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Centimeter duels on the occasion of the PRTC season opener at the Hockenheimring
with a double victory by local hero Tim Schestag
Hockenheimring. For the racing drivers in the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC), the 2022 season got off to an early start: On the weekend of March 4th-6th 2022, the prestigious Hockenheimring GP circuit awaited the drivers. On the 4.574 km racing circuit, genuine touring car action was once again on offer, with drivers who were up for the fight.
The PRTC once more offered a large starting field which also included some newcomers. 19-year-old Simon de Mori from Austria (Hörbranz) and 17-year-old Martin Held from Germany (Berlin) made their touring car debuts and earned their first motor racing spurs.
“Real cars, real racing. That’s the motto of our racing series. We offer professionally organized races with appealing touring cars in 4 qualifying categories, at reasonable costs and with good marketing. This concept is becoming increasingly popular, and we have been pleased with the great response. Last but not least, our racing drivers put on a terrific show for the spectators. We are looking forward to the start of the season!” said organizer Andreas Pfister at the start of the racing weekend.
Robin Renz (GER) from Stuttgart made a successful start to the new racing season
All the racing cars are equipped with standard tires from TOYO TIRES, with the semi-slick Proxes R888R or RS1 Slick Proxes, which in combination with the central fielding and “rotating system” on the CHEVROLET and CUPRA racing cars (class 1 and 2) from Pfister-Racing GmbH, allow for a competitive race at affordable costs.
The winner of the 2022 Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC) in class 2 will receive a free test drive in the 350 hp TCR racing car.
Cold driving conditions make for challenging circumstances
The early start of the season saw the drivers welcomed with cold and windy weather conditions with temperatures around freezing, and it was necessary to find the right techniques to get the tires to the right operating temperature quickly in a good working time frame.
In the qualifying rounds to determine the starting grid, Hinrich Groeneveld (GER, Moosburg) performed the best, with his CUPRA Leon MKII DSG racing car from the ATT-Racing team securing first place in class 3.
In the consistently hard-fought class 2 with the CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup racing cars, Robin Renz achieved the best starting position with a lap time of 2:16:812, finishing in just ahead of Tim Schestag (GER, Walldorf) and Marco Chianese (ITA) from Würzburg, who also performed well, who got starting position three.
Driving with confidence, Tim Schestag continued his series of successes in his touring car before his home crowd
The fans then found themselves eagerly awaiting the start of the first race, with a rolling “Indianapolis start.” As soon as the first lap of the race, Schestag made it clear that he wasn’t satisfied with his second place on the starting grid, driving in the slipstream of Robin Renz.
In class 3, Hinrich Groeneveld took no prisoners, and steered his CUPRA Leon MKII racing car, with its more than 300 hp, towards a class victory.
Rookie driver Martin Held took his chance to gain some initial experiences during the important racing laps, collecting points in class 1 with his CUPRA Ibiza V1 Cup racing car.
Marco Chianese (ITA, Würzburg) pulled off a strong performance in only his second racing weekend
David Stein (GER, Usingen), had “one of those days”. Due to a technical defect, he was unable to take part in either the time qualifying or the race, which cost him important points in the overall standings despite every effort of the mechanics.
During the course of the first race on the other hand, Marco Chianese managed to further improve his lap times and catch up with Dirk Ehlebracht (GER, Oberursel), which ensured a close battle for 3rd place.
At the front of the pack, Tim Schestag succeeded in taking the lead and gaining a small advantage over Robin Renz. The race then came to a temporary stop due to a “Code 60 phase” which replaced the safety car, and the drivers were forced to reduce their speed to 60 km/h, which prompted a second inspection by the race organizers after the race.
After the lifting of the Code 60 phase at the end of the race, Groeneveld took his class win. In class 2, Tim Schestag achieved another victory, coming in ahead of Robin Renz and Dirk Ehlebracht. Marco Chianese finished in 4th place ahead of Thomas Eckert (GER, Nuremberg), who completed the top 5. Marco Bedrich (GER, Cottbus) failed to reach the black-white checkered flag this time, being forced to drop out of the race as his car suffered damage to its drive shaft.
After the first battle of the new season, the racers were only able to catch their breath for a short while, with the second race of the weekend scheduled for the Sunday morning. With cold weather conditions once again, the race organizers decided to allow the drivers to complete two warm-up laps this time to get their tires up to racing temperature.
Lap-long duel for victory in race 2
The second race succeeded in surpassing the first race in terms of excitement. Robin Renz made it clear that he wasn’t satisfied with his second place finish on the day before, and set out to take the victory in the second race and prevail over Tim Schestag.
In true touring car fashion, the two drivers battled side-by-side in a lap-long duel in the motordrome, and offered the spectators touring car action at its best, with both driving their “Chevys” in a class of their own. The live-stream action was also watched by the fans at home.
Towards the rear of the pack, however, Thomas Eckert hit the throttle too early, and after spinning off course on the first curve, found himself having to play catch-up with the rest of the field.
Simon de Mori (AUT, Hörbranz) scored two points on his debut in race 2
David Stein, on the other hand, put in another positive performance in race 2. With a freshly repaired racing car, he succeeded in working his way up a few positions and into the top 5. The battle for the winners’ podium, meanwhile, turned out to be between Marco Chianese and Dirk Ehlebracht. Chianese impressed with some quick lap times, but it was Ehlebracht who ultimately put in a solid performance to notch up his second podium finish of the weekend.
The second victory was secured by Tim Schestag, who finished just before Robin Renz. The duel between the two drivers from Baden-Württemberg in Germany is certainly a taste of the further fight for the championship.
In the other finishing positions, it was Marco Bedrich, Simon de Mori and Thomas Eckert who secured the coveted PRTC Class 2 points.
The touring car action in the PRTC will be continuing on May 13th-15th 2022 at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (GER), and is certain to offer another round of exciting motor racing.
Building on good performance: Robin Renz starts his second PRTC season
Stuttgart. The signs are good that the 2022 racing season will top the “old” 2021 season in the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC). Because with Robin Renz, another racing driver who is known for providing plenty of action in the driver field, will be entering his second touring car season. The 33-year-old racer from Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg) was able to clinch 4th place in the overall PRTC ranking in his debut season in 2021 with a total of 47 competition points, taking a sensational victory in the season opener at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. However, he recorded his best race weekend at the Nürburgring GP circuit.
“We are pleased to welcome race driver Robin Renz back to the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC). Robin was already extraordinarily fast in his debut season, if he can now add the right consistency, then he is definitely a candidate for victory in the overall ranking,” says series organizer Andreas Pfister.
Looking optimistically towards new challenges: Robin Renz from Stuttgart
Racing driver Robin Renz is already looking forward to the upcoming racing season:
“Last year, a dream came true for me. However, my first season in motor racing was also a kind of assessment of where I stood: Where do I stand? How fast am I? To my own surprise too I was able to keep up with the leaders right from the beginning and even win the second race of my life straight away. The necessary speed to be able to fight for a podium place was always there on all tracks. Just the consistency in the race and the necessary bit of luck were missing now and then. However, this has strengthened my resolve to go into this season with a very clear objective: I want to win the title,” says Robin Renz.
Pictures: Pfister-Racing GmbH
Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC) announces race dates for 2022
Obersfeld. “In every crisis there is an opportunity, and that includes motor racing. The interest in affordable touring car motor racing is even higher than ever, and we are pleased to be able to offer a contemporary, exciting and affordable product with the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC),” explains organizer Andreas Pfister. “This season, 21 drivers have already competed in 3 racing classes from 3 nations, and even more participants are expected next year. All the detailed information on the new season remains available at our booth in hall 8 at Essen Motor Show.”
The Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC) enables affordable circuit motor racing to take place in Germany and its neighboring countries. Talented newcomers from the world of carting as well as from driver evaluation programs and racing driver license courses all participate in the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge. And they are joined by ambitious newcomers and gentleman drivers.
Considerable attention is paid to the professional marketing of the racing drivers and the sporting events in order to increase the attractiveness of touring car motor racing and to put the drivers and series partners in the limelight in a targeted way.
The winner of the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (Division A, Class 2) will receive a free test opportunity in the TCR racing car.
real cars, real racing: that’s the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge!
appealing mix of ambitious youngsters and “gentlemen drivers”
Exciting touring car motor racing with genuine races is therefore guaranteed. The mix of ambitious youngsters from the world of carting as well as experienced “gentleman drivers” promises exciting wheel-to-wheel duels and genuine touring car motor racing on cool racing circuits.
Provisional racing calendar for 2022*
26.-27.02.2022 official test day at Mendig Airbase (GER)
04.-06.03.2022 Races 1 & 2 Hockenheimring GP circuit (GER)
20.03.2022 Official test day Autodrom Most (CZ)
13.-15.05.2022 Races 3 & 4 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
17.-19.06.2022 Races 5 & 6 Salzburgring (AUT)
27.06.2022 official test day Spreewaldring (GER)
22.-24.07.2022 Races 7 & 8 Automotodr. Grobnik** (CRO)
25.07.2022 official test day Red Bull Ring (AUT)
09.-11.09.2022 Races 9 & 10 Eurospeedway Lausitz (GER)
26.09.2022 official test day Salzburgring (AUT)
14.-16.10.2022 Races 11 & 12 Nürburgring GP circuit (GER)
*subject to approval of DMSB **Guest race as part of the FIA CEZ (Central Europe Zone)
Eligible to start in the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC) are touring cars according to FIA/DMSB Group H regulations in 4 different racing classes:
Class 1 – CUPRA Ibiza V1 Cup or similar
Class 2 – CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup 1.8 LT V4 or similar
Class 3 – CUPRA Leon MKII DSG, SKODA Octavia Cup DSG or similar
Class 4 – CUPRA Leon TCR or similar
The class winners win honorary awards and other high-quality prizes. Opportunities for entry are available as part of the ACV Touring Car Driver Evaluation and by attending 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 ACV Touring Car Driver Evaluation is available at www.pfister-racing.eu and www.pr-tourenwagenchallenge.eu – you are also welcome to contact us by telephone on +49(0)9350 / 90 900 59
Pictures: Pfister-Racing GmbH
“Four in a row” for PRTC Eifel king Tim Schestag at Nürburgring GP circuit
Nürburgring. Rounds 9 & 10 of the current season in the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC) were held at the legendary Nürburgring GP circuit from October 16-17, 2021. The Nürburgring once again lived up to its name with the famous “Eifel weather” and changeable conditions, which was to add some extra action to an exciting racing weekend. The 5.148 km long track version with the famous “Schumacher-S” should be a lot of fun for all the drivers.
As usual, the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC) is also a good springboard for newcomers to motor racing. Marco Chianese (ITA) from Würzburg, Germany, another new driver, made his touring car debut at this racing weekend.
“Real cars, real racing. That’s the motto of our racing series. We offer professionally organized races with appealing touring cars in 4 qualifying categories, at reasonable costs and with good marketing. This concept is becoming increasingly popular, and we have been pleased with the great response. Last but not least, our racers put on a terrific show for the spectators!” stated organizer Andreas Pfister at the beginning of the racing weekend.
David Stein (GER, Usingen) made it into the top 5 on his home circuit
All of the racing cars are equipped with standard tires from TOYO TIRES, with the semi-slick Proxes R888R, which, in combination with the central fielding and “rotating system” of the CHEVROLET and CUPRA racing cars by Pfister-Racing GmbH, ensure a competitive race at an affordable price.
The winner of the 2021 Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC) will receive a free test drive in the 350 hp TCR racing car.
Challenging mixed conditions in qualifying and race 1
The 30-minute open training session was still held under cold but dry weather conditions, and the racers had the opportunity to look for the best braking and turn-in points on the track, as well as to warm up the TOYO-TIRES semi-slicks to the right operating temperature.
In the important qualifying session to determine the starting grid, the onset of rain then provided an extra dose of excitement with mixed conditions on the track. Tim Schestag (GER, Walldorf) was able to make perfect use of the drier conditions at the start of the session and set a fast time straight away on the second lap, which helped him into pole position once again. The first row of the grid was sensationally completed by youngster Noah-Gabriel Vogler (GER, Ranstadt) in his CUPRA Ibiza V1 Cup racing car.
In the second row Dirk Ehlebracht (GER, Oberursel) and Robin Renz (GER, Filderstadt) finished ahead of Roman Holzner (GER, Munich) who had not yet given up their hopes of winning the race.
Pole position, a record and two more victories for Tim Schestag (GER, Walldorf)
The start of the first race on Saturday morning with a rolling Indianapolis start was now awaited with great excitement. Once again, the track was still partially wet and slippery, which demanded the utmost concentration from the racers.
The first laps were already neutralized by the “safety car” at the start of the race and the drivers prepared for the re-start, which Schestag was able to use to lead the race. Behind him, Robin Renz and Dirk Ehlebracht each moved up one position, followed by Roman Holzner as well as Marco Bedrich (GER, Cottbus) and Thomas Eckert (GER, Nuremberg).
The winning drivers in race 1: (f.l.t.r.) Robin Renz, Tim Schestag and Dirk Ehlebracht
Some great wheel-on-wheel battles also took place in the midfield: guest starter Claus Gramlich (GER, Frankfurt) was quickly able to get used to the Nürburgring and fought with Marco Chianese and Patrick Huber (GER, Stuttgart) for the other points placings.
The track now began to dry gradually, which allowed faster lap times. At the front, Tim Schestag did not let himself get rattled and extended his lead over the competition lap by lap until it disappeared from his rear-view mirrors.
Meanwhile, in CUPRA class 1, Noah-Gabriel Vogler took a commanding lead ahead of Pascal Fiedler (GER, Reinhardshagen). In CUPRA class 3, Alexander Sailer (GER, Berlin) handled the CUPRA Leon MKII DSG racing car with increasing skill during the race.
The first four drivers had taken their positions and behind them Marco Bedrich managed to establish himself in front of Thomas Eckert, but the man from Nuremberg was able to keep up with Bedrich.
Most of the drivers raced without any mistakes despite the difficult conditions and once again offered flawless touring car motor racing.
Schestag secured a commanding victory ahead of Robin Renz and Dirk Ehlebracht, who completed the podium. Roman Holzner finished in 4th place ahead of Marco Bedrich and Thomas Eckert.
Thrilling four-way battle in the second race with photo finish by Holzner/Ehlebracht
In the second race on Saturday afternoon, the PRTC racers were then rewarded by the weather gods with some rays of sunshine and a completely dry race track.
However, this reshuffled the cards again: Who could adapt fastest to the better gripping conditions on the race track now?
The race was again started with a rolling Indianapolis start and immediately heralded with a bang in the first bend: Marco Bedrich and Thomas Eckert did not agree on the Eifel “right of way” in the first bend and Bedrich far too optimistically set his braking point too late. Making the entry into the bend impossible and resulting in Bedrich colliding with Eckert’s rear axle, which meant an early end of the race for both of them.
Thomas Eckert was the unlucky one in the second race
The ensuing four-way battle between Schestag, Renz, Ehlebracht and Holzner at the head of the field offered no less action. All four drivers set very fast lap times and stormed away from the rest of the field in their own league.
This time it was much more difficult for Schestag to keep his lead and he had to face some hard attacks from Robin Renz, but he was able to counter each of them. Schestag therefore achieved "four in a row”. Dirk Ehlebracht and Roman Holzner battled no less hard for 3rd place, which Holzner held onto by just 0.035 tenths of a second in an impressive photo finish crossing the finish line!
David Stein was also able to improve his speed significantly and managed to make it into the top 5 at his home race with a lot of fan support. In 6th place Claus Gramlich was closely followed by Marco Chianese, who both also showed a great race, ahead of Patrick Huber. Meanwhile, victory in CUPRA class 1 went to Noah-Gabriel Vogler as usual.
new PRTC table leader at the Eurospeedway Lausitz: Tim Schestag proves to be the best
around the steep curves
Eurospeedway Lausitz. From 24-26.09.2021, the Lausitzring welcomed the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC), hosting competition rounds 7 & 8 in the current racing season. On the 4.534 km racing track in Brandenburg, the racing drivers weren’t just put to the test by a challenging “in-field”, but also by the only steep curve of the season before the start-finish straight sections.
The PRTC is becoming increasingly popular, and at the Eurospeedway, it was able to present a new record field with a total of 14 touring cars in 3 categories. Björn Röhlich (GER, Hamburg), Karla Hübner (GER, Leipzig) and Alexander Sailer (GER, Berlin) were all new additions to the racing class.
“Real cars, real racing. That’s the motto of our racing series. We offer professionally organized races with appealing touring cars in 4 qualifying categories, at reasonable costs and with good marketing. This concept is becoming increasingly popular, and we have been pleased with the great response. Last but not least, our racers put on a terrific show for the spectators!” stated organizer Andreas Pfister at the beginning of the racing weekend.
Once again, young driver Noah-Gabriel Vogler (GER, Ranstadt) was in the mix in his CUPRA Ibiza!
All of the racing cars are equipped with standard tires from TOYO TIRES, with the semi-slick Proxes R888R, which, in combination with the central fielding and “rotating system” of the CHEVROLET and CUPRA racing cars by Pfister-Racing GmbH, ensure a competitive race at an affordable price.
The winner of the 2021 Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC) will receive a free test drive in the 350 hp TCR racing car.
Pole position and two wins: Tim Schestag is in a class of his own at the Eurospeedway
On the Friday, the drivers were able to get a feel for the track in the free training sessions and gain a first impression of it. With cool and windy weather conditions, it was necessary to find the right techniques for bringing the semi-slicks to the correct driving temperature quickly.
In the qualifying rounds to determine the starting grid on the Saturday, Tim Schestag (GER, Walldorf) succeeded in making his mark by taking pole position with a clear time advantage, ahead of Robin Renz (GER, Filderstadt) and Roman Holzner (GER, Munich). The remaining drivers in the top 5 were Dirk Ehlebracht (GER, Oberursel) and local hero Marco Bedrich (GER, Cottbus).
After a short break, the first race then started on the Saturday with a rolling Indianapolis start. After the lights went out, a four-way battle for the lead broke out between Tim Schestag, Dirk Ehlebracht, Robin Renz and Roman Holzner, who gave each other no quarter and once again offered the spectators touring car action at its best.
Behind them, Björn Dietrich (GER, Wittenberg) and Marco Bedrich managed to pull away from the rest of the field relatively quickly, but were unable to keep up with the leaders. Although they drove an inconspicuous race, both managed to score important PRTC rating points once again.
20 competition points on his account mean 1st place overall for Tim Schestag (GER, Walldorf)
At first it also looked like a good race for Thomas Eckert (GER, Nuremberg). With his fast lap times, he seemed set for the top 5, before a transmission failure on his CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup 1.8 LT V4 Cup racing car forced him to quit the race early.
In the top 5 twice: Local hero Marco Bedrich (GER, Cottbus)
Some great wheel-to-wheel duels also took place in the middle of the field: Guest starter Björn Röhlich put on a great performance in his first race, and put both Patrick Huber (GER, Stuttgart) and David Stein (GER, Usingen) under considerable pressure. At the end of the race, Röhlich managed to score his first two points with 7th place.
After a poor qualifying round, Mathias Gaiser (GER, Oberursel) was able to move up again. He put on another good performance, and as the laps went by, was gradually able to work his way up to 6th place.
In the CUPRA class 1, Noah-Gabriel Vogler put on another strong race and entered into entertaining duels with the faster CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup racing cars. In the CUPRA class 3, Alexander Sailer handled the CUPRA Leon MKII DSG racing car with increasing skill during the race.
In the leading pack, the fight for pole position went down to the last millimeter, which wasn’t without its consequences: Robin Renz grabbed the lead, but was immediately forced to contend with Schestag and Ehlebracht at the same time, forcing him off the track. Poor contact with a road hump saw his car suffering a technical problem, which forced him to retire from the race.
Schestag then succeeded in fending off Ehlebracht before finishing with a great win. The podium was completed by Roman Holzner, who secured 6 important points for his PRTC overall ranking.
The outcome of the first race was doubly important, as it was also the starting position for the second race on the Sunday, which also got under way with a rolling Indianapolis start.
Fight for the podium in the second race: Björn Dietrich secures 3rd place by a razor-thin margin
In the second race on the Sunday, Schestag managed to take the lead from the start, and put a buffer of several seconds between himself and his closest rival, Dirk Ehlebracht. Ehlebracht had the right to feel satisfied with the course of the racing weekend, however: he secured a total of 16 competition points and second place in the overall rankings.
Behind them, the battle for the final spot on the podium was much closer. Björn Dietrich found his speed again and put down the fastest racing lap of the weekend on the asphalt in his Chevy. He also had to fend off some tough competition from Robin Renz, who surged ahead from 11th place with a strong recovery.
The duel between the two was finally decided by a razor-thin margin by Björn Dietrich, who secured 3rd place in a photo finish.
0.054 tenths of a second separated Björn Dietrich and Robin Renz at the finishing line
The other points finishers were Robin Renz, Marco Bedrich, Roman Holzner, David Stein and Mathias Gaiser. David Stein, in particular, showed improving form in the second race and managed to achieve much quicker lap times.
In the championship, Tim Schestag, Dirk Ehlebracht and Roman Holzner are now fighting it out for the coveted title in the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC). The touring car action is to continue from 15-17 October 2021 at the legendary Nürburgring GP circuit.
Dubrovnik. The 29-years old Croatian racedriver Ivan Sentic from Dubrovnik took his next steps in his racing career and was able to settle an successful touringcar-debut with 350 HP TCR CUPRA Leon racecar.
His first raceweekend in such a professional and fast touringcar, was from 27.-29.08.2021 at modern racetrack at Slovakiaring (SK). Ivan Sentic was competing in championships of FIA CEZ (Central-Europe-Zone) and Croatian Championship. His aim at his first raceweekend at this 5,9 km long and amazing racetrack was to collect as much experience as possible.
"We are very proud of Ivan, who managed to took a great debut in fast TCR-racecar. The whole weekend he was able to optimize his laptimes and scored out good points in both championships” said organizer and team prinzipal Andreas Pfister after the first raceweekend.
Ivan Sentic (CRO) in his 350 HP CUPRA Leon TCR racecar
"At the first raceweekend I took the focus to get fimilar with this fast racecar, also with the braking and using the best exits of the corners. It was also important to took an eye at our tyres, which are very heavy in work here at Slovakiaring. Altogether I´m happy with my results and I´m sure these race-kilometres will help me for the future” said driver Ivan Sentic after the weekend.
After the raceweekend at Slovakiaring, the second was settled for 03.-05th of September at Automotodrom Brno (CZ).
More trophies for Sentic despite hitting racetrack Brno for the first time
After Slovakiaring, the racetrack at Automotodrom Brno was for Ivan Sentic the first time to hit this track. After the first laps in the qualifying session, the mechanics had to change a sparepart in the braking-circle to ensure brakes will work well at this racetrack.
"Ivan had some small problems with brakes in qualifying sessions and also had to learn the track, cause it was totally new for him. After changing a sparepart from our mechanics, the car was running well and Ivan was able to show an amazing speed, especially in race two, where he overtook Porsche GT4 car.” said organizer and team prinzipal Andreas Pfister after the first qualifying session.
In second race, Ivan was taking a good speed and a cool fight with faster cars: "I´m happy with this second raceweekend, especially cause I was able to learn the track fast. In second race I had a hard fight with faster cars, but I was able to overtook and again scored good points in championship.” Ivan Sentic after second race.
Ivan Sentic (left) on the podium
Now team and driver are working for the racing season 2022, in which is the big aim to be back in the grid and compete for FIA CEZ racing season.
Pictures: Pfister-Racing GmbH
