It was with fond memories and high expectations that Andreas Wirth returned to TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands this past weekend. The last laps he clocked at Assen were when he broke the then track record strapped behind the wheel of a Champ Car in 2007.
Having suffered their share of mechanical woes at the beginning of the season things appeared to be looking up for the ALPINA S-Berg Racing Team this weekend as they produced top five results in almost every session.
An enthusiastic Wirth related, “The car has been awesome this weekend. Our guys have worked really hard since we were at Hockenheim to get the issues sorted out, and it's paying off. We're really happy with the car and it's good to be starting further up front this weekend - top five starts for both of our races this weekend are great considering how tough the competition is out there (Wirth & Matzke qualified 3rd and 5th for races 1 and 2 respectively). The track here is awesome - it's really fun to drive, and our car is well suited to it, so we've got pretty high expectations for at least podium finishes this weekend if not a win or two - we're confident that our ALPINA can get us there."
Despite an eventful, rain-drenched race riddled with cautions, Wirth brought the #14 BMW-ALPINA B6 GT3 home safely in second place in race one after an exciting battle to the finish line. An elated Wirth commented, “Unfortunately the Audi was just a little too fast for us today and we couldn't catch them, but we're really happy to take second place - we were so close! It was crazy out there in the rain, but it feels great to put on a great show for the fans. I'm so happy for all of our guys - we knew that the ALPINA could do it, and they've all been working so hard to get it right - this is just a great reward for all of us, it's been a real success to prove what we can do!"
Going into race two of the weekend, Wirth and Matzke held a confident stance having moved up to fourth place in the standings with an exceptional chance to improve to second or third if they could put in a good run on Sunday. Knowing they had a fast machine at hand, a dry track and a start from fifth place, Wirth took to the field with the passion for a win. Shockingly however, happiness turned to heartbreak as Wirth's prospects for a win were stolen in mere seconds as his car was sent off by an overly eager competitor. An obviously angry and frustrated Wirth dramatically related the events, "I can't believe that our race is over before we managed to clear the first turn! I will never understand guys who think they can win a race in the first corner. It's even more frustrating to be taken out by a driver who's not even here to challenge for the championship! I'm here racing to win, and to be taken out by a guest driver starting six spots behind me, who holds no stake in this series -- it's inexcusable. We know we had a great car this weekend, we showed that yesterday, and we know we could have won today! I'm really angry and I feel so bad for our guys who worked so hard on this car only to have it wrecked in an incident like this. It's ridiculous to go out in a situation of avoidable contact."
With just three more venues on the racing calendar for the ADAC GT Masters Series, Andreas Wirth will be more determined than ever to prove himself and better his now fifth place spot in the overall standings as he moves forward from this truly disappointing incident. The ADAC GT Masters Series returns to Germany and takes to the track once again August 13 through 15 at the Lausitzring.
