The 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen 2009 will go down in history for the team Heico Sportiv. Just as once Don Quixote, Heico Sportiv was “tilting at windmills” last Saturday. After 6 hours race duration, the team with drivers Ulli Andree, Patrick Brenndörfer and Martin Müller was nevertheless rewarded with the second victory of the season for the bioethanol fuel driven car.
The timed practice on Saturday morning already started with a bang: Tyre damage in the first fast lap. Driver Martin Müller was lucky things didn’t turn out worse and he was particularly skilful in managing to stabilise the car at a speed of 230 kph at the section “Döttinger Höhe” and to drive safely back to pit 33. After an emergency repair they continued with a taped front spoiler and without mudguard and Ulli Andree set fastest lap time with 9:32,585 minutes (average speed: 153.215 kph). This was at the same time the 63rd overall position amongst the field of 188 cars.
Start driver Patrick Brenndörfer had to start the race from the pit lane. “We had to repair the Heico HS3 due to the tyre damage”, explained team engineer Felice Sgura. Brenndörfer did a great job in this first stint, moved up and changed the steering wheel to Andree and Müller who gained further positions with constant fast lap times. Even the various changes of weather could not stop the team. Their success: After a race distance of four hours, they went into the lead of class SP4T and into 65th overall position with their Volvo C30 which runs on bioethanol fuel “CropPower85”.
A subsequent damage, though, meant the abrupt end. A damaged V-belt caused them to stop for a short repair in the area of “Adenau”. They started again to catch up brilliantly after repair before they were informed that their biggest rival in the Ford had retired.
”We would have preferred to win by our own efforts instead of inheriting the victory. But finally, we were more lucky and have earned our victory”, commented Patrick Brenndörfer in the end.
