Month: July 2022

Scorching heat, packed grandstands, plenty of action on the racetrack and double reason to celebrate for ABT Sportsline: René Rast was the only driver to achieve a podium result in both races at the DTM season highlight at the Norisring and thus made a big step forward in the standings. After the first half of the season, the three-time DTM champion is only ten points behind championship leader Mirko Bortolotti (Lamborghini) and one point behind Sheldon van der Linde (BMW) in third place in the standings.

Team ABT Sportsline put in a strong performance at their home DTM race right from the start. In qualifying on Saturday, Kelvin van der Linde’s fastest time ensured the third pole position in a row for an ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II in the DTM.

However, in a chaotic Saturday race in which only eleven of the 27 drivers saw the chequered flag, van der Linde was attacked extremely hard and hit hard on the rear several times by competitors. In the process, his ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II was so badly damaged that van der Linde had to retire from the race early.

René Rast secured third place after a tough duel with Porsche driver Dennis Olsen, although his left rear tyre continuously lost air after the pitstop and Rast feared the tyre could blow at any time.

Ricardo Feller also scored points on his Norisring debut on Saturday in eighth place despite 25 kilograms of extra weight. On Sunday, the Swiss experienced a similar early phase as Kelvin van der Linde on the previous day: after several hits at the rear, the Swiss had to retire.

Kelvin van der Linde did not see the chequered flag on Sunday either. The second gear of his car got stuck shortly before the end of the race.

René Rast, meanwhile, improved from sixth on the grid to third, making him the only driver to achieve a double podium at the Norisring weekend. His race engineer Felix Fechner then formed Rast’s starting number 33 from the two Norisring trophies in the pits.

ABT Sportsline’s tally at half-time: two wins (Rast and Feller), three pole positions, a total of five podiums and best chances in the title fight.

After a long summer break, the second half of the season begins on the last weekend in August at the Nürburgring. A total of eight more races are scheduled before the champion is crowned on 9 October at the Hockenheimring.

Extreme E returns – twice over: this week, the off-road racing series for purely-electric SUVs will be hosting two races in Sardinia (Italy): The third round of the season will be run on Wednesday and Thursday (July 6/7), followed by the fourth round on Saturday and Sunday (July 9/10). After a challenging start to the season, ABT CUPRA XE wants to use the double-header in Italy to bring home the first trophies of the year. Jutta Kleinschmidt and Nasser Al-Attiyah, who take turns in the cockpit of the CUPRA Tavascan XE, have prepared themselves during testing and are eager to attack.

The course is 6.019 kilometres long and is located on a military training area on the south coast of Sardinia. The venue also hosted an Extreme E race last year. Apart from a few sections, the course is identical to that of the previous year. Back then, with Mattias Ekström at Jutta Kleinschmidt’s side, ABT CUPRA XE scored its first trophy there in the series, which was only founded in 2021. This year, the races will be held in July instead of September: So the drivers can not only expect an extremely dry, hard and dusty surface, but also temperatures well beyond the 30-degree Celsius mark.

While the cars in Extreme E are technically identical, ABT CUPRA XE decided to go its own way when it comes to the look of the car: the CUPRA design department developed its own interpretation of the bodywork for the 540-hp rally car, which is called the CUPRA Tavascan XE and immediately caused a sensation. Before the appearance in Sardinia, the teams received an extensive technical update on the rear end of the car, which on the one hand is to increase the reliability of the car and on the other hand provides for more docile behaviour during the sometimes spectacular jumps. Jutta Kleinschmidt and Nasser Al-Attiyah tried out the modifications during three days of testing in Barcelona.

With its two races within a few days – a novelty in the still young Extreme E – the appearance in Sardinia is considered the highlight of the season. The interest from national and international media is great and numerous guests from the manufacturers and sponsors have also announced their attendance. ABT partner CUPRA alone has invited guests from five different markets. ABT CEO Thomas Biermaier will also be supporting the team on site, together with sports marketing boss Harry Unflath.

In Extreme E, ten teams – including those of former Formula 1 world champions Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg – are competing for the championship. One woman and one man each take turns at the wheel. After the season opener in Saudi Arabia in February and the two races in Sardinia, there are two more destinations on the calendar: Chile in September and the finale on the coast of Uruguay in November.

The Norisring race weekend is coming up this week (Saturday and Sunday, both live on ProSieben from 1 PM CEST). It is the highlight of the DTM season and the home race of ABT Sportsline. The Bavarian team has already celebrated highly emotional victories in the DTM on the short 2.3-kilometre street circuit at the Dutzendteich in Nuremberg, but has also shed a tear or two. Team Principal and CEO Thomas Biermaier looks back on the history.

What can the DTM fans look forward to at the Norisring weekend?
A pure motorsport festival. What the ITR has put together with all of the other series is worthy of all honour. According to the weather forecast, we’re in for a hot weekend. With all the concrete, the Norisring will be like an oven. There could also be thunder and lightning. We’ve experienced just about everything at the Norisring. I’m looking forward to great races, lots of excitement and hopefully a home victory for ABT Sportsline.

There will be split qualifying sessions with two groups for the first time – is this a good idea?
I think it makes perfect sense with so many cars on the short track. It’s fairer for everyone, otherwise we’d have a big problem with “blocking”.

The Norisring is a home race for ABT Sportsline and Audi. Is there also a home advantage?
Not really. There were many years when ABT and Audi didn’t win anything at the Norisring, even though we were almost always up front. But there are also many Norisring moments that we look back on with pleasure. When I think of our first victory in 2002 with Laurent Aiello, I still get goose bumps. After last year, we have something to make up for at the Norisring. We are looking forward to it.

A new book about the 22 years of ABT Sportsline in the DTM will be published at the Norisring and distributed to friends of the company and partners. Which Norisring stories do you remember most fondly, and which ones not so much?
The absolute highlight was the race in 2002, wherein we fought for 72 laps with Bernd Schneider, the most successful DTM driver of all time. Laurent Aiello overtook him in the last corner and clinched the victory. A particularly nice moment was also in 2013, when Mattias Ekström crossed the finish line as the Norisring winner. We celebrated that exuberantly in parc-fermé. A few hours later, it turned into the most bitter moment with the disqualification due to the water bottle affair.

Back to the current season: What is your overall impression of the DTM 2022 shortly before the end of the first half of the season?
Everything is very close together. You have to work on every little detail to be at the front. We have great drivers, good teams and many manufacturers. The races could be a bit more exciting now and then. But that’s a bit due to the fact that we have a relatively good Balance of Performance and many extremely good drivers. Overtaking is simply difficult, but I’m sure that we’ll see a lot of action and interesting races, not only at the Norisring.

What a weekend for ABT Sportsline in the DTM! At the Italian round of the popular racing series at the famous Imola circuit, the team from Kempten won both races from pole position – these were victories number 72 and 73 for Team ABT Sportsline in the DTM.

The first race on Saturday was won by René Rast. For the three-time DTM Champion, it was already victory number 25 in the DTM and yet a very special one: it was his first victory for ABT Sportsline and the first in the DTM with a GT3 car.

Rast laid the foundation for his first triumph with the ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II with a perfect lap in qualifying. In the race, he successfully fended off an attack from Nico Müller in the first corner and was dispatched much quicker by his ABT crew during the pit stop. Rast was then able to control the pace at the front and bring the victory home in commanding fashion. As a result, the German, who lives in Austria, made a big leap forward in the overall DTM standings and is now definitely one of the title contenders.

On Sunday, the big Ricardo Feller show followed: The Swiss drove three thousandths of a second faster in qualifying than Rast the day before although all Audi R8 LMS cars had to add 25 kilograms overnight after an adjustment of the “Balance of Performance” (BoP). Feller had studied videos and data of his two teammates in the evening and found crucial tenths of a second.

From pole position, however, Feller had to fight hard for his first victory in the DTM – first against Felipe Fraga in the Ferrari, which was much faster on the straights, and then against his fellow Audi driver Dev Gore. The youngster from Team ABT Sportsline prevailed in both fights and then controlled the pace at the front in a similarly commanding manner as René Rast the day before.

On Sunday, Rast had to retire shortly after the start with a puncture on the right rear – a fate that had also befallen Ricardo Feller the day before. The Swiss therefore tried to conserve his tires as much as possible at the front of the field on Sunday. After crossing the finish line, the cool Swiss even made a deal with team boss Thomas Biermaier over the radio: Feller will finally get the long-awaited ABT power upgrade for his Audi RS 6.

With a fifth place on Saturday despite a loose rear wheel, Kelvin van der Linde also scored points at Imola. On Sunday, the South African had to settle for 13th place.

The DTM continues in just 14 days with ABT Sportsline’s home race at the Norisring in Nuremberg.

The DTM will be racing at Imola in Emilia-Romagna next weekend (Saturday and Sunday, both races from 1 PM CEST on ProSieben). Kelvin van der Linde will not be travelling by plane to “Bella Italia” this time. The South African, who lives near Kempten, has been provided with an ABT RS6-S by his team, in which he sets off from Kempten on his way to Imola. His brother Sheldon accompanies him on the road trip. The two have created quite a few headlines in recent weeks.

Congratulations on winning the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. How important was this success after the difficult DTM weekend at the Lausitzring?
A victory in this race is always something very special. For me, it was the second victory at the Nürburgring after 2017. I know by now what great importance this race has in the German motorsport scene and how difficult it is to win the thing. After the low at the Lausitzring, the victory was of course perfect to get my confidence back and to know that I haven’t forgotten how to drive. Sometimes you need that kind of motivation in this rollercoaster ride through the motorsport world.

How many congratulations did you get?
I was really surprised. It’s crazy how much there is on social media these days, especially on Instagram. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to answer all of that in person. I can only say a big thank you to the fans.

Now it’s back to the DTM. Have you found out what happened at the Lausitzring in the meantime?
Yes – and first of all I have to thank the team. It showed once again how strong this team is. Nobody doubted me. We sat down together in the company first thing on Monday morning and discussed how to find out what the problem was. The first suggestion was that we go testing, which is extremely difficult at the moment because there are no tyres. But we did it anyway and went to Hockenheim with four mechanics. We did it super-small, but at the end of the day, good things came out of it. We found out that there was a knot in the Lausitzring set-up. We found that out first thing in the morning and I went into the pits with a grin on my face. From that moment on, I was sure that things would go forward again at Imola. We now know what things we have to pay attention to, especially with the new evo package and hope that something like what occurred at the Lausitzring won’t happen to us again.

You probably also realised at the Lausitzring that you can’t afford the slightest weakness in the 2022 DTM season.
Quite clearly. We’re talking about details that might bring three tenths of a second. But these three tenths of a second that I was missing compared to Ricardo (Feller) and René (Rast) make up ten, twelve places. Last year, you might still have been able to finish in the top ten or even in the top five. This year, everything really has to be perfect on both sides: the driver, as well as the car. But as I said, the Lausitzring has made us even stronger. As a team, we didn’t start doubting each other, but looked at the facts and tried to find a solution. That was strong and positive.

Webcon now offers a full range of In-Rail
fuel pressure regulators including a 0-5 BAR adjustable version.

Webcon In Rail regulators replace most popular OEM types.
Changing fuel pressure is now as easy as removing the old unit
and replacing with a new higher pressure or adjustable regulator.

Webcon in rail regulators are available as follows:

Pressure (bar) Part Number RRP £ (plus VAT)
2.5 fixed WFR048 £57.82
3.0 fixed WFR024 £57.82
3.5 fixed WFR029 £69.40
4.0 fixed WFR057 £94.80
4.3 fixed WFR055 £71.18
4.5 fixed WFR043 £92.55
0-5 adjustable WFR060 £76.34

Available directly from Webcon and from appointed Webcon dealers around the world.
For further details contact Webcon UK on +44 (0)1932 787100 or visit www.webcon.co.uk

For years, Weber 50 DCO/SP carburettors have only been available as LH and RH
units, with the outer throttle shaft ends blanked off.

This works well with a conventional distributor ignition system but, as
mapped ignition systems have become more widely used, the demand for a throttle position sensor fitment on the 50 DCO/SP has grown.

In response to this demand Webcon has developed a new, unified
50 DCO/SP that features throttle shafts at both ends of the carburettor
and will allow fitment of a Webcon DCO/SP throttle position sensor kit.

Part number 1965000700 can be used for LH or RH fitment, and is available
at £655.99 plus VAT

Available directly from Webcon and from appointed Webcon dealers around the world.
For further details contact Webcon UK on +44 (0)1932 787100 or visit www.webcon.co.uk

Performance air filters at a sensible price

With some imported performance air filters now retailing at over £100 Mini Spares has teamed up with British company, Ramair to bring you a range of filter kits for the Mini at a sensible price. The filters come with an alloy baseplate designed to bolt directly to the carburettor body. The filters are suitable for both competition and street applications.

The element is of sturdy construction, supported by a stainless steel cage and provides maximum surface area to optimise the airflow for induction ramming.

The range of baseplates are cut for a variety of well known carburettor types and have quick-release fasteners with which to attach the element.

• High performance twin layer foam for extra fine filtration with minimal airflow restriction
• Reuseable – easy to clean using hot soapy water
• Guaranteed surface area using high quality custom blended polymer
• 100% hand made in the UK – guaranteed* against manufacturing defects for life
(*single user, non-transferable)
• Long lasting and hard wearing

The Ramair HS4/H4/HIF38 1.5″ Air Filter (part number RS2-201-401), shown here, retails at just £57.73 inc VAT and since it’s reuseable, this could be the last airfilter you buy for your Mini!

For more details contact Mini Spares on
+44 1707 607700 or visit their website: www.minispares.com

For BMW convertible owners, M-Style now has an electronic module upgrade to enable single touch convertible top opening and closing.

The convertible top can be opened whilst on the move up to 30 kph and windows can be closed with a one touch action. The unit is programable from within the vehicle and retails at £395.00 inc. VAT. The module is available for BMW Z4, E46 M3, F12 6 Series, E88, E85 Z4, E93 and F33. Please enquire for other models.

Fitting can also be carried out for just £72.00 incl VAT (considerably cheaper than main dealer rates!) at M-Style’s Romford fitting centre or the kit can be sent for DIY installation for £12 delivery.

For further details visit the M-Style website:
www.mstyle.co.uk or call 0208 5989115

GAZ has just introduced fully adjustable rear dampers for the Mercedes Vito that will allow the bump/rebound setting to be adjusted to suit the ride requirements, handling, driving style and load carrying.

Adjustment is by means of an easily accessible knob on the side of the units.

GAZ dampers feature a new smart black zinc plated body with gold logo and a protective plastic sleeve to keep the dampers looking good and working well for long into the future.

All units are individually tested before leaving the factory and are covered by a two year warranty.

Order GAZ GT rear dampers for the Mercedes Vito as GT5-5452 at £76.49 each plus VAT.

For further details visit the GAZ website:
www.gazshocks.com