The decision about the win in the Astra OPC Cup 2014 which runs within the VLN endurance racing championship Nürburgring will not be taken before the season finale. With their fourth victory in the current season, Thorsten Wolter (Berlin) as well as the brothers Heinz-Otto and Jürgen Fritzsche (both from Hückeswagen/ Germany) of the Team Lubner Motorsport set the course for the win of the title. The experienced driver trio is however still missing two points to make the 2014 motorsport season perfect. The fight about the title was kept open due to the second place achieved by Jari Nuoramo, Juha Hannonen (both from Finland) and Peter Bonk (Senden/ Germany). Very happy about his third result on the podium was Willy Hüppi from Switzerland who was competing in his Opel Astra OPC Cup together with Alexander Schula (Hattersheim/ Germany) at the ROWE DMV 250 Miles Race.
“We are more than happy with our second place and also about the fact that the decision in the championship is still open”, said Peter Bonk. “The Lubner trio has a comfortable advance but as long as we have the slightest chance to win the title, we will go full attack.” Heinz-Otto Fritzsche, too, knows that the title is not yet home and dry: “I have seen so many things in motorsport, you must never be sure. We are two points behind the title. That sounds like an easy task but it isn’t by far. We must finish the final race before we can start the winners’ party.” Nuoramo from Finland, too, was extremely happy: “Our set-up today was not perfect. I am all the more happy having achieved second place.”
The decision about second or third place was taken in the last lap only when the Astra of the team PB-Per4mance moved ahead of the Hüppi car. “Nevertheless, I don’t want to complain. I have today achieved my third result on the podium – I would never have dreamed of that at the beginning of the season”, said the Swiss. Very short after the race start, Hüppi already experienced a moment of shock. “I had a slight collision with another competitor – whereupon I continued cool-headed. The joy was great then at the finish.”
The previously second-placed drivers in the championship, “Sugar Mountain“ (Bad Lippspringe/ Germany) and Uwe Wächtler (Zwickau/ Germany) lost their chaser position due to their first retirement in the 2014 season. Last year’s champions Mario Merten (Kelberg/ Germany) and Jürgen Nett (Mayen/ Germany), too, were not very lucky in the race as they had to retire in the first lap already due to an accident.
The victory in the Astra Cup class at the ninth round of the VLN endurance racing championship Nürburgring went to Tim Schrick (Munich) and Hannu Luostarinen (Finland). The Kissling driver duo, competing in the Opel Astra OPC Cup as guest starters, scored many points for the VLN classification with their fifth class win in a row and thus confirmed their second position in the championship but without any realistic chances to make up the gap at the finale on 25th October. “Even though we will not make it for the championship, position two in this strong series is an excellent result and that is what we are fighting for”, said Schrick.
Strycek youngsters start to attack
Behind Schrick and Luostarinen, the two newcomers Moritz Oestreich (Petersberg/ Germany) and Robin Strycek (Runkel/ Germany) celebrated their first top result with place two. This driver duo, too, competes in the Opel Astra OPC Cup as guest starters but demonstrated in an impressive way that the next generation of Opel race drivers is to be expected next season. Strycek’s sister Lena (Dehrn/ Germany) competed in her first VLN race at the DMV 250 Miles Race – of course in an Opel. Together with Uwe Stein (Meerbusch/ Germany) and Peter Venn (Great Britain), the 24 years old race driver finished in the Opel Astra GTC OPC in seventh position in class SP3T (VLN Specials up to 2,000 cc cylinder capacity with turbo). This was the first time that both children of the legendary Opel driver Volker Strycek (Dehrn/ Germany) competed in the same race. The proud father participated too of course. He won class H2 in the trendy Opel Manta together with Olaf Beckmann (Oststeinbek/ Germany) and Peter Hass (Lorsbach/Hofheim/ Germany).
The season finale will take place in three weeks’ time. The 46th ADAC Barbarossapreis will run over the usual distance of four hours after which the decision in the Opel Astra OPC Cup will be taken.
