Tomczyk wins at the N?rburgring - Ekstr?m retains championship lead
The battle for the DTM championship title remains exciting: the eighth DTM season round at the N?rburgring saw Martin Tomczyk (Audi) claiming his second win of the season and the third of his career in the most popular international touring car series. After 43 laps at the 3.629 kilometres long circuit, the German crossed the finish line as the winner ahead of Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz). Mattias Ekstr?m, who had started from tenth place, succeeded in making up seven positions and finished third. Scot Paul di Resta (Mercedes-Benz) finished behind Timo Scheider (Audi) and Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz) as the best-placed driver with a 2005-spec car in sixth place. The final point-scoring positions were taken by Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz) and Tom Kristensen (Audi). In the drivers? standings, Mattias Ekstr?m is leading with 44 points from Martin Tomczyk (40 points) and Bruno Spengler (34 points). With 20 points still at stake, reigning DTM champion Bernd Schneider still has theoretical chances of a successful title defence with 27.5 points in fourth place. An extensive press release with quotes from the drivers and motorsport directors will follow shortly.
The race in detail
Weather conditions: overcast, dry
Air temperature: 16.5 ?C
Asphalt temperature: 20.0 ?C
Spectators over the race weekend: 117,000
Start Tomczyk takes the lead, Winkelhock crashes into the guardrail after being hit by Rockenfeller as Stoddart stalls
Lap 1 Pr?mat and Paffett tangle. Safety car because of debris on the track after Winkelhock's accident. Tomczyk is leading from Scheider, Kristensen, Spengler, Schneider, Di Resta, Green
Lap 2 Racing resumes. Between second-placed Scheider and third-placed Kristensen, there is a gap of 1.5 seconds
Lap 3 Kristensen is lapping 0,3 seconds per lap slower than Tomczyk and Scheider in front of him
Lap 6 Spengler puts the pressure on Kristensen in the battle for third place. Scheider, Schneider, La Rosa, H?kkinen, Pr?mat, Paffett into the pits
Lap 7 Under braking for the first corner Spengler has overtaken Kristensen and is now third. Kristensen, Di Resta, into the pits
Lap 8 After the pit stop, Di Resta comes out of the pit lane in front of Kristensen. Drive through for Mike Rockenfeller
Lap 9 Rockenfeller comes into the pitlane for his penalty
Lap 11 Lauda, Schneider into the pits. For Bernd Schneider, it is already his second stop
Lap 12 Pr?mat into the pits, also for his second stop
Lap 13 Paffett into the pits
Lap 14 Scheider, Di Resta and La Rosa also in for their second pit stops
Lap 15 Timo Scheider rejoins ahead of Bernd Schneider
Lap 16 Kristensen is under investigation by the stewards concerning the restart after the safety-car intervention. H?kkinen into the pits
Lap 17 Green into the pits for the first time
Lap 18 Margaritis into the pits. Tomczyk is leading by 4.6 seconds from Spengler, Ekstr?m is third
Lap 19 One lap after his first stop, Margaritis comes in again for his second stop. Vanina Ickx also in for the first time
Lap 20 Spengler into the pits for his first stop
Lap 21 Race leader Tomczyk also into the pits for his first stop. Green also into the pits
Lap 22 Tomczyk rejoins well ahead of Spengler
Lap 23 Stoddart attacks Abt for fourth place. Kristensen and Luhr into the pits. Di Rsta and Green past Schneider as Schneider is stuck behind Rockenfeller.
Lap 24 Di Resta, Green, Schneider past Rockenfeller. Ekstr?m and Abt into the pits, both for the first time, Rockenfeller comes in for his second stop
Lap 25 Warning for Ickx and Rockenfeller for leaving the track at the NGK-chicane. Ekstr?m past Stoddart at the Coca Cola-corner
Lap 26 Stoddart into the pits, she is the last to make her first mandatory pit stop
Lap 27 Mike Rockenfeller is under investigation by the stewards
Lap 28 Kristensen and Schneider battling for eighth place. Drive through for Stoddart because of crossing the white line at the pitlane exit
Lap 29 Stoddart into the pits for her penalty
Lap 30 Spengler into the pits for his second stop
Lap 31 Tomczyk also into the pits for the second time
Lap 32 Tomczyk rejoins ahead of Spengler. Lauda, Rockenfeller into the pits for their second stops
Lap 33 Abt into the pits
Lap 34 Ekstr?m and Ickx come in for their second stop
Lap 35 Ekstr?m rejoins in fifth place behind Scheider and Green
Lap 36 As all drivers bar Luhr have made two stops, Tomczyk is leading from Spengler, Scheider, Green, Ekstr?m and Di Resta. Ekstr?m is attacking Green and overtakes him for fourth place. Luhr, Stoddart into the pits
Lap 37 Ekstr?m past Scheider, the Swede is now third
Lap 39 Tom Kristensen is right behind seventh-placed Bernd Schneider
Lap 41 With three laps to go, Tomczyk is leading by 7.2 kilometres from Spengler. Kristensen keeps attacking Schneider
Lap 43 Final lap. Tomczyk claims his second consecutive win of the season from Spengler, Ekstr?m, Scheider, Green, Di Resta, Schneider and Kristensen
