At the end of the eighth round of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft, Elmar Jurek and Jannik Olivo prematurely celebrated their championship title in the New Renault Clio Cup. Their result in the special Renault classification in which they finished second was sufficient to assure the title. The New Renault Clio Cup winners in this highly dramatic race at the Nordschleife were Mathias Schläppi and Holger Goedicke. In the Renault Clio championship classification, they are now into second place ahead of Henry Walkenhorst and Michael Schrey who also finished the endurance race into third place.
The 8th race of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft, the ADAC Barbarossapreis race organised by the motor sport club Sinzig, was marked by exciting fights – and a number of accidents. Due to the drivers’ lack of driving discipline in the sections in which more and more accidents happened, Race Control decided to stop the race after a little more than three hours race time and before the scheduled finish of the race. This, however, spoiled the plans of many drivers such as the ones of some of the 24 Renault Clio teams which had come to the Nürburgring for this 8th VLN race. Some of them had to stop already in practice or after the start due to accidents and retirements.
The championship leaders Jannik Olivo and Elmar Jurek were unlucky right at the start of the race. “For us, this was the worst weekend of the season, but we are now nevertheless the Champions in the Renault Clio classification.” This was the summary of this 8th race given by the TKS drivers from Berlin. All the hopes on a win in the special Renault classification were already spoiled on the very first metres after the start. Even though the race drivers from Berlin had achieved the best practice result in class SP3 with their 43rd overall position, Jannik Olivo had to watch the complete second starting group passing him in the Mercedes Arena without being able to do something about it. He went off due to some oil and coolant on the track. “The only possible tactic then was to attack”, he told. He started to catch up brilliantly up into fifth place and Elmar Jurek pursued this tactic. He said after the race: “I was in second place already but then the race was stopped.”
“A victory – finally”, said in contrast Mathias Schläppi and Holger Goedicke happily who were able to defend their lead after Olivo had spun in many close fights. “We have revised the car completely under consideration of the experience which he had gained in the previous races. That was a good job”, said the team manager form Switzerland, Mathias Schläppi.
After a brilliant race and long time shown into second position, the crew of Henry Walkenhorst and Michael Schrey had to be satisfied with the third race position.
“We were holding second place in the race but we were so much slowed down at the site of an accident that we finally finished third only”, explained the team mechanics Steve Baumann and Francesco Montana.
In the race, Walkenhorst and Schrey were in particular were busy due to the ongoing battle with the heavily attacking Roadrunner crew of Jürgen Peter and Arndt “Rennsemmel” Hallmanns.
“I am very happy with the performance of Arndt and Jürgen”, informed Roadrunner team manager Udo Huppertz. “We know what we have to do for the next race to make up the gap to the top Clio teams. So we are very optimistic for the last two races and look forward to them.”
The next round of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft will take place on 16th of October.
