see more Racing on :
https://rebrand.ly/SpeedWorld
https://rebrand.ly/SpeedWorld
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00This is the German touring car masters today coming to you from Austria, Zeltweg, Austria
00:12and the A1 range.
00:13It's a great weekend of the season.
00:14This is the beautiful Steiermark area of Austria, up in the mountains.
00:44This is Spielberg, the site of the A1 range.
00:50The track was actually built back in 1969 in this idyllic setting.
00:55They had their first Formula 1 race in 1970 and a few years later Formula 1 left.
01:01They decided to build a brand new track in 1995.
01:04In 1996, this course was the one that ended up in the A1 range.
01:11Today, it hosts the German touring car masters.
01:15Throughout the year, it's hosted a number of different series, but today, it's called
01:20these cars.
01:24The crowd has come today to see if they can crown a champion in the German touring car
01:29masters.
01:30They could happen.
01:32The course is up and downhill.
01:4212% climb coming out of this dark finish area to the highest point of the course.
01:56The crowd is on hand today for the first appearance of the German touring car masters.
02:01It's the A1 ring in Austria.
02:04Cars rolling out.
02:06Of course, everyone is waiting to see Matt Schneider.
02:08He's back to you here.
02:10He can pick up his title for two races before the season ends.
02:14His wife was on the right there, Norbert Haug, along with him.
02:17Good crowd for the first appearance of the German touring cars in Austria.
02:22Here's a look at the course.
02:23You start way down in the valley.
02:25There's a long straightaway.
02:26Get up to about 150 miles an hour.
02:28Then, it's all uphill to that 70-kilometer-an-hour turn.
02:32Then, you start heading back downhill again.
02:35On the pole, the man that wants to win the title for that, Matt Schneider.
02:41He has dominated this season.
02:42Today, he has a chance to prove it.
02:44His teammate, Peter Dumbrek, is next to him.
02:46Then, comes Uwe Allison and Laurent Aiello.
02:48They are the third and fourth drivers in the points race.
02:51Behind them, young Martin Tomczyk, who's had such a great season, and Bernd Meilander,
02:56who continues to improve.
02:58Following them, Alain Meunier, the best Opel qualifying today.
03:02Bernd Schneider is on the left.
03:04Dumbrek is on the right, and we're underway here in one ring in Austria.
03:09They'll head up the hill.
03:10This is a very key corner.
03:12It's a sharp right-hander.
03:14First gear.
03:15Here they go.
03:16All 22 into the corner.
03:18One car has spun.
03:19Everyone else seems to get through.
03:22The car spinning is Christian Abt.
03:24Christian Abt.
03:27Now you're in that section where they're going uphill toward the next difficult corner.
03:30A right-hander.
03:32Schneider.
03:33Dumbrek.
03:35Those are your leaders right now.
03:39Everyone seems to get through.
03:40The arena's quarterfinalists.
03:42Downhill slightly.
03:44Toward a right-hander, there'll be a drop to the lower part of the course,
03:47and then they'll have to come back up just a little bit again.
03:50This is a critical corner here.
03:51If taken properly, you can pick up a lot of time.
03:55Tomczyk made a mistake.
03:56Olsen gets inside.
03:57That's the battle for him.
03:59Right now for third and fourth.
04:01So Uwe Olsen has moved into third place.
04:06Tomczyk is in fourth.
04:11And the rest of the field continues to work its way out.
04:13Alan Menou there being passed by Laurent Aiello in one of the yellow Audis.
04:20Menou, the best Opel qualifier.
04:23Here's another look at that start.
04:24As you can see, they have to get down into a first-gear corner.
04:27Schneider and Dumbrek come through fine.
04:29But watch in the back.
04:30The orange car, that is Winkelhock, taps the back end of Christian Opp and Opp spins.
04:39It's going to be a difficult day for the boss of the App Racing team.
04:43The rest of this car scene are doing quite well, though.
04:45Tomczyk here with the green mirrors in front of Menou.
04:48The Opel wants to hang on.
04:51The Opels have good top speed here.
04:53Better than anyone else.
04:55They're going to lose a little ground in the corners.
04:57But as you can see, they pick it up again on the straightaway.
05:02Here's that right-hander that's so critical.
05:04Tomczyk's on the inside behind them.
05:07Fesler, then Bartles.
05:10As they work their way around, back down the hill again.
05:14Now there's a left-hander.
05:15There's a left-hander.
05:16Basically, this course is six right-hand turns and two left-handers.
05:21That's about it.
05:22Oh, and Timo Schneider's car.
05:24Something has happened to Timo Schneider's car.
05:26He's gone off and hit something.
05:29Looks like he's okay getting out of the car.
05:32But can't be too happy.
05:36Let's take a look at what happened.
05:37That is Schneider there in that PM black car.
05:41Here comes the Audi of Ekstrom.
05:43Ekstrom, he hits him, and Jaeger gets airborne.
05:47I think one of the Ashman Mercedes overtook me.
05:52In the hairpin, in the second hairpin.
05:55I think Matthias Ekstrom was the bad guy.
05:59He crashed directly into my rear wheel.
06:03Everything is broken.
06:05There's a disaster going on.
06:09One more look at it.
06:10There you can see Ekstrom in the yellow Audi.
06:12Into Schneider.
06:13And here comes Jaeger.
06:15Jaeger is the innocent bystander that gets on two wheels.
06:19We had an accident in corner two.
06:21Together with Timo Schneider and Thomas Jaeger.
06:24It's difficult to say now what happened.
06:26We were three abreast at one stage.
06:30Everything happened so fast.
06:31I cannot say exactly what.
06:33It was quite a hard battle.
06:35I think we were four or five drivers moving around.
06:39Sometimes these things happen even if you don't like them to happen.
06:44Back on the course, you're riding in the Opel of Manuel Reuter.
06:47Reuter's had an up and down season, as has the Opel crew.
06:51Here's a little bit of a view of the A1 course here in Austria.
06:56This is the section heading before a right-hander and a second right-hander to this start-finish line.
07:02There's your leader, Bernd Schneider, and he's got a big lead over Peter Dumbrek.
07:06Dumbrek is second in the points.
07:09Then comes Uwe Ahlsen.
07:11And then comes Laurent Aiello.
07:14Menuh is the best Opel.
07:16And then Tomczyk, Fester, Bakas and another Opel.
07:19Then Mailander and Salins.
07:22Mailander certainly has had to keep fighting back.
07:24He had that foot injury. Lost a couple races.
07:26And Mamereau's car is off.
07:27Peter Mamereau's Opel has gone off.
07:29It's in the gravel.
07:31It doesn't look good for him.
07:32He spun.
07:33Looks like he may have had some help there.
07:37But it looks like his race day is over.
07:41There's the battle for second, third and fourth.
07:43Laurent Aiello.
07:45And right behind him is no one.
07:47These four are out in front.
07:49Running away from the field.
07:52Jochen Winkelhock has gone off the course.
07:56It's been an adventuresome season for him.
07:58He just has not come to grips with handling the Opel after driving so many years from the MW.
08:02He just hasn't quite got the combination yet.
08:04Oh, is he throwing gravel around?
08:07That'll make things slippery.
08:10Jochen Winkelhock still looking for the real combination here.
08:16It looks like Christian Apgar being pushed into the garage.
08:20They might be able to get ready for the second race.
08:23Possibly.
08:25Meanwhile, this man just continues to roll.
08:28Bernd Schneider.
08:30He wants to wrap it all up here at the A1 Ring this weekend.
08:33We have two race weekends to go.
08:36There's three points for a win here.
08:38Two and one.
08:39Those are the only points given in this eight-lap qualification race.
08:44Right now, he'll take everything he can get.
08:47He comes into the weekend with a 49-point lead over Dundrech, 50 points over Olsen.
08:54A critical right-hander takes him down to the start-finish line.
08:59And Schneider picks up the qualifying victory here in Austria at the A1 Ring.
09:05Picks up the three points and gets a little closer to the title.
09:09There's Timo Scheider and Thomas Jaeger talking to track officials.
09:15And there are your points-getters.
09:17Schneider, Dundrech and Olsen.
09:19Aiello coming in fourth.
09:20And Meunier, the best Opel driver, finishing fifth.
09:23Michel Bartelsen, another Opel, came in eighth.
09:25So it wasn't too bad a start for the Opel crew that's having a tough season so far.
09:29Manuel Reuter, the top Opel driver, in 13th.
09:32He started back in the field at 16th.
09:34You guys like it? You people like it?
09:36Yeah!
09:37All right!
09:41Now, racing wasn't all that was being offered here in Austria.
09:45The night before, the fans had all kinds of entertainment to be involved in.
09:56Every night I go to sleep
10:01The blues pours out like rain
10:13Every night I go to sleep
10:17You know the blues pours out like rain
10:26Take your pills and cheap whiskey
10:33Just to try to keep sane
10:45All together
10:49When the blues is everything
10:51All together
10:54All together
10:56When the blues is everything
11:06But then it was time for the main event.
11:08The German touring car masters.
11:1024 laps around the A1 ring.
11:13A chance for Bernd Schneider, who's on the pole position, to win the title outright
11:18and get 20 points for victory if he can do it.
11:20And Peter Dunbrek, his teammate, is right next to him.
11:23Uwe Altson, another Mercedes, and Laurent Aiello next to him.
11:28As the rest of the cars come out, we see that there are only 14 cars after the crash
11:34and a couple of cars falling out of the field.
11:36So there are 14 cars starting the main event here at the A1 ring in Austria.
11:432.6 miles long.
11:46And one of the fastest courses that we're going to be on all year long.
11:51In fact, the first race top speed 107 miles an hour is the fastest.
11:55We're underway in the future race here in Austria.
12:00Heading up to that critical right hander.
12:03Cars bunching up going in.
12:05When you went off, Dunbrek spins.
12:07Oh, and we have cars colliding all over the place here.
12:12Cars colliding everywhere.
12:14It looks like several of them are going to be out automatically.
12:18Christian Albers, Michelle Bartlett's cars are already in the tires.
12:24As Aiello comes up the hill.
12:27He and Marcel Veslin, now they're going to have to sort things out here.
12:30Tom Cech's car, he is out.
12:36He won't be able to do anything with that one.
12:38The crews are going to have their hands full trying to get this one straightened out.
12:41There are parts everywhere in this corner.
12:45This is one of the crucial points on the racetrack.
12:48And the crews are going to have their work cut out for them.
12:51The pace car is coming out, it looks like.
12:54The pace car will be coming out and pick up the cars.
12:57They will not stop the race, at least they haven't done that yet.
13:00There's Salen's car, he also was involved.
13:03And it looks like he's out for the rest of the afternoon.
13:07Let's take another look at it.
13:08The key right here is what's the white Opel on the left?
13:11Cuts inside off the course, comes back out.
13:14Hits Uwe Alsen who had tapped Dumbrecht.
13:16They bump a little bit.
13:19As they work their way through.
13:22So Alain Meunier is the one who started this whole thing.
13:27The question is, is Dumbrecht going to be able to continue?
13:29Here's Laurent Aiello who started fourth.
13:31He sort of bumps into the car ahead of him.
13:35And now everybody's bumping around.
13:38Meunier ahead of him.
13:40And Aiello was lucky he got through.
13:42There goes Dumbrecht spinning.
13:44Now comes Alsen.
13:45It looks like he got by him pretty good.
13:47He bumped into Bartels.
13:48Tom Cech is spinning right in the middle of all that.
13:51He hits Albers who hits Bartels.
13:53Boy, that's a tough way to go.
13:55Particularly for Peter Dumbrecht.
13:59Well, I was just driving like normal.
14:01I had second place going into the first corner.
14:04And from behind I was hit.
14:07I don't know, on the rear right side.
14:09And it just spun me around.
14:10And from there there was cars going everywhere.
14:12And then I got contact on the front of my car.
14:15It broke the radiator.
14:16And my race is over now because the car cannot be fixed.
14:20So this might be the final decision in the championship?
14:23For sure, I think Schneider's won it.
14:25But for me, second place is important.
14:27And I've lost valuable points here.
14:30And I just hope that the people who are behind me in the championship
14:34are not having good point scores here.
14:36Because then maybe I can maintain my position.
14:40So now the crews have to go to work to get this all cleaned up.
14:43We'll see if the car is out.
14:46It's Michel Bartels' car that's out there in the middle of the track
14:48that they're pushing out of the way.
14:50They're going to have to clean this up.
14:51It's a very dangerous corner to have pieces of car laying around.
14:56There's the Tom Cech Audi being pulled away.
14:59Difficult start for a number of drivers here.
15:01Michel Bartels has started off so nicely and was doing well for Opel.
15:05And then this happened.
15:06Can't be a great day for him.
15:10Well, qualifying race was not so bad.
15:12I improved two places.
15:14And then on the start in the first corner,
15:17there was a lot of action going on where I was not involved.
15:24And suddenly some cars came sideways and went in the gravel.
15:30And one of these cars hit me and destroyed my front axle.
15:34And I couldn't continue like this.
15:37But anyway, I think it was another race with very hard driving in the start period.
15:45And we should think about it not to continue like this
15:48because this is not the idea of DTM.
15:51Because this is crash racing.
16:22So, you're riding now with Manuel Reuter.
16:25And Reuter got through all of that seemingly in pretty good shape.
16:29He's running right now, if we are correct, he's right around 5th position,
16:34which is really good for him.
16:36He's had a difficult season.
16:39He and the car just haven't quite come together the way they'd like it.
16:44But now, Reuter seems to be doing real well.
16:48Schneider in front of Aiello.
16:50And then Olsen.
16:52Look at that, Winklehawk now is running in 4th position.
16:57Then comes Manuel Reuter.
17:00And then comes his teammate, Ouvilliers.
17:06The base car brings them around here on the 2.68 mile circuit.
17:13Basically, you drive uphill and then you come back downhill.
17:17A bunch of corners in between.
17:22It'll be up to Ben Schneider to get the start.
17:26He has the choice of how to get underway.
17:29You're riding with Reuter.
17:35And he is still kind of getting his tires warmed up here.
17:40This track is not known for its grip.
17:43It has very fine asphalt.
17:45And the cars take about 3 or 4 laps to get the tires up to the correct temperature
17:50in order to be able to race.
17:54Right now, the Opels can't be too upset.
17:56They're running 4th, 5th and 6th.
18:00Nobody else is going to have to play catch up here.
18:02Nobody else is going to have to play catch up here.
18:08Once again, up to the side of the accident that brought out the base car.
18:16Into this right-hander, 1st gear.
18:22Looks like things have been cleaned up very well.
18:24We should be underway in a moment.
18:26There is Tomczak and Christian Abt on the right in the cap.
18:31Their race day is over.
18:33The lights out on the base car.
18:34Ben Schneider will be the man to get them started.
18:37He can call when he wants to go.
18:40Everybody else making sure their tires get up to temperature.
18:45Uwe Ahlsen is right behind Olivier.
18:49Ahlsen got pushed around a little bit there.
18:55The base car will be coming off shortly.
19:00Ben Schneider will be able to get the jump.
19:05Hopefully, he's not the only one.
19:07He can take the lead and hang on to it for the rest of the afternoon.
19:13And take his second championship in a row.
19:15If he's able to do that, he will be the first driver in German Touring Car Driving Championship Series.
19:22Either the one before this, the German Touring Car Championship.
19:24Or this one, the German Touring Car Masters.
19:26To successfully defend his title.
19:28No one's been able to do it before.
19:35Last corners.
19:38And we've lined up. We're ready to go.
19:40It's up to Ben Schneider. Single file.
19:43Here goes Schneider. He's got it down. He's underway.
19:47Oh, he got an early jump. And he got a good one.
19:50Aiello is second.
19:53And sitting right now, in third position, is Marcel Fessler.
19:59Then comes Winkelhock. And here comes, in the back, right there going in that corner, Olivier Alsen.
20:06Alsen is making a charge. He'd started up way near the front.
20:10He's looking now for a chance to keep someone in the battle.
20:14But there is one for the overall driving title.
20:16And if not that, to be able to battle for second place.
20:20He was in third place, coming into the championship this weekend.
20:24The driver in second place, Peter Dombrak, is out.
20:28Alsen has got to finish equal to or ahead of Laurent Aiello.
20:33If he can do that, then he will be in the running for second place in the Drivers' Championship.
20:43It's all assuming that Eric Schneider over there continues the way he's going.
20:47Continues to be the dominator in the German touring car racing.
20:55Alsen continues to move.
20:59He's gotten by. Husemann.
21:02He's pushing. He's leaving everybody else behind. Look at that. Wow.
21:09He's using every bit of the track. And Husemann tries to get inside of him here.
21:13Ooh, this is tight. And Husemann gets by Alsen.
21:17Roubaix is not going to like that.
21:19And Benkelhoff, who had been doing so well, goes off the course through this position.
21:29Let's see where we are with Alsen.
21:31Aiello, Pesler, Reuter. Here comes Husemann.
21:35Here comes Husemann. And then Alsen.
21:43And Benkelhoff has dropped back.
21:47He went off the course right there.
21:51Went too fast. Couldn't handle it. Got off into the gravel.
21:55Second time today he's gone into the gravel, crossing some serious positions here.
21:59And he's losing one here.
22:02Or at least maybe. We have to wait and see.
22:06Olivier is pushing him. Olivier will have the line going into the next corner.
22:13Is Benkelhoff going to be far enough outside? No.
22:17Olivier's inside and gets by.
22:21Meanwhile, the top group continues to roll here.
22:25Hubert Haupt.
22:27The orange bumper.
22:29The white Opel.
22:31One of his best races so far this season.
22:34In this depleted field after the...
22:39...events of the first race, the qualifying race, and then this one here where...
22:43...damage has been everywhere.
22:47Hubert Haupt has come back to Europe this year.
22:49He's had a difficult time with an independent team driving last year's model car.
22:55The Euro team...
22:58...is coming into this year. He's looking for a chance to make a lane for himself.
23:01Coming into the pits right now.
23:04Oh, he's coming in a bit early.
23:08It's Darren Turner. He's too early.
23:10A lap early and they have to come in on the 8th lap.
23:13That's supposed to be his regular.
23:15He's on the lap 7.
23:16They're sending him back out. That hurt.
23:19Oh, did that hurt.
23:25So, Darren Turner comes out, loses everything he had gained...
23:28...or hoped to have gained in the pit stop.
23:30Here they came in a lap too early.
23:33You're not allowed to make your mandatory pit stop until lap 8.
23:39Now he's in the back of the pack.
23:41He's still going to have to make the pit stop again to change the tires.
23:46Manuel Reuter.
23:48Still running in 4th for Opel.
23:50Ben Schneider, your leader.
23:52Putting in the fastest lap.
23:55Speed's here at about 107 to 109 miles an hour.
24:02The qualifying race is the fastest race that we've had so far this season...
24:06...and the average speed is 107.20 miles an hour.
24:10The only other course we're doing that fast is the city course...
24:14...in Nuremberg, in Norris Lane.
24:17Also very quickly, the Nuremberg ring exit in Norris Lane a couple of weeks ago.
24:23Well, Ben Schneider just continues to roll.
24:26He's had fastest laps. He's had just about everything you can imagine.
24:31He's only finished out of the top 5 once so far this season.
24:35Phenomenal year.
24:37Here comes Hubert Halpert. It's the Opel.
24:39It's now running up in a position that he was even probably just a little bit surprised of.
24:43Halpert is the teammate of the longman here.
24:49And if our figures are right, Halpert is running in 7th position.
24:55And if people start to pit, he could move up some more here.
24:59Ben Schneider continues to roll with some space between himself and the wall of yellow.
25:06Then comes Marcel Pazman.
25:09Then comes Marcel Pazman.
25:13Manuel Reuter.
25:15Patrick Guzman.
25:17Vinny Bialysin.
25:19Now the car is going to pit.
25:23Ekstrud.
25:28Still in the race after having the...
25:31...collision in the qualifying race.
25:34He was able to get back to the pits in the qualifying race very slowly.
25:38But they got the car fixed.
25:42Aiello.
25:44Fezzi.
25:46Then the battle right here for 4th.
25:48With Reuter.
25:52Bowen.
25:53Guzman.
25:54And Olsen head to the pits.
25:57So your leader is out on the pits.
25:59The guys that are running back in the pack have come into the pits here.
26:02This is strategy.
26:03Hoping that they can get through, get out, and be able to hold position.
26:05Or maybe gain some time on the other cars.
26:08That's the one to watch.
26:09Uwe Olsen.
26:10He's the one that has a chance with the points.
26:18In they go.
26:20All four tires.
26:258.3.
26:29So when Ben Schneider comes in, that's where he's going to have to be.
26:31But Guzman got out in a good time too.
26:36Guzman got out right ahead of him.
26:40So now these two drivers will be dropping back in the standings momentarily.
26:44As everyone else is going to have to make their pit stops.
26:48The question is going to be how far back will they drop?
26:53And can they make up that time?
26:56That's all the reason for these mandatory pit stops as it goes.
27:02Olsen has dropped back into 8th position.
27:06That's where he is right now.
27:08According to this map, they haven't figured in the pit stops yet.
27:12Olsen has not.
27:14He could have moved up.
27:16One, but we have to wait and see here.
27:21There's your leader.
27:23Ben Schneider.
27:24Now he is probably trying to calculate when Aiello is going to be.
27:28Aiello has been the strongest Audi this evening.
27:31He has been very, very tough.
27:34And so Schneider, who wants to win this race so badly, is probably playing off Aiello.
27:45Weider.
27:49Continues to roll here.
27:52Sitting in 4th position.
27:53Well, he and Fessler have to pick up some mandatory pit stops.
27:57As you can see, Fessler is just a little bit ahead of him.
28:06Heading in the right-hander downhill toward the start-finish line.
28:24Aiello.
28:30Manuel Reuter comes into the race.
28:34A former champion who has been battling, as have all the drivers, with the Opel this year.
28:40Schneider has put in another fastest lap.
28:44He just continues to roll.
28:46If the car continues to hold, he's going to be very, very difficult to stop.
28:50The distance between himself and Aiello continues to be about the same as it has been since the last few laps.
28:57It hasn't changed much.
29:02Schneider came into this track as one of the more experienced and familiar drivers.
29:06He has driven here for Mercedes and the GT Series and a couple of others.
29:12And riding with the raw Aiello in the Audi.
29:14A good look at this uphill portion now.
29:16This is coming up for that very difficult right-hander, but it is illegal.
29:21And the first qualifying race occurred.
29:25Now it's a downhill segment.
29:29As you can see them coming along, your first and second cars.
29:35Getting back quickly to Reuter.
29:36He had been having a very difficult season.
29:38A very difficult season.
29:44At the Nürburgring, in the last race, he did very well coming in fifth.
29:48There are many things that come up for him.
29:49He's running into the top five now.
29:54Bernd Schneider certainly is the man that everybody continues to talk about as the dominator.
30:00He won at Hockenheim.
30:01Second at Nürburgring.
30:02Second at Office Leven.
30:04First at Sachsenring.
30:05Second at Nürburgring.
30:07Second at Lausitzring.
30:08His worst race was at sixth at the Nürburgring.
30:11That's when he had that terrible pit stop.
30:13That wasn't really his fault.
30:15It was his difficulty changing tires and dropping him way back out of the container.
30:19Now he's back out in front.
30:21What's new is he's got that pit stop ahead.
30:23After the last experience, and I think he's been working on that pit stop,
30:27they can't afford to have another one like they did here.
30:32Bernd Schneider at work.
30:33Here is the A1 Ring in Austria.
30:38The first appearance of the German Touring Car Masters ever at this circuit.
30:43A crowd of over 25,000 here for the race.
30:48Bernd Schneider just continues to roll.
30:52The question is going to be when will he pit and when will Aiello pit.
30:58There are your top six.
31:02Schneider has the most poles this season.
31:05He's won two qualifying races, two regular races.
31:09He's had the fastest lap in qualifying in the qualifying race,
31:13and he has four times had the fastest lap in the race.
31:17He has the most laps led in both the qualifying races and the races.
31:22He's the only driver to complete all 216 laps that have been run this season.
31:27He just goes on and on like this.
31:29He's had such a great year that no one really
31:33has been able to stay with him.
31:36In fact, he's finished all the second races,
31:39and only Christian Albers has been able to do that with him.
31:43And he's the only driver to finish in all the top tens.
31:48You can't dominate any more than that.
31:50The man has just had a tremendous year.
31:54Marcel Fesler comes in.
31:55Fesler comes in.
32:00Fesler heads to the pits for his mandatory pit stop.
32:05So he'll drop back.
32:07Manuel Reuter will move up a slot into third position as Fesler comes in.
32:17We'll see how he does.
32:19As everyone's waiting for the Aiello-Schneider pit stops.
32:258.7.
32:29As the rest of the field continues to work its way along here.
32:32Here comes Huisman.
32:37Huisman with Alsen.
32:39And Fesler, is he going to make it?
32:41Well, he got ahead of Alsen.
32:45But behind Huisman.
32:48So this promises to be a battle.
32:49Alsen is going to have a break with his pits.
32:52Confusing their problems moving forward.
32:56And now, Mercedes is squeezed in front of him.
33:00As he was already battling Huisman for position.
33:10And here comes Uwe Alsen trying to move inside.
33:17Alsen.
33:19Looking to pass. He is going to do it.
33:22In a very awkward position.
33:24But you have to remember, as we said earlier, this asphalt here is very, very fine.
33:29It takes the tires a good three to four laps to really get up to speed.
33:33Alsen had already been out for several laps.
33:36Fesler was coming directly out of the pits with new tires.
33:40Alsen certainly took advantage of it here.
33:42Uwe Alsen now running in sixth position.
33:50Fesler dropping back.
33:53But certainly not out of it.
33:55Marcel has also done well this season.
33:58And certainly is a battler.
34:00Alsen is a battler of his own kind.
34:04He can be as tough a driver as you're ever going to find.
34:07And by that he meant there was a lot of door banging.
34:11And this year there has been quite a bit of it.
34:14As we head toward the end of the season, in particular,
34:16when drivers are trying to get points and trying to set themselves up for next year.
34:24And there's Huisman, Alsen and Fesler.
34:26Sixth position.
34:28Alsen.
34:29For next year.
34:34There's Huisman, Alsen and Fesler.
34:35Sixth, seventh and eighth.
34:38Whoa, Uwe's trying to get inside here.
34:44It hasn't happened yet.
34:47This is where he made the pass before.
34:48He's trying to get inside again, but is Huisman going to let him by?
34:52No, he didn't get inside.
34:54He didn't get inside.
34:58Here comes Aiello.
35:00Laurent Aiello comes in to pit.
35:09How quick is he going to get out?
35:13Time here for Aiello.
35:17Nice, 0.8.
35:19That's a little bit too much.
35:22Bernd Schneider still has to pit.
35:25Let's see what Aiello thinks of that.
35:31He will come out in fifth position.
35:36The cars ahead of him still have to pit.
35:41The Audi of Laurent Aiello, the most successful driver of all time.
35:45He's hit his car this year.
35:48Bernd Schneider still has to pit.
35:54He's in most likely to come in now.
35:56Aiello's already been in.
35:57His crew's ready.
35:58That's the Bernd Schneider Mercedes crew waiting for him to come in.
36:04He's going to make the move.
36:05He'll make it now.
36:07There it is.
36:11So your leader is coming in.
36:17Cuts it down to the 36 miles per hour it takes to go along the pit lane.
36:26Radar is everywhere.
36:31Here he comes.
36:34Crew goes to work.
36:35This time it doesn't look like they're having any sort of problem.
36:408.3.
36:43Now let's see where he comes out.
36:48Here comes your leader it looks like.
36:52Let's wait and see.
36:53We never know.
36:54That's Olivier.
36:57Your leader now is Manuel Reuter.
37:00Manuel Reuter has taken the lead.
37:03Bernd Schneider came out in second place.
37:09Olivier is now running third.
37:12Aiello is running fourth.
37:17And Alsen is running fifth.
37:19That's the way it looks right now.
37:23Here goes Alsen.
37:24And this is a replay.
37:25He did get by Huisman.
37:34So Alsen continues to move up.
37:37Bernd Schneider running in second.
37:39Bernd Schneider running in second place.
37:42He's now got to try to make up for time on Manuel Reuter.
37:45However, Manuel Reuter has not pitted.
37:50And he has to pit before three laps of the race are remaining.
37:56If not, then he's disqualified.
38:00There is Aiello.
38:04The question now is where is Olivier Alsen?
38:07Where is Olivier Alsen?
38:08There he was, just coming up over the hill.
38:14And the Audi of Aiello, who was in the running for the championship,
38:17and then, through the factory decision by Audi,
38:22he contracted the drive at Le Mans.
38:25They held the contract, and so he did not drive at the Sachsenring,
38:28and that was the deciding factor.
38:30Not only did he lose the points at the Sachsenring,
38:32but when he came back, the driver who had driven his car at the Sachsenring
38:35wrecked it badly, and they couldn't get it really straightened out.
38:39And so, when he drove the next race, he had a very bad race.
38:43And so, it was a difficult time for Le Mans.
38:46It took him out, really, of the championship.
38:48He finished 12th in the first race.
38:50It took him another race to get things straightened out.
38:52Manuel Reuter is your leader.
38:56He has not pitted.
38:58Right now, he probably is going to enjoy the fact he's going to stay out in front.
39:02Opel has not had that kind of enjoyment much this year.
39:05Bartels did a little bit of it at the Nürburgring until he had to pit.
39:10So, Opel, who has been battling all year long to get their cars competitive,
39:14they've got them beautiful on the straight, all kinds of power,
39:17but the rest of it doesn't seem to want to handle correctly.
39:20But, now, Manuel Reuter, who had started this race 13th, is out in front.
39:28But, the clock is also running down, and so are the laps,
39:31and he's, sooner or later, going to have to pit.
39:34The question is, how far back is Bernd Schneider?
39:40And, if you know Schneider, well, he's gaining. Right there he is.
39:43Schneider will not let up.
39:45He will not drive for the points here.
39:47He wants the victory.
39:48If Reuter's out in front, then he's going to go after him.
39:51And, I'm sure his crew has told him he's got to pit.
39:53Olivier pits. It's his mandatory pit stop.
39:57He may come up a little later.
40:06Steve Olivier has pit.
40:09He will drop out of 4th place.
40:14There comes Aiello, who takes over 3rd.
40:19So, a new continues to rule here.
40:22Or, Hubert Haupt, rather.
40:23There's Hubert Haupt, right there in that orange-fendered car,
40:26followed by Olivier.
40:30This is a great day for Hubert Haupt.
40:34Right now, he's running 9th.
40:38And, out of the race, Matthias Ekström.
40:43It's been an expensive race.
40:45A lot of machinery on the side of the track.
40:48Manuel Reuter, still out in front.
40:50Still not pitting.
40:53He's got a couple laps yet, before he has to.
41:00So, he's going to sit out in front and give Opel some good publicity.
41:02Give him a chance to see what it's like to be out in front.
41:06Also, it won't hurt his ego a little bit,
41:08to finally get himself back where he's used to driving.
41:11He's a former ITC Touring Car Champion.
41:16He's been an Opel driver for a number of years.
41:18He's always been in contention.
41:22This year, with the new car, things have just not gone that well.
41:31Schneider, back, almost.
41:34Five seconds, but there you can see Schneider.
41:37He continues to move up.
41:40He will not stop pushing.
41:46He is the ultimate professional here in Europe,
41:48when it comes to touring cars.
41:50Thoroughly prepares.
41:52Does the testing.
41:56Knows the track.
41:58Has driven for Mercedes for a number of years,
42:00in all types of cars.
42:04The touring cars are where he has excelled.
42:10You can see how smoothly he goes through this entire circuit.
42:15The car is perfectly set up for this racetrack.
42:17Everyone else has had problems, because of the asphalt.
42:21But, he's got it.
42:23Schneider's got the car working.
42:29And he continues to cut into the lead of Manuel Reuter.
42:39Back in the back, you see Guzman and Fesler battling.
42:47This is for Fesler.
42:50This is for position 6 and 7.
42:54Actually, it's one more. It's 5 and 6, I believe.
42:59There comes Uwe Alsen into the right-hander.
43:01Then the Guzman-Fesler battle.
43:085 and 6, right.
43:10So, Reuter's still out in front.
43:12You can see everyone else is pitted.
43:15So, when Reuter pits, that could mean that
43:18Uwe Alsen will get a chance to move up in the podium in 3rd place.
43:24Of course, Guzman would like to do that, too.
43:28Guzman from the Netherlands.
43:30He'll be on his home track in the next one, when we go up to Zandvoort.
43:36The second of the races outside of Germany this year.
43:41Up in the dunes of the Netherlands.
43:48Well, Schneider has not let off at all.
43:52He knows that Reuter has to pit.
43:54He continues to pit.
43:56And he has a chance to ride with Schneider right now.
44:01Heading down, they pit straight here.
44:03Goes to the lowest point, of course.
44:05And then it starts to go uphill drastically.
44:09You can see Reuter ahead of him.
44:12Into the right-hander.
44:14And then the continued trip uphill.
44:18Up to the ringers' turn.
44:23And Schneider just continues to methodically head towards the title here in the German Touring Car Masters.
44:28And still, two events on the schedule.
44:31After Zandvoort, he's in the window.
44:34At Hockenheim.
44:38There's always a big festival at the end of the year for these cars.
44:43There'll be a big gala, there'll be a big dinner.
44:48There'll certainly be a load of fans.
44:55When is Reuter going to pit?
44:57Probably is going to wait until the very last opportunity.
45:02Schneider is reeling him into it.
45:04Bernd Schneider is not letting off.
45:08He just keeps eating into that lead.
45:10And Reuter probably does not want to be passed on the track by Schneider.
45:13So he'll most likely go in here real quick.
45:15He's going to have to anyway.
45:20Schneider.
45:22Another view heading back into the green.
45:24Stands straight here.
45:29And Reuter has gone in.
45:31You can see him out in front.
45:33Bernd Schneider has taken over the lead.
45:35Out in front.
45:37Bernd Schneider has taken over the lead.
45:39Von Will Reuter comes in.
45:41He gave Opel what they wanted.
45:43Time out in front.
45:46Now, how quickly is he going to be able to get out?
45:55Here he comes. Ooh, a long pit stop.
45:58Let's see what happens when he comes out.
46:02Here comes Uwe Alsen.
46:05Reuter is going to drop back to fourth.
46:09Uwe Alsen is now running third.
46:13Then comes Manuel Reuter.
46:16Then comes Husman.
46:17Then comes Fesler.
46:19Then Hubert Hout.
46:21Running in seventh position.
46:22That'll be his best finish of the entire season.
46:29He's driving for the independent Euro team.
46:31The last year's car.
46:33Getting used to driving in Europe again
46:35after spending a number of years in the States.
46:37So, not a bad weekend for Hubert Hout.
46:43Here comes Marcel Fesler.
46:45And Fesler had spun.
46:47That's why he was so slow.
46:49Marcel Fesler spun,
46:51heading down the grandstand straight
46:53and lost ground.
46:57The way the cars are all spread out here right now.
46:59He was able to hold position.
47:05There's your leader, Bernd Schneider.
47:09Heading for his title.
47:11In second place,
47:13the man who might have had it
47:15if he hadn't had to go to Le Mans.
47:19Aiello.
47:20Laurent Aiello.
47:22Running third.
47:24The man that started the race.
47:26Running third.
47:28The man that started off so slowly
47:30for Mercedes this year.
47:32Uwe Alsen.
47:34Looks like he's headed for third place.
47:36Manuel Reuter is running in fourth.
47:38Patrick Huisman from the Netherlands.
47:42He's sitting in the fifth position.
47:44Then comes Fesler.
47:46There's Hubert Hout.
47:48Coming up and behind him is Olivier.
47:50Also still out on the course.
47:52Jochem Beekhuy.
47:54And Darren Turner.
47:58Right now, ten cars are running
48:00with just about a lap or two to go.
48:04The only thing that's going to stop
48:06Bernd Schneider now
48:08is something going wrong with that car.
48:10He's in the last lap.
48:14You know he can tell that title's ahead of him.
48:16He's got two more right-handers
48:18and a straightaway.
48:20And the German Touring Car Masters
48:222001 driving title is his.
48:26One more right-hander.
48:28Here he comes.
48:30He pulls over
48:32toward the pit area.
48:34Takes the chequered flag.
48:36And his crew
48:38is right there to cheer him on.
48:42Bernd Schneider wins
48:44the feature race here at the
48:46Ring in Austria and the German
48:48Touring Car Masters title.
48:50Well, nobody could expect that.
48:52Similar to Formula 1.
48:54The championship is over
48:56and decided before
48:58the last race.
49:00But I think Bernd Schneider and his crew did a fantastic job
49:02and they deserve to win the championship.
49:08I could expect, but you know,
49:10you never know what's going to happen.
49:12Now I've got it in the pocket
49:14and I'm really satisfied and looking forward to the next two races.
49:16So what's going on tonight?
49:18Tonight, big party.
49:20Actually, no, we have not a big party.
49:22I'm flying back to Monaco
49:24to see my little kids.
49:26I'm away for a couple of days
49:28and I'm really looking forward to see them.
49:30But we will have a big party in Hockenheim, final race.
49:34Meanwhile, the crew is just starting to think
49:36toward Hockenheim already.
49:38The t-shirts are out.
49:40Schneider, champion.
49:42It's one happy crew.
49:44And there it is.
49:46Schneider's best finish of the season in 4th.
49:48Another good race for Patrick Huisman.
49:50And Hubert Haupt in 7th
49:52with his base placing 4th of the year.
49:54So a number of drivers took advantage
49:56of what was a very difficult day.
49:58Joachim Winkelhock finishes 9th.
50:00Darren Turner is 10th.
50:02But another great performance for Laurent Aiello.
50:06I think it was a perfect day for Audi
50:08because, to be honest,
50:10we didn't expect to be as good during this race.
50:12We saw in the free practice
50:14that the Mercedes were very strong.
50:18But during the weekend,
50:20we improved the car all the way through.
50:22And finishing 2nd here is very good.
50:24And now we still have 2 races to go.
50:26And I hope we will have
50:28good results too
50:30to finish in the top 3.
50:32It was, after the start,
50:34a crash in the first corner.
50:36I think Alain Meunier
50:38was a little bit too late on the brakes.
50:40It was a big disaster in the first corner.
50:42And after this,
50:44I lost some places.
50:46Maybe I was in the 7th place.
50:48But now I'm happy.
50:50I'm 2nd in the championship
50:52and 3rd on the podium.
50:54It's OK.
50:56And there's the championship standings.
50:58Bernd Schneider, your title holder.
51:00But the battle for 2nd is still open
51:02between Alisson Aiello and Dumbrec
51:04who wasn't able to pick up points today.
51:06Next stop on the tour
51:08is the Netherlands.
51:10Join us for the German Touring Car Masters.
51:38NEXT EPISODE
51:40NEXT EPISODE
51:42NEXT EPISODE
51:44NEXT EPISODE
51:46NEXT EPISODE
51:48NEXT EPISODE
51:50NEXT EPISODE
51:52NEXT EPISODE
51:54NEXT EPISODE
51:56NEXT EPISODE
51:58NEXT EPISODE
52:08NEXT EPISODE
52:10NEXT EPISODE
52:12NEXT EPISODE
52:14NEXT EPISODE
52:16NEXT EPISODE
52:18NEXT EPISODE
52:20NEXT EPISODE
52:22NEXT EPISODE
52:24NEXT EPISODE
52:26NEXT EPISODE
52:28NEXT EPISODE
52:30NEXT EPISODE
52:32NEXT EPISODE
52:34NEXT EPISODE