For Vulkan Racing-Mintgen Motorsport, the first round of the season 2010 did not quite run as well as they had originally hoped for. The possibilities of Dirk Riebensahm, Christian Kohlhaas and the Dodge Viper Competition GT3 Coupe were impeded by unfavourable conditions throughout the whole race.
The temperatures were low at this first race of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring last weekend. The fight against the low temperatures was the big task for drivers Dirk Riebensahm and Christian Kohlhaas in order to get the tyres onto temperature. As it was not possible to test the new soft Dunlop tyres before the race, they decided to fit an older and harder compound. This tyre did, however, not work under the prevailing conditions.
The reliability of the full package with the many smaller and bigger modifications compared to last season had already been confirmed. Nevertheless, some items still had to be adjusted. With a time of 9:04.437 minutes in qualifying for example, they achieved only position 24 on the grid. The problems with the tyre temperatures then continued during the race. It took quite some time in the race to get the tyres onto the right temperature so that they had the necessary grip. “We have also not yet found the perfect suspension set-up. Once the tyres had got the right temperature, they worked perfectly”, informed Dirk Riebensahm after the race. In trying to solve the problem during the race, team manager Michael Mintgen adjusted the suspension set-up again at a pit stop. The modifications carried out on the brake system was also much appreciated by Christian Kohlhaas and confirmed with faster lap times. Just when the team had picked up speed, the race was over for them after only two and a half hours due to a collision with a private BMW M3.
The Viper came back to the pits with a damaged front and a flat front left tyre. Indeed, an early retirement was not the result which Michael Mintgen had hoped for at the first VLN race in 2010. Both drivers, Dirk Riebensahm and also Christian Kohlhaas, however were very happy with the current improvements in the electronic system of the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe race cars.
The fans will certainly miss the Viper Coupe in two weeks time as they will compete in the first round of the DMV Touringcar Challenge at Hockenheim. Vulkan Racing-Team Mintgen Motorsport will rejoin the VLN endurance racing championship with the bilious green Dodge Viper Competition Coupe at the Nordschleife at the third round and they hope to be able to use their tyres better then under better weather conditions.
