Successful start of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft season for the New Renault Clio Cup: At the first race of the season, Janik Olivo and Elmar Jurek follow on from their success in gaining the 2009 Championship and win the exciting 4 hours race at the Nordschleife. Behind them followed Mathias Schläppi, the experienced Swiss touring car driver and team manager, and Holger Goedicke as well as Axel Linther and Lars Hieronymus into position three.
The start of the season in the ‘Green Hell’ was full of action: The drivers of the New Renault Clio Cup started the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring anything else than carefully. And in contrast to all forecasts, even the weather was kind to the race drivers – apart from some occasional drizzles.
At the opening round of the series, 31 protagonists drove in 15 Cup Clio race cars in this VLN Special Group within class SP3 at the Nordschleife. Amongst them: Many experienced teams as well as highly motivated newcomers.
This first VLN race of the year through the ‘Green Hell’ was marked by many fights about positions, but also by many accidents any displayed yellow flags. Right from the start, the Clio group was dominated again by last year’s winners Janik Olivo and Elmar Jurek who finally finished second in class SP3. The TKS drivers from Berlin had already gained pole position in their class in practice.
Although Ring-Racing solo driver Karl Brinker managed to go into the lead of the Clio drivers after the first lap already, he had to stop the ADAC Westfalenfahrt to run over four hours previously due to technical failure. “I had quite a bad start, the turbulences in the first lap were quite extreme. And after only one lap Karl was following so close behind. Once he had passed me I just remained behind him quite relaxed”, remembered Jurek later.
Into second position of the Clios finished Mathias Schläppi and Holger Goedicke who became fourth in class SP3 after a perfect race.
Very satisfied was also the team of Axel Linther and Lars Hieronymus, finishing third in the Clio classification and fifth in class SP3: “The car was running perfectly. Even though the start was quite difficult due to the oil on the track and the yellow flags, everything was really going well.”
Everything was going well also for Knut Wolf of the Schlaug team who finished fourth together with his new team mate Dominik Brinkmann. “A fantastic start of the season for us, in particular as Dominik is new in the team”, said Wolf happily. Info fifth place followed Henry Walkenhorst and Michael Schrey. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t do better today”, said Schrey with regrets. „We got problems with the front tyres in the last part of the race. And: Four cars in our class have more powerful engines than we have.”
Meanwhile, Drive-a-Racecar team manager Michael Trick had to note even several retirements – all of them due to accidents through no fault of their own. “We will take it easy”, he explains. Drivers Peter Utsch and Frank-Dieter Lohmann of the Schlaug team, too, had to stop the race after an accident.
The second round of the VLN endurance racing series will start on 10th April at 12 o’clock. Renault MotorSport Coordinator Bernd Hütter and his team invite to a get-together to take place on the previous evening in the Renault lounge. To note: There will be a second Renault Race Festival during the 24 Hour Race at the Nürburgring on 13th to 16th May. The programme will include an invitation race for Renault Touring Cars from the past five decades.
