With the 44th ADAC Barbarossapreis last weekend, the final stage of the current VLN season has started. Amongst the total of 159 starters, the total of 16 Renault Clio race cars once again represented the strongest group in terms of numbers of starters.
After a rainy start of the day, the first cars started their qualifying still in the rain. As it stopped raining during the practice, all of the drivers changed to slick tyres towards the end of the session and completed much faster lap times. The fastest Renault Clio drivers hereby were Olivo/ Jurek who then took the start from position five in the third starting group. They were followed by the Schläppi Race-Tec drivers Mathias Schläppi & Holger Goedicke as well as the Roadrunner Racing driver duo Jürgen Peter & „Rennsemmel“ on their race around the Nordschleife. Into eleventh position on the grid was an old friend who started again after a few slip-ups in the current season, Rolf Weißenfels from Peterslahr/ Germany. In the year 2008 and at the age of 50, he was for the first time participating in a race and competes since then from time to time in the VLN with a Renault Clio.
At no time during the race, the driver duo Olivo/ Jurek lost their lead in the Cup3 classification and after a quarter of the race time, the Renault Clio of the team TKS had an advance of 20 seconds ahead of their rivals “Rennsemmel”/ Peter who had to stop the race shortly afterwards. Finally, the two race drivers from Berlin finished the race with an advance of one lap in front of the Clio of the team Stadler Motorsport. They thus confirmed their leading position in the VLN overall classification 2012, subject to the protest decision which remains to be taken regarding the seventh round. Into third place and as first of the Renault Clio Cup Speed Trophy special classification already followed the Groneck brothers ahead of the permanent second placed Frei / Raab.
The ninth round of the VLN endurance racing championship 2012 will take place on 29th September 2012 with the 36th DMV 250 Miles Race.
