fia, championship, challenge, motorsport, historic, historic racing, series, vintage, racing, cars, automobile, Auto & Motor, Cars & Motor, Voiture et Motor, Autotuning, Oldtimer, challenges, events, european, fia-gtc, fia-tc, gtm, fia-gt, championships, touring, grandtouring, classic, oldtimer, race, races, photos, videos, AC Cobra, Alfa Romeo GTA, Austin Healey, Austin Mini Cooper S, BMW 2002 3.0 CSI CSL, Chevrolet Corvette, De Tomaso Pantera, Diva GT, Elva GT, Ferrari 365 GTB, Ford Escort MK RS, Ford Falcon Sprint, Ford Lotus Cortina, Ford Mustang, Jaguar E Type, Jaguar MK II, Lotus Elan Elite, Marcos, Mercedes 300 SLS, Mini Marcos, Morris Cooper S, Mustang GT, Porsche 356 906 910 911 RSR 3.0, Triumph TR4, TVR Grantura, TVR Griffith, Volvo 544,
                  

Rapport 2003 / 03 A1-Ring


Warmenius versus Danish dynamite

 

In the qualifying Philipp Brunn (D) in the Porsche 911 S (1971) of Hermann Dannesberger was a welcome change in the third of FIA-GTC on the A1-Ring in Austria. The young German was third fastest in the car, that shows the livery of the successful Kremer-911. In the first race he started in the middle of the fast and nimble Lotus Elan and won the sprint to the first corner.

 

The pole-setter and championship leader Bo Warmenius followed Brunn. In the tussle the Swedish Elan driver overlooked Claus Damgaard (DK), who followed the two fighters. The Danish Elan driver had to brake very hard to avoid a collision with Warmenius and spun. He was dropped down to the end of the field.

 

Philipp Brunn had to retire with an engine failure. He had also to cancel the second race, because the Dannersberger team could not repair the six-cylinder-flat on the spot. Without the second and the third fastest in the practice Bo Warmenius had a comfortable cussion in front of Henrik Lindberg (DK) in a Lotus Elan (1965) and Wolfgang Schachinger (A) in the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (1963).

 

But the man of the race was Claus Damgaard (DK), who made up ground with one fast lap after the other. He entered the fourth position, then passed Schachinger in the clumsy Corvette and was runner-up after a short struggle with his team colleague Lindberg. But Warmenius strolls to his fifth victory this season, controlling the speed from the top.

 

A very good performance showed Oliver Heschl-Gillespie (A) in his Jaguar E-Type (1961), the FIA-GTC leader in the category for the pre-’62 cars. He finished in eighth position overall in the first race as well as in the second heat. The GTM champion Dr. Armin Zumtobel (A) only managed to reach the the second place in his class. „Since the season opener in Monza we have trouble with our engine“, said the Austrian. „More than 7000 revs are not possible and we cannot find the reason why“.

 

In the second heat Bo Warmenius again demonstrated his strength. But now Claus Damgaard followed the FIA-GTC leader in his grey Elan like a shadow. After two minor mistake at the end of the Mobil1 corner he lost the contact to Warmenius. But the Dane managed to close the gap, but he did not find a way to pass Warmenius.

 

Wolfgang Schachinger could drive Henrik Lindberg out of the third position. But he was not able to hold it, because Lindberg reentered the place on the rostrum like in the first race. Behind him and Schachinger Gerd Niemeyer (D) raced well in his Jaguar E-Type 4,2 (1965) and was lucky that his Total Performance team was able to prepare the car for the race: „We missed a small part for the electric system and finally we found a dealer in Salzburg, who had it“.

 

Technical problems breaked out Theo van Bree (NL) in his Alpine A110 1300 (1965). He was lucky to see the finish in the first race. „I lost the fifth gear and that is a very difficult on this track“, said the runner-up in the FIA-GTC last year. But he could repair the gearbox of the French GT and had a troublefree second race.

 

Bo Warmenius could defend the lead to the beginning of the last lap, when Damgaard started his final attack. With the fastest lap of the race he managed to get very close to the tail of Bo’s Elan tail. Even in the last corner, when Warmenius left the track with two wheels, he tried to find a way to overtake. But he lost the struggle by 0,35 seconds. Warmenius extended his lead in the FIA-GTC table with the maximum number of points again.

 

Next FIA-GTC event: July 12/13 in Dijon (F)

 

Dirk Johae


track.a1ring.jpg