Nürburg/Heiligenroth,

 31^th March 2007 

Season-Overture as Trial Run for the

team  „Racing Event Motorsport“

    >> Pictures from the first VLN Run 2007 <<

The BFGoodrich-Long-Distance-Touring-Car-Championship set off the new season with a record. 190 vehicles were registered for the seasons overture at the passed weekend. However, for most of them the first heat was more a kind of Trial Run than a fully-fledged race. Also the team “Racing Event Motorsport” used the opportunity of testing, especially because the official Set-Up-Run was cancelled the week before due to snowfall. Franz Groß, Guido Wirtz (alias Bugs Bunny) and head of the team Andre Ibron shared the cockpit of the DEGUSSA BMW 135 DBD at the first weekend.

At the Free Practice on Friday afternoon the trio dealt with the BMW very well. “We are very pleased with the changes at the DEGUSSA BMW. Now we have to find the right set up for the race,” Franz Groß stated afterwards. That this was easier said than done, became apparent on Saturday morning at the latest. The track was damp and slippery. Furthermore it was pretty cold. “The tires have only little grip at these temperatures,” Andre Ibron and his team-mates decided to take the soft tire compound.

A good decision, as could be seen shortly afterwards. With the season’s first good practice time of 10:11.662 minutes the head of the team got starting position four in his class and position 76 in the main classification. And all this in spite of several times driving under yellow flag and oil tracks on the road. Andre Ibron also drove the first stint. Within the first half of lap one he gained rank two in the class. In the main classification he worked his way up to position 50. “The car went great and I non-stop continued overtaking.” But then the front right motor support quitted the service. “Today there was a chance for us of winning the class. Unfortunately we weren’t able to test sufficiently in advance. A trivial damage forced us to stay in the pit for an hour and finally we had to quit,” Andre Ibron was apparently disappointed.

The reason for the loosening of the motor suspension has to be found during the next days. “At least we were able to do a good testing job. We are very pleased with the changes of the aerodynamics and the axle geometry. Now it is possible to drive with considerably levelled wings and therefore increase top speed. Anyway we have more surface pressure than the year before and this benefits bend speed.”

Bugs Bunny was satisfied with the DEGUSSA BMW as well: “The 135 DBD has a great potential. I couldn’t test the BMW properly because of the bad condition of the track, but I think we can drive up front in our class.”

Despite the early malfunction, the team was happy about the beginning of the racing season and that the changes during winter time worked out positively. In two weeks the team “Racing Event Motorsport” will drive again during the 32. DMV 4-Hour-Race.