2009 WTCC : First win for BMW

Race 2 Winner - Augusto Farfus - BMW Team Germany - BMW 320si

VALENCIA, Spain : May 31, 2009 - Augusto Farfus scored BMW’s first win of the season after starting from fifth on the grid.

Race 1 Podium

Race 1 - Third win for Yvan Muller

SEAT Sport celebrated a 1-2-3 at their home track. Yvan Muller won the race (his third victory of the season) from second on the grid after taking the lead off the start. Tiago Monteiro finished second with Gabriele Tarquini third.
Augusto Farfus and Andy Priaulx from BMW had a strong race edging through the pack to come home fourth and fifth respectively. Fellow BMW driver Jörg Müller passed the chequered flag sixth after dropping two places on the last corner – he will line up third for Race 2. Spaniard Sergio Hernández battled hard against Stefano D’Aste to keep eighth place and pole for the second race. Tom Coronel continued his strong form this weekend to claim the Independent win and seventh place overall.

Man of the race
Augusto Farfus was under pressure from the word go in Race 1. At the start he was being pushed wide by Jordi Gené but held his ground. At turn 1 another challenge faced him as Rydell, Menu and Gené were involved in scuffle. Although this cost the Brazilian to drop down several places, he battled on and made his way up to fourth to claim five precious championship points.

Key moment
The first corner on lap one saw an incident that spelt the end of podium hopes for several contenders and allowed others to rise through the ranks. Rickard Rydell hit Alain Menu as they took the outside line. The impact sent Menu into Gené who went off the track and did not rejoin. Those drivers who opted for the inside of turn one including Müller and Coronel, avoided the clash and continued with the advantage.

Withdrawals
J. Gené: race incident; K. Poulsen: race incident; K. Ladygin: engine overheating

Race 2 Podium

Race 2 – Farfus gives first win to BMW

Augusto Farfus scored BMW’s first win of the season after starting from fifth on the grid. The Brazilian’s BMW Team Germany companion Jörg Müller made it a BMW 1-2 while Gabriele Tarquini denied the German marque a 1-2-3 with Andy Priaulx narrowly missing out on a podium spot.
Jörg Müller led the race until lap three when Farfus took the reins. The duo made a break from the rest leaving Priaulx and Tarquini to undertake some superb racing for third. Behind them BMW Italy-Spain’s men Alessandro Zanardi and Sergio Hernández took fifth and sixth followed by Race 1 winner Yvan Muller and Tiago Monteiro. Despite starting from second, Coronel couldn’t match the BMW’s start and was eventually beaten by Stefano D’Aste for the Independent win.

Man of the race
Stefano D’Aste took his first victory in the Independents’ category. During Race 1 the Italian promoted himself from 16th to ninth. This gave him the opportunity to shine in Race 2 and he did not disappoint. After the start D’Aste was behind Coronel, at which point he used his intelligence to study the Dutchman’s driving for a couple of laps and overtake where he knew he had the best chance.

Key moment
The battle between Tarquini and Priaulx was touring car racing at its best. As the laps unfolded Priaulx’s determination grew and he was pressurising Tarquini all the way. On lap eight it looked as though the Briton had done enough to stand on the podium as he edged his way past the SEAT. However, a few seconds later Tarquini used his straight-line speed to claim back the place at the end of the straight.

Withdrawals
K. Ladygin: oil pressure.

Driver's Championship
Pos.	Driver - Nationality	R1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Yvan MULLER (FRA)	10	5	5	10	5	8	0	2	10	2	57
2	Augusto FARFUS (BRA)	4	3	8	5	0	3	8	8	5	10	54
3	Gabriele TARQUINI (ITA)	5	10	3	1	8	4	0	3	6	6	46
4	Andy PRIAULX (GBR)	2	0	6	8	0	0	5	5	4	5	35
5	Robert HUFF (GBR)	0	0	0	0	10	6	10	6	0	0	32
6	J๖rg MLLER (GER)	0	4	4	0	1	5	6	0	3	8	31
7	Rickard RYDELL (SWE)	6	8	10	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	30
8	Jordi GENษ (ESP)	8	6	2	2	6	0	0	0	0	0	24
9	Sergio HERNมNDEZ (ESP)	3	0	0	4	0	0	4	0	1	3	15
10	Nicola LARINI (ITA)	0	0	1	0	3	10	0	0	0	0	14
11	Alain MENU (SUI)	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	10	0	0	14
12	Tiago MONTEIRO (POR)	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	8	1	13
13	Alessandro ZANARDI (ITA)	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	4	0	4	11
14	Franz ENGSTLER (GER)	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	0	0	0	5
15	Tom CORONEL (NED)	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	0	5
16	F้lix PORTEIRO (ESP)	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
17	Eric CAYROLLE (FRA)	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	1	-	-	1

Manufacturer's Champion
Pos.	Brand	Point
1	SEAT	136
2	BMW	120
3	CHEVROLET	96
4	LADA	35

Hi-light images : 2009 - WTCC - Round 9-10 Valencia, Spain

[Source : WTCC Official, SEAT, BMW]

2009 DTM : Gary Paffett wins at EuroSpeedway - Official images included!

2009 DTM Eurospeedway Winner : Gary Paffett - Salzgitter AMG Mercedes

EuroSpeedway Lausitz : May 31, 2009 - Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) has crossed the finish line as the winner of the second DTM season round after 52 laps at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. The Briton, who started the race from seventh on the grid, made it to the front with consistently fast lap times and a perfect pit stop strategy. For Paffett, it was his eleventh victory in the DTM. Second place at the 3.478 kilometres long track in the Lausitz went to his team-mate Bruno Spengler. The podium was completed by Mattias Ekström (Audi), who had started from pole position. Behind Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz) and Timo Scheider (Audi) in fourth and fifth place, Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz) was the best-placed driver with a year-old car. Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) and Maro Engel (Mercedes-Benz) came home seventh and eighth. An extensive press release will follow shortly.

The Podium : (L-R) Bruno Spengler, Gary Paffett, Mattias Ekström

A good tactic: Gary Paffett wins at EuroSpeedway

Spectators on race weekend: 75.000
Air temperature: 19.6 degrees
Track temperature: 21.7 degrees

With an impeccable tactic and well-timed pit stops, Briton Gary Paffett claimed victory for Mercedes-Benz after 52 laps at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in the second round of the 2009 DTM. The 28-year old planned his two mandatory pit stops late in laps 24 and 34 and was thus able to extend his lead in first place lap after lap. Second-place went to his team-mate Bruno Spengler from Canada, who also went past Swedish Audi driver Mattias Ekström thanks to late stops. The champion of 2004 and 2007, who had started from pole position, came third in the second DTM race of the year.

“I don’t know what was wrong at Hockenheim, but today, everything was just perfect. Especially the strategy that my team worked out was the key to success. This is going to be a great season. I am already looking forward to Norisring in four weeks’ time”, said Paffett after his eleventh victory in the DTM. For his employer Mercedes-Benz, it was already the 148th race win in the most popular international touring car series. Ekström, who already made his first stop on lap 13 and his second one on lap 22, said about his third place: “I drove a race without any mistakes and still, I wasn’t as fast as the two Mercedes. Of course, when you start from pole, the goal is to win, but we will be faster next time round.”

Last year’s runner-up Paul Di Resta (GB/Mercedes-Benz) finished in fourth place ahead of reigning champion Timo Scheider (Audi). Mercedes-Benz driver Jamie Green from Great Britain ended up sixth as the best-placed driver of a 2008-spec car.

With a great recovery in his AMG-Mercedes C-Class, Ralf Schumacher thrilled the fans in the Lower Lausitz. Having started last, the German made it all the way up into tenth place. The winner of the season opener at Hockenheim, Tom Kristensen (DK) had a rather disappointing weekend. Initially, the Audi driver failed to make it into the second heat of qualifying on Saturday. On Sunday, the 41-year old was involved in many duels and incurred one drive-through penalty and a pit stop time penalty for his manoeuvres. This left Kristensen without a chance of challenging for a top position. After 180.856 kilometres, he finished twelfth.

In the overall standings, champion Scheider is leading with twelve points from Kristensen and Paffett, who have ten points each. The third DTM race weekend of the year will be taking place at the Norisring in Nuremberg from June 26th till 28th.

Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug: “I am surprised that I can speak first. Before the race, I didn’t expect that we would be strong enough to win here today. But this weekend, we were stronger than at Hockenheim. In qualifying, we already had a good strategy. After the last race, Gary was relegated five grid positions and had to start from seventh. From there, he made it onto the podium. Today, it has shown that one can do a good race with used tyres. That was the key to success for us today. We have five cars in the points, all eight drivers among the first eleven and a fastest lap time for Jamie. Today, luck went our way. The next race at Norisring will be another season highlight.”

Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: “Throughout the race, we just haven’t been able to match the pace that Mercedes had. With our slight weight disadvantage, we particularly feel the surface here at the EuroSpeedway. Moreover, Ekström and Scheider were all the time in a group where they had to defend their positions. Mercedes was simply strong today. But it will start all over again in the next round at the Norisring. That is what makes this series so exciting.”

2009 DTM Round 2 : EuroSpeedway Lausitz Race Result

Pos	No	Team-Driver	Machine-Yr	Time	GAP
1.	10	Salzgitter AMG Mercedes- Gary Paffett (GBR)	Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Klasse-09	1:10:01.572	0.0
2.	9	Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG- Bruno Spengler (CAN)	Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Klasse-09	1:10:02.687	01.115
3.	5	Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline- Mattias Ekström (SWE)	AUDI A4 DTM-09	1:10:15.800	14.228
4.	3	AMG Mercedes- Paul Di Resta (GBR)	AMG Mercedes C-Klasse-09	1:10:16.706	15.134
5.	1	Audi Sport Team Abt- Timo Scheider (GER)	AUDI A4 DTM-09	1:10:17.327	15.755
6.	7	Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes- Jamie Green (GBR)	Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Klasse-08	1:10:17.898	16.326
7.	11	Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes- Jamie Green (GBR)	AUDI A4 DTM-08	1:10:32.744	31.172
8.	16	GQ AMG Mercedes- Maro Engel (GER)	GQ AMG Mercedes C-Klasse-08	1:10:43.118	41.546
9.	17	stern AMG Mercedes- Mathias Lauda (AUT)	stern AMG Mercedes C-Klasse-08	1:10:51.540	49.968
10.	4	Trilux AMG Mercedes- Ralf Schumacher (GER)	Trilux AMG Mercedes C-Klasse-09	1:10:52.224	50.652

Driver's Championship after 2 rounds
Pos.	Driver - Nationality	R1	R2	Total
1	Timo Scheider / GER	8	4	12
2	Tom Kristensen / DEN	10	-	10
3	Gary Paffett / GBR	-	10	10
4	Paul Di Resta / GBR	4	5	9
5	Bruno Spengler / CAN	0	8	8
6	Mattias Ekström / SWE	2	6	8
7	Oliver Jarvis / GBR	-	6	6
8	Markus Winkelhock / GER	5	-	5
9	Jamie Green / GBR	1	3	4
10	Maro Engel / GER	3	1	4
11	Mike Rockenfeller / GER	-	2	2

Team Championship after 2 rounds
Pos.	Team	R1	R2	Total
1	Audi Sport Team Abt	18	4	22
2	Salzgitter / Mercedes-Benz Ba	-	18	18
3	Trilux AMG Mercedes	4	5	9
4	Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline	2	6	8
5	Audi Sport Team Rosberg	5	2	7
6	Audi Sport Team Phoenix	6	-	6
7	GQ / stern AMG Mercedes	3	1	4
8	TV Spielfim / Junge Sterne AM	1	3	4

Images : 2009 DTM : Round 2 EuroSpeedway Lausitz Hi-light images

[Source : DTM Official, AUDI, DAIMLER]

Gronholm goes after Pike’s Peak record with 800 hp Fiesta

New Ford Fiesta Rally Cross

Double World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm will attempt to set a new record time for the Pike’s Peak International hill climb on 19 July in a four-wheel drive, 800 horsepower Ford Fiesta.

Marcus Gronholm - Andreas Eriksson

The Finn, 41, will be one half of a two car team entered by the Swedish Rallycross outfit Olsberg Motor Sport Evolution. The other car will be driven by the team’s owner, four-time Swedish rally champion Andreas Eriksson, 35.

The Pike's Peak International Hill Climb dates back to 1916 and is the second oldest motor sports event in America. It takes its name from the famous mountain peak that towers above Colorado Springs in the Rocky Mountains and is often referred to as 'The Race to the Clouds'.

Over the years the event has proved a popular attraction for stars of the WRC. In 1985 Audi Quattro driver Michele Mouton became the first woman to win it, while in 1988 Ari Vatanen and Juha Kankkunen famously took a one-two victory with Peugeot.

Two new Fiesta Rallycross cars will be driven in the ‘Unlimited Class’ at Pike’s Peak, in an attempt to be the first team to break the 10-minute mark over the 12.4-mile, 156-turn asphalt and gravel course. The existing record - 10min 01.41sec - was set in 2007 by former Suzuki World Rally Team boss, Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima driving a 3.6 litre twin turbo Suzuki XL-7.

The Olsbergs MSE Fiesta Rallycross car is powered by a 2.0-litre Duratec Ford engine capable of more than 800 horsepower.

“We are excited to be bringing the car to Pike’s Peak and to be able to see what it can do in such a unique competition,” said Eriksson. “It’s a legendary event, and we’ve already been there to take a look at the challenge we will face. I’m convinced we’ll be a top contender to break the 10-minute mark.

[Source : FORD, WRC]