DTM Hockenheimring.

[David Morton]

Any body going to the Hockenheimring for the DTM finals?

[David Morton]

It seems Audi Sport withdrew all Audi cars in the race in Barcelona when Mercedes went on a 'win at all costs' rampage on Sunday. I think fat Norbert has upset Herr Doctor and will have to pay dearly in Hockenheim. Could be a lot of fun.

[David Morton]

from F1 supporters website:
- Audi withdraws all vehicles as a consequence
- Audi driver Mattias Ekström continues to lead the table

The title decision in the 2007 DTM will only be made in the finale at Hockenheim on 14 October. 42,000 spectators at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona (Spain) witnessed an excessively rough race in which one Audi driver after the other was bumped off the track by Mercedes drivers - among them all four drivers of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline including the two candidates for the title, Mattias Ekström (Sweden) and Martin Tomczyk (Germany). When the situation threatened to escalate, Audi decided to withdraw all seven Audi A4 DTM cars that were still in the race.

From the start, the quickest in qualifying, Martin Tomczyk, had taken the lead before being bumped off the track on lap seven by the two-time Formula World Champion Mika Häkkinen. After the incident, Tomczyk was at first able to continue the race in eleventh place but later had to retire because the radiator of his Audi A4 DTM was damaged in the collision.

Leader of the standings Mattias Ekström had advanced from tenth to sixth place after the start and was very quick after an early first tyre change. While overtaking Daniel la Rosa, who had not pitted yet, he was hit hard by the Mercedes driver. This meant the end of the race for the Swede as well.

Previously, on the starting lap, Tom Kristensen had been turned around by Mercedes driver Gary Paffett. When Timo Scheider and Mike Rockenfeller, who was running in third position, also were pushed off the track by Mercedes drivers, Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich - after consultation with the Chairman of the Board of AUDI AG, Rupert Stadler - decided to withdraw all seven Audi cars remaining in the race to send a clear message in favour of fair racing.

"What happened on the race track today was simply unacceptable," stated Rupert Stadler, who witnessed the race live at the team garage of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. "We’re proceeding from the assumption that emotions will cool down again before the Hockenheim race and that spectators will see a finale with fair sport. It’s also clear that we continue to be committed to the DTM. But a few things will probably have to change."

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "We wanted to see a tough, but fair touring car race today. But we had to get the impression that the Mercedes drivers used every opportunity to eliminate our cars. This is not the style in which we want to conduct motorsport. We want to see tough and fair duels but nothing of the kind we had today. That’s why we took the decision to withdraw all of our vehicles. That was not an easy decision, and it cost us points, and maybe even the title. But we wanted to send a clear message for fair motorsport."

[wanni]

I am going to the Nordschleife on the 13th of October to see my new baby on the track.
A transverse 6 speed sequential box made for Turbo Diesel Front wheel drives.
1st exit on an Alfa 147 JTD 1,9 with the engine tuned by Kolb and the vehicle by Lingmann Motorsport.
Who knows????
Ciao
Wanni

[David Morton]

It's just been confirmed this afternoon. RaceMet will be at the Hockenheimring for the DTM final on behalf of Audi. Expected crowd :150,000. (twice as many as the last F1 race there).
Anybody going, let me know?
Wanni, are you driving or flying up to N-ring?

[David Morton]

I returned home from this race in the early hours of Monday morning still wondering what DTM has done to generate such huge crowds. There was 142,000 people at this race which was 62,000 more than the last F1 race at the same place. This series is incredibly popular in Germany and driving past Koblenz and Cologne on the 61 there are huge signs on the autobahn advertising the DTM race in the Nurbugring.
Why is it so popular Marcus?

[Marcus]

David,

think the well proven recipe is to race cars everyone can identify with, to offer tough wheel to wheel racing, to allow close access to cars and drivers and garnish it all with immense catering to the media beforehand.

Bottom line: Turn the race weekend into some kind of motorsport fairground by offering an immensly entertaining family-package for a fraction of the costs of an F1-ticket. The same principle works with NASCAR.

Hope you agree...


Best to you,

Marcus

[David Morton]

Marcus,
Yes, no doubt about your analysis. I saw so many families going in to the race plus many young couples which just doesn't happen in F1. My allocated parking area also became a main car park so I witnessed so many people arriving on Sunday and they were markedly different from the average F1 visitor/fan. Some delicious high performance cars -Abt audis and AMG mercs so obviously the DTM is helping to sell super cars - and so many are black at the moment, is this the new Mercedes silver ?
Yes , F1 should start taking notes. DTM seems to have the edge.

[Keith Hardy]

I used to be a great fan of DTM and watched it right up until Paffet took the championship, was it last year? But since Opel fell out of it it doesn't seem to be the same series. It has become so slick and almost as predictable as F1 with overtaking a rare event, but the one race I really enjoy is the "semi" street race of Norisring - one of the most exciting motor racing events of the year to watch bar none.

The other factor is Carlton Kirby the utter knob who commentates for Motors TV and in my view demeans & trivialises every motor race and driver he comments on.

Like many other series though, the DTM has to be experienced live for sheer sight & sound..