A great crowd for this series that is
45:56a rebirth of a series
45:58of several years ago which was the German Touring Car
46:00Championship. It became the International Touring Car
46:02Championship and then it folded for a couple of
46:04years. But now it's back as the
46:06German Touring Car Masters. There's
46:08talk that a couple of other manufacturers will
46:10be coming into the series
46:12or want to come into the series next year.
46:14Peugeot has been mentioned.
46:16BMW has been mentioned.
46:20Volvo, another
46:22possibility.
46:24A car was prepared for them this year on an
46:26independent basis but not entered.
46:30Once again,
46:32Grinter Holzer, the man that
46:34prepares the Opels.
46:36He must feel really
46:38good today.
46:40Real turnaround from what happened at Hockenheim.
46:44Ben Schneider continues to pull along
46:46here as
46:50Marcel Fassler
46:52works his way on trying to catch up
46:54with Joachim Winkelhock.
46:56And he has cut the gap a little bit.
46:58He's cut it by about a second.
47:00On the other hand, Winkelhock
47:02has good control
47:04of the race. He's a veteran.
47:06He knows when it's time to push and when
47:08to conserve. He could be conserving
47:10the car.
47:16Right now, though, it's
47:18Marcel Fassler who's making the chase.
47:20He's the one that's on the charge.
47:22Behind him is Ben Schneider
47:24but he still is three laps down after
47:26that crash going off
47:28the course.
47:30He has not made it into the top ten.
47:34And unless something drastic happens, it doesn't
47:36look like he may. He's running twelfth right now.
47:40So he could finish out of the points.
47:42If he does finish out of the points and
47:44Reuter goes on to win in this final lap,
47:46Reuter and he will be tied
47:48for the Drivers' Championship
47:50after four races in this
47:52very young season.
47:55There's Winkelhock.
47:57Jocken
47:59running second.
48:01He had a tenth and a sixth place
48:03at Hockenheim. Certainly has improved
48:05in this one. It was his first
48:07race in the Opel
48:09at Hockenheim.
48:11Qualified ninth and was tenth and sixth.
48:15Grinder Holzer.
48:18Pressing his thumbs. The German tradition
48:20for good luck.
48:23And here's the one he's hoping for good luck.
48:25He's only got two more corners
48:27to go. Manuel Reuter.
48:30The Opel driver.
48:33Has led from start
48:35to finish and has
48:37just got a few more yards to go.
48:39Manuel Reuter comes across.
48:41Winner of the second race
48:43of the day. The German Touring Car Masters
48:45here in Oschersleben.
48:47Opel is back.
48:49They swept one and two
48:51again.
48:53And Marcel Fassler has come in third.
48:55What a great drive for him.
48:57A ninth and a third place finish.
48:59He can be real happy.
49:01The top Mercedes
49:03in the field today.
49:05That will keep him
49:07in the points race. That's for sure.
49:11And there's Volker Stritzek.
49:13Another very happy man.
49:15He runs Opel Racing.
49:17And right now the man that
49:19has done the running is right there.
49:21Manuel Reuter.
49:23Reuter wins the second
49:25race of the day. Takes his helmet
49:27off.
49:29And now he can relax. It's been
49:31very, very hot here in Oschersleben.
49:35But now it's time to receive
49:37the congratulations.
49:41And looking at the
49:43team championship for the
49:45various teams in this series. The Opel
49:47Racing Phoenix. That's this team right here.
49:49Belongs to
49:51Manuel Reuter.
49:53Is now in second place behind the
49:55AMG Mercedes
49:57D2 team.
49:59And they're only five points back.
50:01So there it is.
50:03Manuel Reuter, Jochen Winkelhock,
50:05Marcel Fassler, then Jäger, Dumbreck.
50:07Great finish for him. Tiemann,
50:09Scheider and Pedro Lamy
50:11came in eighth position.
50:13Those are your top eight here at
50:15Oschersleben.
50:17Dumbreck,
50:19who was also new to this series,
50:21finished 11th in the
50:23first race. Fifth place in the second
50:25one. Good improvement.
50:27And Olsen, who has fought that car all
50:29weekend long, comes in
50:31ninth position. Ellery
50:33pulls on for 10th, and then
50:35Bernd Schneider finishes 12th.
50:37Darren Turner, who went out earlier,
50:39did not finish in the race.
50:41So it's time to celebrate here.
50:43The top drivers
50:45in both races today
50:47get a chance to celebrate
50:49among themselves and
50:51certainly with all the fans.
50:53And for the
50:55Opel team, it certainly is a plenty of reason
50:57to celebrate after their big comeback.
50:59And there's your points race. You can see
51:01Schneider and Reuter are tied.
51:03Then comes Fassler in third
51:05with Winkelhock moving up into fourth
51:07position. So it's a great start
51:09for Opel. The series is as
51:11tight as ever, but the man of the
51:13hour is certainly Manuel Reuter,
51:15a man that came back after a disappointing
51:17start in Hockenheim. He
51:19has now brought the Opel team back
51:21into contention, winning two races today
51:23here in Ostersleben, the second
51:25race weekend of the series.
51:27I think it's really emotional
51:29because nobody was
51:31expecting after Hockenheim that we
51:33will be able here to
51:35fight against Mercedes
51:37or maybe to win.
51:39I'm really, really
51:41proud that I took your fourth position.
51:43Fourth win.
51:45And that does it for the racing
51:47in Ostersleben. I'm Milt Fitzwater.
51:49Hope you'll join us again for the next event
51:51at the Norisring in the German Touring Car
51:53Masters.
52:07you
52:09you