DTM 2000 - Nürburgring II - Highlights
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00:00We take you back to the future.
00:06This is the German Touring Car Masters 2000.
00:10Hello everyone, welcome to the Nürburgring in the Eifel Mountains of Germany for the
00:16seventh race weekend in the German Touring Car Masters.
00:20The driver's championship could be decided today on a foggy, cold day in the Eifel Mountains.
00:27Before we get to the racing, let's take a look at one of the top German drivers in the
00:31series.
00:39He's known as one of the toughest drivers in the series.
00:41The words give up aren't in his vocabulary.
00:45He has total control of his car.
00:46His talent is unquestioned.
00:48Uwe Alsen has everything needed to become a champion, but this has been a tough season.
00:55He did not finish his technical problems, and he's had a hard time becoming one with
00:59the car.
01:00It's made it a long season so far.
01:16Uwe Alsen is professional enough to know that disappointments belong in his profession as
01:21much to the wins and successes, and he's had plenty of both.
01:31He's driven a Porsche in the Carrera Cup, the Super Cup, and the GT Cup.
01:46He was the best independent driver in the German Touring Car Championship.
01:57He just missed a win at Le Mans.
02:02In 1996, he had eight wins for Opel and was on the podium 25 times.
02:06He lost the Super Touring Car Championship last year after a boardroom decision took
02:10it away from him after the season was over.
02:34He doesn't have a chance for the title this year, but he hasn't given up.
02:38As he proved in Ostersleben, he still knows how to win.
02:41He kept points leader Bernd Schneider behind him all the way to take the first race in
02:45Ostersleben.
02:46Who knows, maybe he'll be able to celebrate again here at the Nürburgring.
03:08This is the Grand Prix circuit at the Nürburgring, 2.83 miles long.
03:17They'll run 22 laps per race, that covers about 62 miles.
03:2120 cars are rendered, a good crowd on hand considering it's very cold and there is a
03:26heavy fog.
03:29Parts of the track are in fog, other parts of it seem to be clear.
03:32Whether the fog will clear up, that is the major question.
03:37The cars heading out on the warm-up lap.
03:41It's really come down to a battle between three men, one of whom is up front.
03:46Winkelhock is on the pole, but he isn't in the championship, but Manuel Reuter is.
03:52He's second in the points.
03:53Schneider, Bernd Schneider is the man leading the points, he needs 22 points today to take
03:58the championship.
03:59Uwe Ahlsen is next to him, then two rookies in Marcel Thiemann and Marcel Fesler.
04:04Fesler has had a great season so far this year.
04:08Christian Menzel and Michel Bartels, two Opel drivers who hope to get up front to maybe
04:13be able to help Reuter.
04:14We'll talk about the team, but look at this, the Audi of Laurent Aiello, the best position
04:20they've had this season.
04:22And Aiello is the man that's brought the car forward.
04:23Eric Ellery and Pedro Lamy, and the field heads back to complete it up with Peter Dumbrecq,
04:28and then come the rest of the apt Audis.
04:32Between them, Modena and Schneider, Schneider, the 21-year-old sensation, having a great
04:37season.
04:38Klaus Ludwig, the veteran who was in the points race, had a bad qualifying start in 17th position.
04:43Chris Nissen is next to him, then comes Jason Thompson and Darren Turner.
04:48We'll talk more about the Turner start in just one moment.
04:52It's a brave crowd as the cars head toward the start-finish line, and it's Winkelhock
04:57on the left, Reuter on the right, and Winkelhock gets a great jump to start the race here at
05:02the Nürburgring.
05:03Two races make up a race weekend, the German touring car masters heading into the right-hander.
05:07The cars sorting themselves out well, Winkelhock gets the lead, then comes Manuel Reuter, followed
05:12by Uwe Janssen, and then Bernd Schneider.
05:17And this is the battle right here.
05:19The second-place car, Manuel Reuter, has to stay in front of Bernd Schneider if he wants
05:24a chance at the title.
05:25In fact, Reuter really needs to win both races here and keep Schneider far enough behind
05:32him to be able to put up the points.
05:34Jochen Winkelhock, who is out in the lead in another Opel, certainly will hold the lead,
05:39but it's not his position to win here.
05:41There will probably be team order, which means that the Opel crew will want their top points
05:46getter up front, and that's Manuel Reuter.
05:49Now, whether Bernd Schneider is going to get any kind of protection himself is another
05:53question.
05:54Laurent Aiello, Aiello continues to put pressure on, he wants to move up.
05:59What a great start for the Frenchman.
06:01He's had a tough season, as Audi has tried to put together this car that's a little bit
06:06too small, and not able to be competitive, and now all of a sudden, Laurent Aiello has
06:12put the Audis up in the top ten, best qualifying so far.
06:19They were already happy before the start of the race, now what they've got to do is to
06:22see if they can get a little bit further along, and here comes Aiello, he's going to
06:26get by Marcel Thiemann, heading into the very tight chicane at the end of the first lap.
06:32So the Audi has moved up a position, and all the Audi fans who have been very faithful
06:36to the crew certainly have to be happy right now.
06:41This is the battle back in the pack, but up front, this is the key.
06:45Jochen Winkelhock is your leader.
06:47He has won victory to his credit this season, but he's down in the points race.
06:51In fact, he's in fifth place.
06:52He is basically out of the championship.
06:57Behind him is another Opel driver, Manuel Reuter.
07:00Reuter is tied with Klaus Ludwig in second place in the points race.
07:07The trick for the Opels is to get Reuter as far to the front as they can, and keep Schneider
07:12as far back as they can, and right now, Uwe Ahlson running third in that black and red
07:17Opel gives there a little bit of room to Manuel Reuter, but the question is, how well
07:25will Schneider be able to handle the pressure?
07:27And Menzel was bumped just a little bit.
07:30Christian Menzel was bumped, and part of the car is having a problem.
07:33You can see smoke coming off the tire.
07:38Thomas Jaeger is the driver that bumped him, it looks like.
07:45And Eric Ellery pulls by, and Menzel in the Opel, the Ermscher car, really slowing down.
07:51The tire obviously causing him problems.
07:53He's going to have to go to the pits.
07:57The fog has not let up whatsoever.
08:01The lower in the track they go, the more fog.
08:03The higher up they go, the less fog, at least at this point.
08:07And Marcel Timon has lost the front part of his car.
08:12Marcel Timon driving without a hood here.
08:15Menkelhoff brings him across, out in front.
08:18Bernd Schneider is putting pressure on Uwe Ahlson.
08:23Basically it's Ahlson's job to do his best to keep Schneider behind him.
08:28Schneider needs 22 points in both races to insure himself of the title.
08:34A victory in the first race just about does it.
08:37In fact, will do it.
08:38Here comes Christian Menzel, the young Opel driver.
08:43Works right here at the Nürburgring in a safety testing area when he's not racing.
08:48Going to work on the car.
08:50You can see the fog rolling in.
08:52Very good look at Marcel Timon's new aerodynamics.
08:57No hood, that makes it tough.
08:58But you get a great view of the motor, don't you?
09:03Timon's had an up and down season so far this year.
09:06Probably not what he had expected.
09:08Jochen Winkelhoff, who's out in front, is also not having quite the year he would have liked to have had.
09:13But you never know.
09:15He did win at the Norris Ring, then lost it on a pit stop in the second race.
09:21But he has stayed in the competition.
09:23He's had a couple of did-not-finish weekends, which were the ones that hurt him badly.
09:28At the Sachsenring, he didn't finish the first race.
09:30That pretty much took him out of the championship.
09:33And then that was sealed in Ostersleben in the big crash at the beginning.
09:38And this is Modena.
09:40Stefano Modena's Opel is off the course.
09:43Modena's had a difficult time with the Euro team.
09:47And who was responsible, don't know, except that Modena knows he's off the course.
09:53He's had a difficult year.
09:58And this one's going to be even worse than the way that back right tire looks.
10:03We're going to have to try to tow him back and get him repaired for the second race.
10:07Winkelhoff, Reuter, Olsen, Schneider.
10:11That's the group that counts right now, the top four.
10:15You can see the fog not abating at all.
10:19The Eifel Mountains, known for their unforgiving weather.
10:23It can rain one moment, the sun can shine.
10:27Even back in May, not this year, but in previous years, it's even snowed.
10:33But right now it's the fog and the cold weather.
10:35The track is a little damp.
10:37It is not wet.
10:41Winkelhoff, a master of touring cars, as is Reuter.
10:45Uwe Olsen, another of the tour car superstars.
10:50But he's also one that's very, very hard to pass.
10:53He is also not afraid to keep you behind him.
10:58He also is not afraid to let you know he wants to get by.
11:04And everyone knows that.
11:05So it'll be interesting to see if he can keep Schneider behind him
11:08and if Schneider can find a way to get by him.
11:10Although, if Schneider were to finish fourth twice,
11:12he'd still be able to pick up the needed points that he wants to take the championship
11:17if Reuter stays behind Winkelhoff.
11:22Meanwhile, Jochen Winkelhoff just continues to put the laps behind him.
11:27Reuter running second.
11:29The real question is going to be not so much at this point in the race,
11:32although Schneider gives Uwe Olsen a look to let him know he's there.
11:37But the Mercedes in all the races so far has started off relatively slow
11:42in comparison to the Opels, which do have more power on the straightaway.
11:45But then toward the end of each race, the Mercedes seems to get stronger
11:49or the Opels get weaker.
11:51Schneider is known for being able to handle his tires.
11:54Now, all the tires are the same on these cars.
11:57Everyone uses the same tire.
11:59And it seems Schneider has the best grasp of how to use those tires.
12:04And right now he seems to be biding his time.
12:06He's a very patient driver, very tactical driver, and a very fast one.
12:14But he has three Opels ahead of him.
12:18And no help, really, behind him.
12:20He's on his own.
12:22Here you can see some of the rough parts of the track
12:24as the Mercedes bounces its way through the corner.
12:33Schneider is starting to put a little bit more pressure on Uwe Olsen.
12:37He stayed right with him all the way.
12:41Has Schneider's car started to pick up again,
12:43as Mercedes has been able to do throughout the season?
12:47Or is he still just biding his time, waiting to see what he gets?
12:51You get 20 points for a win, 15 points for second place,
12:5412 points for third place, and 10 points for fourth place.
13:00So if you do a little bit of math, you can see if they finish this way,
13:04then Schneider's almost there to the title.
13:08But we've got a long way to go here in the first race of the day
13:11The German touring car masters at the Grand Prix course at the Nürburgring in Germany.
13:17The Eifel Mountains, playing their part in the championship with this heavy fog,
13:21and it just continues to roll in.
13:23There's Michel Bartels.
13:25And right behind Bartels is Laurent Aiello.
13:29Aiello is not letting up.
13:32This man was a champion in the super touring cars.
13:36A Frenchman, a very friendly man, but also a very tough competitor.
13:40He's had a hard season as the Audi crew have tried to develop the car to make it competitive,
13:45and now Aiello is right up in the top ten.
13:50What a great day for the AP Sportsline Audi team.
13:57And Reuter is by Winkelhock.
14:01Manuel Reuter has passed Jochen Winkelhock.
14:05So this was most likely a team situation,
14:08because they know that Reuter has to get out in front and has to win.
14:13So if Reuter can pick up the 20 points for a win, he can still hold off Bernd Schneider.
14:19It was a case where Winkelhock simply pulled over, let Reuter by,
14:24and now Manuel Reuter has got to try to put as much distance between himself and Bernd Schneider as he possibly can.
14:30And he has to hope that Winkelhock and Olsen, who are right behind him,
14:35can hold off Bernd Schneider and keep him back in fourth position.
14:40If they finish this way, then Schneider in two races, they have one more race to go,
14:44then it'll come down to the last race weekend of the season at Hockenheim.
14:50But that's still down the road a ways.
14:57So there are your top four. They're the most important right now.
15:02But it looks like Marcel Fessler is running back in fifth position.
15:08The young Swiss driver has had a wonderful season.
15:10It's one of those seasons that other drivers can only dream about in their first year of touring cars,
15:14particularly when you've got so many veterans in the field, as you see in this quartet right here.
15:20And for Fessler to be that strong is really quite an accomplishment.
15:24In fact, he let everybody know he was going to be there when he finished second twice
15:27in the first race weekend of the season at Hockenheim.
15:29And there in the black Mercedes with the red mirrors is Klaus Ludwig.
15:33He turned 51 this week.
15:36And he was tied for second in the points race, but he qualified only 17th.
15:40Disappointed himself terribly, he and his son Luca simply disappeared after qualifying,
15:44went up to his hunting lodge, which is up here in the mountains of the Eifel, and got away.
15:50And so far, he really has not moved up that far.
15:53And he has to get points if he wants to stay in the championship.
15:55But right now, the championship is coming down to two men if Klaus Ludwig can't move up.
16:00But you get a look at him right there.
16:02He's the most successful driver in German touring car history.
16:08He's been a touring car champion, a German touring car championship.
16:11He's done just about everything.
16:13And Baron Schneider now is pulling up and getting by Uwe Ahlsen.
16:16Schneider on the left of your screen.
16:18You cannot see Ahlsen. You only see him a little bit there.
16:20Now, is Ahlsen going to let him by? He does.
16:23Baron Schneider has moved into third place.
16:28So now he's in the 12-point range.
16:31Meanwhile, Reuter continues to lead.
16:34Manfred Jochenwinkelhoff, excuse me, is running in second place.
16:38And then comes Baron Schneider.
16:46The question's going to be, how far can Schneider come now?
16:49As we've said, all through the season, toward the end and the middle, toward the end of each race,
16:54the Mercedes seems to get stronger, the Opel seems to back off,
16:57because it's a case of Schneider knowing how to use his tires.
17:00The Dunlops are all the same for everybody, but Schneider seems to get the best use out of them.
17:07But he's got two veterans ahead of him.
17:10They do the best of the race in Europe as far as touring cars are concerned.
17:17And Manuel Reuter at 38 has won just about everything you can win in hard tops.
17:22Schneider, too.
17:24And Winkelhoff has won his share. And Winkelhoff loses a little bit.
17:28Can Schneider take advantage?
17:31Reuter continues to pull away.
17:34Winkelhoff certainly was slowed down by this one.
17:37Schneider wanted to come in underneath and couldn't do it as they come out of the fog.
17:41They come up a hill into a left-hander.
17:44Schneider won't be able to pass until they get through this segment.
17:49Then they head out onto the fastest part of the course.
17:54And when they do that, then it's a question of, can he get a slipstream and get by?
17:59Volker Stritzik, the Opel team chief.
18:01Here comes Schneider. Not quite. Not quite.
18:06They go through the bend in the long straightaway.
18:08Now if he wants to slipstream, he may be able to do it going to the inside.
18:12Into the chicane. Not enough room.
18:15Winkelhoff will lead through the chicane.
18:19You get the feeling, you know he wants to get by him.
18:21And that right now his car is probably running a little better than Winkelhoff's.
18:27Uwe Ahlson running in fourth place.
18:30Marcel Fesler in the Mercedes running in fifth position.
18:33Fesler the first of the young rookies who have made such a name for themselves.
18:37Here comes Bernd Schneider.
18:39And he gets by Winkelhoff.
18:44And here comes Uwe Ahlson.
18:46Ahlson wants to get by Winkelhoff.
18:50And he does. They'll head back down the hill.
18:53And Marcel Fesler in a Mercedes has moved up behind Winkelhoff.
18:59Now comes the battle.
19:02Or will it be?
19:03Will Schneider be happy to sit back in this first race, pick up the 15 points,
19:10and then know he only has to repeat it in the second race and the championship is his?
19:14Actually he doesn't even have to do that if he stayed in second place.
19:17Remember he has to have 22 points total.
19:19If he finishes in second place, he gets 15.
19:23Need just 7 in the second race if he stays there.
19:26Clean pass by Schneider.
19:29Winkelhoff moved over and didn't try to bump or anything to stop him from getting by.
19:35So now the two men going for the championship and Schneider wanted to get inside and couldn't do it.
19:41And the fog continues to roll in.
19:44Schneider right up on the back bumper of Manuel Reuter.
19:51Two of the veterans in the series. Reuter 38, Schneider 36.
19:57Both very successful in touring cars.
20:01Who is going to be able to outsmart whom?
20:04Reuter certainly knows how to make that opal as wide as he possibly can on the track
20:09so that Schneider has the most difficult time possible to try to get by him.
20:14Coming out of the fog, which is getting worse.
20:18Heading toward the right-left combination after the front straightaway.
20:25Reuter gets an advantage.
20:27The opals are a little faster than the Mercedes on the straightaways.
20:35We're in the next to last race weekend.
20:37It's the first race of two here at the Nürburgring today.
20:41And right now the fans that have come are watching a possible championship being decided in the very first race.
20:48If Schneider passes him, he's got the title.
20:52If he stays behind him, he'll have to finish in the top four or five actually in the second race to take the title.
21:03Schneider will keep the pressure on Manuel Reuter as much as he can.
21:08And Winkelhock has fallen back into fifth position.
21:11Fesler has gotten by him.
21:15The young Swiss driver, 24 years old, certainly has made a name for himself already in this first of the German Touring Car Masters seasons.
21:23He's mixed it with the veterans and he stays right up there.
21:26Meanwhile, up in front, more veterans continue to battle.
21:29It's Reuter out in front in the yellow and white opal,
21:33followed by the grey Mercedes of Bernd Schneider and right behind them, Uwe Ahlsen.
21:38Now, Schneider probably has a little bit of a quicker car in the corners.
21:42And Reuter may be a little quicker on the straight,
21:46but it actually is probably slowing down Schneider just a little bit because he uses his tires better.
21:51This means that Uwe Ahlsen, who is not quite as fast as they are, has been able to close up because the other two are a little bit slower.
21:58There you see the black Marcel Fesler car followed by Jochen Winkelhock.
22:04But all attention right now is on these top two.
22:07Bernd Schneider has been on the bumper of Manuel Reuter for the past several laps.
22:13Good look going through the tight chicane.
22:20Actually, there are two chicanes here, one for the Grand Prix cars and one for everybody else.
22:24Grand Prix car chicane is very tight.
22:27This one here is not quite as tight and they can use the curbs.
22:34Lower part of the course, they head uphill.
22:36The fog continues to roll in.
22:40And Reuter has lost the lights on the front of his car.
22:43He must have an electrical problem somewhere.
22:47You really have to hope that it's not a major problem that will slow him down at all.
22:51It's a great race between these two as the Mercedes staff watches intently here
22:56to see if Bernd Schneider is going to be able to come in at least in second place
23:00or maybe take the title by passing Reuter.
23:03Right now, he's stayed right on the bumper of Reuter.
23:06He has not made a big move to get by him.
23:10In fact, he's given him a little bit of room here.
23:12Uwe Ahlsen, meanwhile, pulls up on the back bumper of Bernd Schneider.
23:18So Schneider has an Opel behind him and an Opel in front of him.
23:21But the most important one, of course, is in front of him.
23:27Ahlsen doesn't seem to be able to get up there in order to be able to pass Schneider.
23:31Schneider does not have enough room to slipstream out and go into the corner past Reuter.
23:37So once again, the Opel Speed down the straight has held off the Mercedes of Bernd Schneider.
23:42And Manuel Reuter continues to lead.
23:46Bartels sixth, Jaeger another of the rookies.
23:49Running seventh, Pedro Lamy, then Aiello.
23:51Look at that. He's in ninth position. He's in the points.
23:54It'd be the best finish for an Audi if he can hold that position.
24:01The top four remain tight.
24:05And Eric Ellery loses control. Nobody was near him.
24:08And Ellery goes off the course in his Opel.
24:15The Frenchman having his share of bad luck this season.
24:19And Schneider definitely is backed off a little bit.
24:23He's not running up right on the bumper of Reuter.
24:25He's keeping some of the pressure on, but right now he may be content to say,
24:28OK, I'll take the 15 points for second place.
24:34And then he just has to finish in the top five to take the title in the second race.
24:40And the fog gets thicker.
24:46The electrical problem, whatever it may be, that took Manuel Reuter's lights out
24:50evidently is not affecting the car in any other way.
24:55One of the most scenic points for photographers right there in the chicane.
25:01Jochen Winkelhoff, the man that had the pole and led the first nine laps,
25:04running in fifth position right now.
25:15We're now down to the last moments of this first race.
25:19Bernd Schneider seems to be content with holding on to second place.
25:24Uwe Ahlsund does not have enough to pull up and take it away from him.
25:28And as they come out of the fog, no changes in the top five.
25:35Incidentally, Ludwig is running way back in 12th position.
25:38So Klaas Ludwig, who was tied with Reuter coming into this race for second place
25:42in the points and had a chance for the title, is now out of the title chase
25:47if he stays in 12th position.
25:51If it stays as it is now, it comes down to Manuel Reuter
25:55and Bernd Schneider.
25:59And Schneider definitely has backed off.
26:04Bernd Schneider has backed off, is settling in for second place.
26:09Reuter will now pick up his third victory of the season.
26:14He won the two races in Ostersleben way back at the beginning of the year.
26:22He did very well at Hockenheim, but his bad luck hit the second race
26:25at Hockenheim when he was penalized because of some rough driving.
26:29And he did not finish in the points in that race.
26:33And then he had two non-points races also at the Saxon Ring.
26:36And those were the ones that put him pretty much behind Bernd Schneider.
26:46And Manuel Reuter has won the first race.
26:49Bernd Schneider is second.
26:51So now the championship comes down to the second race of the day
26:55here in the German Touring Car Masters.
26:57So now the championship comes down to the second race of the day
27:00here in the German Touring Car Masters
27:02at the Nürburgring Grand Prix course in the Eifel Mountains.
27:07You have to really feel for these fans.
27:09These are the true fans.
27:12It's cold.
27:15And foggy.
27:17As the drivers go around to wave to the fans,
27:21the Opel crew, very happy.
27:24And there you have it.
27:26Thomas Jaeger, the rookie, coming in 7th.
27:28Fesler, the best rookie in 4th.
27:31Pedro Lamy from Portugal running in 8th.
27:34And Laurent Aiello gives Audi its best finish this season so far,
27:39coming in in 9th position.
27:44There is Modena's car.
27:45They finally have brought it in.
27:46They'll get to work on it between races.
27:48But it doesn't look like they may get that one ready
27:50in order to have it come out again.
27:52The crews have just so much time, about 10 minutes,
27:56to get the car ready for the second race, if they can.
28:00If a car is not ready, but they can get it ready
28:03before the cars are on the pace app, it'll start from pit lane.
28:07But right now, the Opel of Stefano Modena
28:10does not look like it's in good condition.
28:12These folks are holding in there as we get ready
28:16for the second race of the day
28:18in the German Touring Car Masters
28:20here at the Grand Prix course at the Nürburgring.
28:23And the fog has gotten worse.
28:28The fans will do anything to make it interesting.
28:31Reuter on the pole, Schneider on the outside pole.
28:34Reuter has to beat him to stay in the championship till it all.
28:39Uwe Ahlsen in Opel, then comes Marcel Fesler in the Mercedes.
28:43Winkelhock and Michel Bartels.
28:46Two Opels in the next row.
28:49Thomas Jaeger and Pedro Lamy, two young drivers,
28:52making a name for themselves,
28:54already hoping they can come up with these rides again next season.
28:57Laurent Aiello, the best finish for an Audi, coming in 9th.
29:00He has to be a happy man.
29:02Peter Dunbrecht next to him.
29:04Then comes Timo Schneider and Klaus Ludwig, a disappointing 12th,
29:07took himself out of the championship till.
29:09Darren Turner in the back.
29:11Turner, incidentally, has made a note
29:13because he became the first driver to be set back at the end of a field
29:16because of a motor being dropped.
29:19As we're underway in the second race,
29:23wait till they come out of the fog, and I'll tell you who's out in front.
29:26Here they come, and it's Manuel Reuter with Schneider next to him.
29:31Uwe Ahlsen's making things difficult here as they head through.
29:37And Timo Schneider, Timo Scheider has spun.
29:41The 21-year-old rookie has spun
29:44as the cars sort themselves out here in the heavy fog
29:47at the Grand Prix course at the Nürburgring in the Eiffel Mountains.
29:55Reuter has his electrical system back and his headlights on once again.
29:59Bernd Schneider, right on his back bumper,
30:02would like to get by and get a chance to get away,
30:04but he's still sitting in second place.
30:07As you can tell from watching that first race to this one,
30:10the fog just continues to roll here in the Eiffel Mountains.
30:13Uwe Ahlsen is running in third place, Fessler is in fourth,
30:17and look at this, Laurent Aiello got a great start
30:20and is up in fifth position. The Audi is in fifth position.
30:25What a great start for the Frenchman.
30:28Thomas Jaeger is behind him, then comes Bartels.
30:35Reuter in front of Schneider.
30:40In the points race, Schneider just needs seven points to win the title
30:45in the first year of the German Touring Car Masters.
30:49That means he has to finish in the top five
30:52in order to be able to take the title.
30:56But those who know Schneider know he goes for the win,
30:59and right now he's sitting in second place behind the man
31:01who still has a mathematical chance of the title
31:04if something should happen to Schneider here in the second race.
31:08Coming out of the fog once again.
31:12This is difficult.
31:15If you're wondering why we don't have the onboard cameras for this race,
31:20it's very simple. The helicopter that we need to be able to send the pictures
31:24back down to earth can't go up in this weather.
31:27The fog is just too bad.
31:32But you can imagine how difficult it must be coming like in a clear spot here
31:35and then heading down into the fog.
31:38Very, very difficult. Taking another look at Timo Schneider,
31:41he got bumped a little bit there by Klaus Ludwig.
31:45But under these conditions, and the track being damp,
31:50looks like a normal race accident.
31:57The leaders remain the same, and look at Leroy Ayala.
32:00He's got that Audi wound up.
32:03The last of the Audis running in the back of the pack.
32:06But it's Leroy Ayala that's carrying the Audi colors
32:09here at the Nürburgring.
32:12What a great day for him.
32:14Winkelhock got a miserable start. He's way back in the pack.
32:20Back in about ninth position.
32:23He finished fifth. Terrible start.
32:26Uwe Ahlsen trying to get inside Bernd Schneider.
32:29And everybody holds their breath.
32:33Quite frankly, Uwe Ahlsen does not worry about bending metal.
32:37He's not a dirty driver, but he also will get by you any way he can
32:41within limits.
32:45So everyone is holding their breath every time that
32:48Uwe tries to make the move on Bernd Schneider.
32:51And Schneider does not seem to be going as quick as he was before
32:55because Reuter is putting some distance between himself and Schneider.
32:59Uwe Ahlsen needs to get by Schneider to keep pushing him back.
33:03And Ahlsen knows it. But Ahlsen has a Mercedes right behind him.
33:07So the teamwork between Mercedes and Opel drivers is very evident here.
33:12Meanwhile, Leroy Ayala continues to smile.
33:16There's Schneider. He got bumped by Ludwig.
33:19But as we said, under these conditions, it looks like a normal race accident.
33:23We'll see.
33:26Wedley come out of the fog once again. Reuter, your leader.
33:30Schneider.
33:32And Eric Ellery once again off the course.
33:35A Frenchman who's just had a tough day here at the Nürburgring.
33:39Heading down toward the 180.
33:46Back in the back of the pack. Klaus Ludwig again.
33:51The winningest driver in German touring car history.
33:55Three touring car championships.
33:58There's one at Le Mans. There's one just about everything you can imagine.
34:02With the hard tops.
34:09But now there's a new generation in this group right here.
34:13Reuter at 38.
34:16Schneider, 36.
34:19Hans-Werner Alfresch, the man that puts together the cars for Mercedes.
34:24Intently watching to see what happens here.
34:28The title is on the line. You've got the top five cars.
34:32Two of them are Opels. Three of them are Mercedes.
34:36And here comes Uwe Ahlson trying to get inside.
34:38Bernd Schneider. They get in there. They bump.
34:41Schneider holds on. Ahlson gets inside.
34:45And Bernd Schneider holds on and drops back one position.
34:52Schneider now is running in fifth place.
34:57This is where he'd have to finish if he wants to take the title here.
35:03Uwe Ahlson got inside and look at Ahlson's car.
35:07Smoke coming out of the left front tire.
35:11Where he obviously bumped with Bernd Schneider.
35:17Here they go into the corner. There was room.
35:20Uwe Ahlson gets inside. Hits the curb.
35:23And then bumps into Schneider who keeps control of the car.
35:27It goes off the course but not totally into the grass.
35:30He keeps a couple of wheels on the asphalt.
35:32Holds on to at least fifth position.
35:35Meanwhile, Klaus Ludwig gets inside.
35:37A Pedro Lamy but it's Ludwig that spins and so did Lamy.
35:40What a disappointing day for the 51-year-old Klaus Ludwig.
35:46Ludwig with two victories this season but right now his championship hopes are gone.
35:52There is Marcel Fesler.
35:57Fesler is running in second position.
36:00Thomas Jaeger is third. Uwe Ahlson is fourth.
36:05And Bernd Schneider is fifth.
36:07For Opel it's almost there.
36:10Someone is going to have to hope to get by Bernd Schneider.
36:14But right now there are no Opels in contention to move him back to sixth position if they can.
36:20And you know Schneider won't give up but you can see the damage that was done to Uwe Ahlson's car.
36:27Laurent Aiello still in the top ten running in sixth position.
36:31And the smoke continues to come off Uwe Ahlson's left front tire.
36:36And Bernd Schneider is closing in on Uwe Ahlson.
36:40Schneider only needs to finish fifth.
36:43And right now I don't think the Audi is going to have enough to challenge Bernd Schneider to move him back one.
36:50They're going to be happy they're in the top ten.
36:54Manuel Reuter has some breathing room.
36:59He is way out in front of the two Mercedes that are trying to chase him down.
37:06Fesler and Jaeger, two of the rookies running second and third.
37:10Uwe Ahlson, 33 year old German driver, running in fourth position.
37:17And the champ to be, the champ who wants to be I should say, Bernd Schneider.
37:23Moving up on Uwe Ahlson.
37:26Schneider wants to get by.
37:29Everyone will hold their breath again.
37:32You don't know what's going to happen when Uwe Ahlson's involved
37:37in a situation like this where all the marbles are on the line.
37:42Jochen Winkelhock.
37:45Running back in the pack after taking the pole position, leading the first part of the first race
37:50and then gave way to Manuel Reuter so Reuter could pick up the points
37:53to stay in the points race in the German Touring Car Masters.
37:57Next to last race weekend in the series.
37:59The next stop will be the Grand Prix course in Hockenheim.
38:05Coming out of the fog.
38:08These are the cars back in the pack just a little ways.
38:12Peter Dunbrek, Christian Menzel.
38:17But up front, Manuel Reuter with some breathing room.
38:23And back there in fourth and fifth you saw them for just a moment.
38:28Bernd Schneider and Uwe Ahlson.
38:31You know the Mercedes crew simply holding their breath if Schneider tries to make the move on Uwe Ahlson.
38:39The fog has not abated.
38:41It is still as thick as it was when they started this second race
38:45which is much worse than it was when they ran the first race.
38:49Marcel Fesler running in second place.
38:52He has two second place finishes.
38:53Here comes Schneider inside of Ahlson.
38:56No problem.
38:57Schneider's by.
39:01So Bernd Schneider has moved into fourth position.
39:04More than enough he'll need if he can stay there.
39:08The first German Touring Car Masters Championship will be his.
39:13With still a race weekend to go.
39:15What a great performance by Bernd Schneider.
39:21Schneider has certainly been tough this season.
39:23He has eight fastest laps, if you can believe that, in the races.
39:27The fastest lap in the world.
39:29Schneider can tend to gain points here.
39:31He's dominated in just about every category.
39:34He has six victories.
39:36Reuter now has three.
39:40He has the most fastest laps.
39:43He's the most consistent driver in the field.
39:46It's amazing his performance this year.
39:49One time he was out of the points.
39:51He's now in the lead.
39:53Schneider is the only driver to finish in the top five
39:56in all but one of the races.
40:02No driver has finished in the top ten in all twelve races.
40:05But two have finished in all but one of the top tens.
40:10And that again is Bernd Schneider.
40:13He's the most consistent driver in the world.
40:15He has six victories.
40:17Reuter now has three.
40:20And that again is Bernd Schneider.
40:23Klaus Ludwig had been with him in that category,
40:25but Ludwig dropped out of that when he finished 12th in the first race.
40:31Meanwhile, Manuel Reuter continues to rule.
40:34But actually, he's helpless.
40:37He cannot control what happens to Bernd Schneider.
40:40All he can do is stay up in front
40:42and hope that something either happens to Bernd Schneider's car
40:45or that Schneider is passed by two more cars
40:48to put him back in the sixth position,
40:50which would mean that they would go down to the final race
40:52at Hockenheim.
40:55But right now, Schneider is running in fourth.
40:59One position more than he needs for this championship.
41:04Christian Abt running in thirteenth.
41:08That's also a good performance for the Audi crew.
41:11Pedro Lamy, who had been coming on very strong,
41:14the Portuguese driver in the Mercedes team
41:16prepared by the Rosberg Racing Group,
41:19had been coming on very strong in the last couple of races,
41:21but here he's had his problems.
41:23Here's another look at that pass as
41:26Uwe Ahlsen bumps Bernd Schneider
41:31and then Ahlsen goes by.
41:34But then, Schneider came back to pass him again
41:37and there's Bernd Schneider.
41:40Manuel Reuter, all he can do is
41:44keep the car out in front,
41:45hope that he picks up his fourth victory.
41:47He certainly will keep Opel's name up in front of everyone,
41:51but Mercedes has been the dominant force.
41:54One of the reasons
41:56is that Mercedes had their car finished long before Opel did.
42:01They were able to get many more test laps in
42:03than Opel was able to do,
42:05and therefore Mercedes was able to get
42:08and therefore Mercedes was so strong
42:10and has been strong throughout the entire season.
42:14There is Laurent Aiello
42:16with Jochen Winkelhock right behind him.
42:21This is the battle for 6th and 7th position.
42:26Christian Menzel,
42:28then comes Dumbrig,
42:29but there's your battle again for 6th and 7th.
42:34Aiello and Winkelhock.
42:38You have to wonder how Aiello must feel
42:40after so many disappointing races
42:42at the beginning of the year.
42:43Here comes Winkelhock, he goes right by him.
42:48The Opel with just too much power.
42:51But the Audi is running very strong here.
42:56Aiello missed one race weekend
42:58because he and Christian App went to Le Mans to race.
43:02Otherwise, he's worked diligently to get that car to the front.
43:07Running in 7th position.
43:09Still the best finish for an Audi this year.
43:12The 9th place finish he had in the first race was the best.
43:15He can top it now if he can hold on to that 7th place position.
43:21Uwe Ahlsen's problem seems to have taken care of itself.
43:24The tire has not gone down.
43:26He continues to run, but he has dropped behind Bernd Schneider.
43:33Jochen Winkelhock,
43:35the charger,
43:36trying to make up for what was a disappointing start here
43:40in the second race after finishing 5th in the first race.
43:48The fog is just unbelievable.
43:53You have to take your hats off to the fans
43:55who've shown up for the racing today.
43:57It is cold.
43:59And the fog just adds to it.
44:02The man has controlled it so far, though.
44:04It goes right underneath your screen there.
44:09But this is the man
44:11that has the title on the line.
44:13Bernd Schneider.
44:14Manuel Reuter leads the race.
44:16Schneider
44:18is leading toward a championship.
44:20Running in 4th position.
44:24And Uwe Ahlsen does not seem to be able to challenge anymore.
44:27Winkelhock would like to move up.
44:29If Winkelhock and Ahlsen,
44:30if you wanted to put a lot of ifs together here,
44:33if Ahlsen and Winkelhock could get by
44:36Bernd Schneider and push him back
44:39two slots,
44:40then the championship
44:42will go down to the wire at Hockenheim.
44:47But at this point, Ahlsen cannot seem to close in.
44:51And Winkelhock's charge does not seem to continue.
44:54And Winkelhock's charge
44:56does not seem to continue to bring him forward.
44:58He's sort of leveled off.
45:00Manuel Reuter, meanwhile, has a wonderful lead.
45:04Looking for his fourth victory this season
45:06in the German Touring Car Masters.
45:08And right now, no one is pushing him hard.
45:12Schneider, I don't really believe,
45:14is worried about that 7 seconds
45:15as much as he is holding on to the 4th position.
45:21But for Fessler and Jaeger,
45:22what a great performance
45:24as everyone starts to think about next year
45:26and who's going to be driving what for whom.
45:30The two rookies
45:33putting on a great performance here
45:35at the Grand Prix course at the Nürburgring.
45:40And Bernd Schneider continues to roll
45:42and he does have a little bit more breathing room
45:44between himself and Uwe Ahlsen running in 5th position.
45:48The two Opels either get by Schneider
45:51or Schneider takes the title.
45:52That's what it's come down to.
45:56And Schneider has been fast.
45:59Schneider has been consistent this season.
46:03Very few people have been able to match him.
46:05He had the one race where he went off the track
46:07at Oschersleben.
46:09That was the second one and didn't finish in the points.
46:11Other than that,
46:13Schneider has been the man of consistency.
46:16Truly an amazing season.
46:17At Hockenheim, he won the two races.
46:20At Oschersleben, he was 3rd and 12th.
46:22At the Norris Ring,
46:23he finished 4th in the first race
46:25and came back to win the second race.
46:28At the Saxon Ring,
46:29he was 3rd twice after a bad starting position
46:32back in the 11th.
46:34At the Nürburgring's first race weekend here
46:36earlier this season,
46:38he took the two races here.
46:41Then at Oschersleben,
46:42when they returned there for the second race weekend,
46:45Schneider finished 2nd and 1st.
46:48He finished 2nd here at the Nürburgring in the first race.
46:51It can't get much better than that.
46:58Manuel Reuter continues to put the laps down.
47:03It's amazing his performance here.
47:06Just two races where he finished out of the points
47:09made it difficult for him
47:11to hold on to any sort of championship aspirations.
47:18Fesler.
47:20Jaeger.
47:23Jaeger's come a long way.
47:24He started off very slowly and then came a long way.
47:27He's a teammate of Bernd Schneider.
47:32If Schneider were to pull up closer to Jaeger,
47:35Jaeger most likely would let him by
47:39to guarantee points for Schneider.
47:41Today's race is as much an individual race
47:43as it is a team race.
47:45Today's race is as much an individual performance
47:47as it is a team performance.
47:50Mercedes against Opel.
47:54Basically, the Mercedes driver is making sure that
47:57Schneider has his chance for the title.
47:59The Opel driver is trying to
48:02put as much space between themselves and him
48:05so that they can keep him behind them.
48:06But right now, they are not succeeding.
48:09The only Opel that's truly succeeding is this man here,
48:11Manuel Reuter.
48:14Reuter has dominated and continues to dominate here.
48:18He had a 3rd and 13th at Hockenheim.
48:20He won the two races at Ostersleben.
48:22He was 3rd and 2nd at the Norris Ring.
48:2413th and 11th at the Sachsen Ring.
48:26Those were the ones that took him out of it.
48:28At the Nürburgring first time here, he was 5th twice.
48:31At Ostersleben, he finished 3rd and 2nd.
48:34He won the first race here.
48:37He's right up there in consistency.
48:39He just had those two difficult races.
48:43He had finished actually in the top 5 at Hockenheim
48:45in the first race weekend, but then was bumped back
48:49with a 10-second penalty due to some rough driving.
48:51And he takes the checkered flag here in the second race of the day
48:55at the German Touring Car Masters
48:57at the Nürburgring.
48:59Manuel Reuter is your winner.
49:03But the real winner today
49:05is Bernd Schneider.
49:06Hans-Werner Albrecht, a very happy man.
49:08The Mercedes crew happy
49:10as their man has come in 4th
49:12and Bernd Schneider
49:14has won the German Touring Car Masters title.
49:17It was his goal when he started
49:19and now he did it.
49:21And look at that, Laurent Aiello in 7th position.
49:23The best finish for an Audi this season.
49:26So they really can be happy.
49:28And a champagne time
49:30here at the Nürburgring.
49:34The two young drivers
49:35along with Manuel Reuter.
49:37There are your points.
49:38Bernd Schneider, your champion with 206.
49:41Manuel Reuter running 2nd.
49:43So it was a great day
49:45for Bernd Schneider as well as for Manuel Reuter.
49:48But there is the new champion
49:50of the German Touring Car Masters.
49:53A great performance
49:55by the veteran Bernd Schneider.
50:02I'm really, really happy to get the championship already here.
50:05Because Hockenheim has been a place in the past
50:07where I was not so lucky.
50:10And I can go now really relaxed to Hockenheim
50:14and we have a great party here at the Nürburgring.
50:16What was the second race for you?
50:18The second race was actually really tough.
50:21I started in used tyres
50:23because the surface was quite slippery in the beginning.
50:26And we thought it's better
50:28if we start with used ones.
50:30But when we started the race
50:32it was already dry
50:33and I had a little bit disadvantage
50:35in the first couple of laps.
50:37And then I had a little problem with over-acting.
50:41But I finished fourth
50:43and got the championship.
50:45That was the main target.
50:48And so that does it for our coverage
50:50of the German Touring Car Masters here at the Nürburgring.
50:53The next stop on the tour, Hockenheim.
50:55We'll see you then.
51:07Nürburgring
51:09Nürburgring
51:11Nürburgring