Round 9 - Germany (Hockenheim)
ACE SERIES Qualifying Starting Grid Race Report Finishing Order Race Statistics Driver Comments Action Replays Download Mixed Logfile Semi-Pro Results
	1996/97 Pole Position:  1:28.289 (Oliver Roberts) 1996/97 Race Time:  1h11m35.983 (Michal Janak) Race Distance:  45 laps

Qualifying

Race

Axel Bruns and Alan Strang were the drivers who eventually battled for 7th position. Although both were placed better in earlier stages of the race, it was caused mainly by differences in pit strategies of the other drivers. When Axel rejoined the race after his second stop in lap 32, he was behind Alan, but soon he overtook him. Axel stayed ahead until the beginning of the last lap but then suffered from a spin and had to let the Team Ecosse driver pass only a few hundred meters before the finish line.

Fifth place was to be decided between Mirko Patzenbein and Markus Kruggel who met each other late in the race, about lap 31, and positions changed every one or two laps then. While both were driving similar lap times, Markus managed to secure a small lead into the last corner of lap 45, claiming fifth.

Jan Svehlik and Marco Saupe began to argue early in the race, who should get that remaining place on the podium, as positions one and two were already out of reach. Both were on this third position for a couple of laps but noone could pull away from the other. For three laps, the gap between both was bigger than just about a second, but it just came from a different pit strategy and so Marco and Jan were reunited when the M&T SPEED driver was back on the track after his stop in lap 34. It looked like Jan could claim another podium finish for him and his team, but then Marco's lap times began to come down and he was able to build up a small lead to the Bolgani driver. While eight seconds are more than easily lost with a spin on this high speed circuit, Marco had a clear last couple of laps and secured a podium finish this way.

Much faster than all the other driver were Oliver Roberts and Michal Janak. When they made their stops in lap 15 and 16, the gap to the drivers behind was already more than half a minute big. Both team mates stayed close together on the track for the whole race, although the lead did not change as frequently as lower positions did. From lap 17 to lap 26, Oliver lead the race, Michal was in front afterwards and did not gave the lead away until he saw the chequered flag first, for the seventh time this season.

Race Statistics

Action Replays

• Ignacio Garcia Cuadrado (Curb Crawlers):
  "I was near the "damn" chicane when I saw the yellow flag. I get to second gear and take a look at the road. A CC was crossed in the middle ... and I can't beleive it .. he's trying to get his car in good position to hit me ... AGAIN !! Hopefully , I managed to avoid him ... almost 7 seconds lost ..."

• Markus Kruggel (Wild 13):
  "The replay shows my luckiest moment of the race: just after I overtook Herbert and managed to block him, yellow flags were shown in front of the third chicane. I watched the replay immediately and saw that there was enough spce on my usual line and so I drove on. Berger's car seemed stationary, but then marshalls were pushing it over the track, exactly were I planned to slip through! A risky drive over the grass saved me from a sure DNF. I just can't stop thinking that those marshalls on GP tracks are working against me and the team, I still can't forget that Belgium incident two years ago!"

• Hendrik Mehl (Crash Heads):
  "At lap 24 I faced a spectacular manouvre which is shown in the added replay: Alesi who drove in my slipstream tried to overtake me on the long straight between Chicane1 and Ostkurve. After he failed with that he tried to push me to the left. I think this is a typical example for CC-drivers kind of driving. But somehow he lost control of his car and smashed into the wall at a deadly speed. I could manage to stay on the track without touching him. I really enjoyed the moment when "Jean Alesi is out of race" appeared on the screen. He deserved it, no doubt!"

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