Bruno Spengler wins DTM in Spielberg
BMW-driver and 2012 winner Bruno Spengler came first at the three day DTM Rally Championship in Styria this weekend.
BMW took the top three places with Marco Wittmann finishing in second position and Timo Glock coming third.
Spengler said: “The car was splendid during the whole race and the team really did a superb job.”
Edoardo Mortara as well as further prominent racers such as MartinTomczyk, Timo Glock, both from BMW, Gary Paffett from Mercedes-Benz, Mattias Ekström and Jamie Green, Audi, also took part in the 4.3 KM race at the Red Bull Ring in Styria.
Local 18-year-old racer Lucas Auer gave an extra push in the third race to finish third in front of the home crowd, beside Felix Rosenqvist (SWE) and Daniil Kvyat (RUS).
The Tyrolean Norbert Siedler who started in pole position on Saturday finally crossed the line in third position. The other Austrians finished 6th (Philipp Eng) and 8th (Marko Klein). The first place on Saturday went to France’s Kévin Estre.
As well as the racing on offer, some 44,000 sports fans had the chance to meet ski stars Marcel Hirscher, Aksel Svindal and Klaus Kroell as well as Formula 1 legend David Coulthard, who even signed autographs.
The good atmosphere was guaranteed by live music and entertainment which kept fans entertained between races as well as during the warm up races and qualifier runs.
The Red Bull Ring is a motor sport circuit in Spielberg, Styria, Austria. Formally called the Österreichring, it hosted the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix for 18 years until 1987. It was then bought by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz and rebuilt. In May 2011 it was reopened as the Red Bull Ring.
The DTM (English: Touring Car Championship) is today a trademark for the most popular international touring car racing series. Attracting several thousand spectators every year, the event is said to be one of the most important sources of revenue in the region. Organisers have said that the future of the even is therewith secured.
Walter Kafitz of the Spielberg Project said: “I have to say, if someone had told me on Friday that it would go so well despite the weather forecast, I would have said I don’t believe it. But went really smoothly, people left in a good mood and that was our goal.
“I am sure that the DTM event in Spielberg is secured in the long-term now.”
Phillip Berkessy, the marketing director of the ITR, right holders of the DTM, said: “The DTM event offers interesting advertising possibilities.
“For each race, we have 200 million cumulated spectators in 198 countries. The DTM race offers a optimal environment that attracts people to Styria.”
Its history began in the 1984 season with cars that were close to the production versions and culminated in a worldwide series for high-tech touring cars in 1996.
After a three-season break the DTM, in 2000, celebrated its successful comeback with a trendsetting concept – fascinating technology at reasonable costs.
Today, the series is regarded as the “pinnacle” of touring car racing and one of Europe’s leading sports events.