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The touring car action in Croatia is decided by Sven Grossmann (GER) and Björn Dietrich (GER)
Automotodrom Grobnik. From 24.-26.07.2020, as part of the FIA CEZ, the Automotodrom Grobnik racing circuit in Croatia was the stage for the guest race of the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC). The circuit, which is situated close to the port city of Rijeka in the north western part of Croatia, offers the racing drivers a challenging and varied 4.168 kilometer drive. The “high speed sections” in particular, with their height variations and curve combinations, offer the drivers plenty of fun. It goes without saying that one or two took the opportunity to make a visit to the nearby Mediterranean and soak up the atmosphere.
Once again, the weather conditions had a role to play on the racing weekend. While the teams and rivers were welcomed on the Friday with a pleasantly warm temperature of 25 degrees, the clouds gathered over the racing circuit on Friday night, with the ensuing storm catering for wet driving conditions on the Saturday morning.
This time in the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC), 9 racing drivers went into battle with CHEVROLET Cruze 1.8 LT V3 Eurocup racing cars. The motto of the racing series, “real cars, real racing”, was plain to see on the racing circuit, with superb touring car action.
Sven Grossmann (GER) secured his first pole position and his first touring car victory.
close time differences during qualifying promise exciting races
In the first qualifying session to determine the starting grid, Sven Grossman secured his first pole position with the fastest lap time under driving conditions that were still slippery and wet, ahead of Björn Dietrich and Dennis Bröker (GER). Young driver Sandro Ritz (GER) secured an excellent fourth place on the starting grid ahead of Roman Holzner (GER).
Duel between Grossmann and Dietrich finishes at 1:0 after the first race
After the touring cars had taken their positions on the starting grid, everyone was eagerly waiting for the lights to go out and for the standing Grand-Prix start. As the race got underway, Dietrich managed to snatch the lead, pulling clear of Grossmann and Holzner in the first lap of the race. Behind them saw a battle for supremacy between Roman Holzner, Sandro Ritz and Dennis Bröker, which Aaron Morf (GER) used to his advantage, making his way into third place with an excellent maneuver.
At the front of the pack, Grossmann seemed to stick like a limpet to the rear fender of Dietrich, putting him under intense pressure lap after lap in the battle to come first. With his skillful positioning, however, Dietrich was initially able to keep him at bay.
Playing catch up with Björn Dietrich: The drivers of the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC)
Further down the field, Dennis Bröker managed to pull off a great performance, making his way towards the front. Sandro Ritz, meanwhile, was forced to retire early after hitting the gravel bed, and had to be content with being one point ahead of Patrick Huber (GER).
As the race drew to a close, the asphalt on the Croatian race track had more drama in store, however. Grossmann continued to put Dietrich under pressure, asking everything of the leader to maintain his pole position. While Dietrich was forced to defend himself against a continued assault, in the last lap of the race, disaster struck, with damage to the drive shaft of his CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup 1.8 LT V3 racing car. He limped over the finishing line in a wounded vehicle in 7th place.
Sven Grossmann, meanwhile, celebrated his first touring car victory, which he had certainly earned. Dennis Bröker and Aaron Morf completed the winners’ podium, finishing ahead of Roman Holzner, Mathias Gaiser (GER) and Dirk Ehlebracht (GER).
Björn Dietrich draws level on the Sunday – Aaron Morf pulls off a great double podium
In the second qualifying session to determine the starting grid for the Sunday's race, the physical fitness of the racers was also put to the test, as dry and hot weather conditions had returned to the Automotodrom Grobnik. Once again, it was Sven Grossmann who secured the fastest lap time on the asphalt, booking his second pole position ahead of Björn Dietrich and Roman Holzner.
Yet the young driver, who is half German, half French, was forced to experience a déjà-vu of Saturday’s action: Just like Saturday, Björn Dietrich grabbed pole position from him shortly after the race got underway. Behind them, Aaron Morf also got off to a strong start, securing third place.
A superb weekend of racing: 3rd place twice over for Aaron Morf (GER)
From position 6 on the starting grid, Dennis Bröker found himself playing catch up, and battled with Roman Holzner for position. In the heat of the battle, however, he pushed his racing car beyond its limits and damaged his front and rear bumpers, which slowed him down.
At the front of the pack, leading driver Dietrich once again had a good view of the blue and white racing car of Grossmann in his rear view mirrors. A braking mistake on the first curve by Grossmann relieved the pressure on Björn Dietrich, however, who subsequently left nothing to chance and secured his second win of the season, finishing in front of Grossmann.
As the race ended, Dennis Bröker secured 4th position behind Aaron Morf. Roman Holzner, Mathias Gaiser and Dirk Ehlebracht again had good races, crossing the finishing line on positions 5 to 7. Sandro Ritz, who is just 16 years old, took eighth place ahead of Patrick Huber.
Provisional racing calendar for 2020
September 14, 2020 Official test day at Salzburgring (AUT)
October 3, 2020 Official test day at Wachauring (AUT)
October 10-11, 2020 – EuroSpeedway Lausitz (GER)
July 24-25, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
October 31 - November 1, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
November 13-14, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
Björn Dietrich at the limit: Touring car motor racing AT ITS FINEST!
Eligible to start in the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge are touring cars according to the DMSB Group H regulations, where the focus is on touring cars from the manufacturers CHEVROLET and CUPRA. The classes are determined according to engine capacity.
The class winners win honorary awards and other high-quality prizes. Opportunities for entry are available as part of the ADAC Touring Car Driver Evaluation and through participation in a racing driver license course.
As part of the official test days, it is possible to book experienced instructors in 1:1 Active Coaching sessions in order to prepare quickly and purposefully for joining a race.
Further information on the driver support program of Pfister-Racing GmbH, the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge and the ADAC Touring Car Driver Evaluation is available at www.pfister-racing.eu – you can also contact us by telephone on +49(0)9350 / 90 900 59
Duels between Germany and Austria at the action-packed premiere of the PRTC at the Salzburgring
Salzburgring. The legendary traditional racing circuit in Nesslgraben, Austria, near the city of Salzburg, was the venue for the premiere racing weekend of the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC). The motor racing festival hosted by BG Sportpromotion set the stage for several well-known racing series, finally making genuine motor racing possible again in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Big names from the world of motor racing had announced they would be there, such as Walter Röhrl, Harald Grohs, Kris Nissen and Roland Asch.
The fans were able to follow all the action on the racing circuit in an excellent live stream with commentary and close-ups, which attracted an audience of more than 30,000 viewers.
In the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC), meanwhile, 10 racing drivers went into battle in the CHEVROLET Cruze 1.8 LT V3 Eurocup. The motto of the racing series, “real cars, real racing”, was plain to see on the racing circuit, with superb touring car action.
10 racing drivers fight it out for victory in the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC)
appealing mix of ambitious youngsters and “gentlemen drivers”
During the first test drives under dry and hot conditions on the Friday, the two “Chevy veterans” Wolfgang Kriegl (AUT) and Björn Dietrich (GER) achieved the fastest lap times. Other PRTC racing drivers took the opportunity to get to know the 4.255 km long high-speed race track, and prepared themselves well for the upcoming weekend of racing.
Wolfgang Kriegl puts down an excellent performance during a battle in the rain
On the first day of racing on the Saturday, the conditions changed all of a sudden: Stormy weather, cloudy skies and rain descended on the racing circuit. Local driver Wolfgang Kriegl proved best able to cope with the slippery and challenging conditions: Not only did he secure pole position for the first race, but also a superb race victory with an advantage of more than 10 seconds over the next drivers.
The battle was intense further down the field: Roman Holzner (GER) celebrated a sensational touring car debut, putting Björn Dietrich (GER) and Sven Grossmann (GER) under considerable pressure. The exciting action saw three drivers fight it out for second place, with Dietrich missing the braking point on the first chicane twice before he then pulled off two courageous overtaking maneuvers in the notorious paddock corner in the best touring car tradition to move back into second place.
The winners’ podium in the first race: from left to right: Björn Dietrich, Wolfgang Kriegl and Sven Grossmann
Close behind them, Roman Holzner came in at fourth place with fast lap times, ahead of Dennis Bröker (GER), who had an unremarkable but constant race. Sixth place was taken by Dirk Ehlebracht (GER), who finished ahead of Aaron Morf (GER) and Mathias Gaiser (GER), who finished 8th and secured the final championship point.
The second day of racing on the Sunday saw another change in the weather conditions: Dry and hot weather was forecast for the Salzburgring.
Björn Dietrich beats Kriegl to win the Sunday race
At the start of the day of racing on Sunday, the drivers got to enjoy the great atmosphere at the Salzburgring and watch the famous race series, as their race didn’t get underway until 14:50 hrs local time. By that time, the conditions on the racing circuit were clear: It was dry, with a good grip on the road surface.
Following the standing Grand Prix start, Wolfgang Kriegl initially built up a decent pole position, but was forced to give it up again after a surprise attack by Björn Dietrich on the first lap, who succeeded in taking the lead in the race.
As usual, the battle was intense further down the field: Roman Holzner used the slipstream of Kriegl and Dietrich to catch up with the leaders, but then found himself contending with electronic problems on his CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup 1.8 LT V3 Cup racing car, just like Sven Grossmann.
The speed was there – but the luck wasn’t: Roman Holzner (GER)
After that, Dirk Ehlebracht (GER) looked like a safe third place, before braking problems saw him missing the turning point in the first chicane and being forced to give up his place on the winners’ podium to Dennis Bröker (GER), who held on to third place until the finishing line.
At the front of the pack, Wolfgang Kriegl threatened to overtake several times in Björn Dietrich's rear-view mirror, but Dietrich defended his position courageously and won Sunday’s race. Fourth place was secured by Mathias Gaiser (GER), who came in before touring car rookie Aaron Morf (GER), who completed the top 5 finishers.
Young Sandro Ritz (GER), a graduate from the world of go-carting, secured his first championship points. In a good race, the youngster came in at 6th place, in front of Patrick Huber (GER) and Sven Grossmann (GER).
Provisional racing calendar for 2020
July 24-26, 2020 Automotodrom Grobnik** (CRO)
September 14, 2020 Official test day at Salzburgring (AUT)
October 3, 2020 Official test day at Wachauring (AUT)
October 10-11, 2020 EuroSpeedway Lausitz (GER)
July 24-25, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
October 31 - November 1, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
November 13-14, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
**FIA CEZ guest races
Eligible to start in the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge are touring cars according to the DMSB Group H regulations, where the focus is on touring cars from the manufacturers CHEVROLET and CUPRA. The classes are determined according to engine capacity.
The class winners win honorary awards and other high-quality prizes. Opportunities for entry are available as part of the ADAC Touring Car Driver Evaluation and through participation in a racing driver license course.
As part of the official test days, it is possible to book experienced instructors in 1:1 Active Coaching sessions in order to prepare quickly and purposefully for joining a race.
Further information on the driver support program of Pfister-Racing GmbH, the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge and the ADAC Touring Car Driver Evaluation is available at www.pfister-racing.eu – you can also contact us by telephone on +49(0)9350 / 90 900 59
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Read more: Success for Andreas Pfister again at the “24-hour race of Germany” for electric vehicles
Motorsportarena Oschersleben. The final classification races of the CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup took place on Germany’s northernmost racetrack in Oschersleben from October 12 to 13, 2019.
Read more: Dennis Bröker clinches the CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup 2019 title with a double victory at
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Autodrom Most. The 4.148 km long race track in the Czech Republic was the venue of the 6-hour long distance race on September 5, 2019. Autodrom Most welcomed the teams and drivers with great weather and dry conditions over the entire race distance.
Read more: Another podium place for Pfister-Racing at the 6H race at Autodrom Most
