For Kissling-Motorsport, the 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen organised by the MSC Ruhr-Blitz reminded of the lightning bolt on the Opel badging, the “Opel Blitz”. According to the principle “We are Opel”, Jürgen and Heinz-Otto Fritzsche together with Marco Wolf in the Astra GTC kept the flag flying for the car make from Rüsselsheim in achieving a 20th overall positions and a class win.
The traditional racing team which is based in Bad Münstereifel had entered four cars for the highlight of the BFGoodrich Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring season. The two Corvette C6.SP showed a very good performance in the practice. Sascha Bert, Volker Strycek and Stefan Kissling finished in fifth place with a qualifying time of 8:20,033 minutes. The “sister car” driven by Reinhold Renger, Roland Rehfeld and double starter Stefan Kissling set a time of 8:27,085 minutes and achieved tenth grid position.
The two Corvette teams had to know from bitter experience that a 6h race can be very long. Sascha Bert missed the braking point in the first turn and lost some places which, however, he had regained one lap later already. The second American front engine sports car from Kissling Motorsport was also fighting hard to gain positions.
A bad accident following a tyre damage signified the end of the race for the fast Corvette with Bert behind the steering wheel. Hence, there remained only one iron in the fire to fight for a top position. Everything looked perfect for Renger, Rehfeld and Kissling. The team could go the pace of the top times and the classification showed them temporarily even into fourth overall position. The crew also managed the extreme weather with which the teams at the Nürburgring were faced very well until all the chances for a good result ended due to an accident during an overtaking manoeuvre at the big jump in the section of Pflanzgarten.
So only two cars of Kissling-Motorsport remained in the race. The Finnish drivers Julius Nieminen and his mentor Hannu Loustarinen in the Opel Corsa experienced the difficulties which lie in an endurance race when the SP2 race car stopped for a while with an electrical damage. The problem could be solved beside the race track and the small race car could rejoin the race and finally finished into third place in their class.
That was the moment for Marco Wolf as well as for Heinz-Otto and Jürgen Fritzsche. They had started from 47th grid position and it was again due to their experience and the high racing speed that they were constantly able to catch up. Always taking the right decisions in their tyre choices and without any technical problem, the Opel Astra GTC did not only finish into first position in their class but also achieved an excellent 20th place overall.
