Title to be decided in three races spread over five weeks Alessi/Keilwitz lead championship by narrow three-point margin Can Frentzen finish on the podium for the first time?
The ADAC GT Masters is gearing up for the home stretch, and three races within just five weeks will decide the championship. The third-to-last round of races this season in the League of Super Sports cars takes place at the Lausitzring from 24th to 26th August. These two races at Germany's most easterly circuit are guaranteed to be all-action affairs, since just eleven points separate the top four cars in the table - Corvette, BMW ALPINA, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. Exciting four-way battle for top spot Diego Alessi (40, Italy) and Daniel Keilwitz (23, Villingen / Callaway Competition) who lead the standings in a Corvette, have the best chances of success in this final phase of the competition. Keilwitz returns to the Lausitz with some good memories; the 2010 FIA GT3 European Championship winner secured his first pole position in the ADAC GT Masters there in the 2011 season. "I think we have a good chance of making the podium again at the Lausitzring and I'm optimistic that we can extend our championship lead too," said Keilwitz. The Corvette pair currently only have a minimal lead of three points in the standings on defending champions Dino Lunardi (33, France) and Maxime Martin (26, Belgium / ALPINA) in the BMW ALPINA B6. Christian Engelhart (25, Ksching / Team Geyer & Weinig EDV - Schtz Motorsport) is also in with a good chance at the Lausitzring in the Porsche 911. He's in the hunt for points along with Carrera Cup champion Nick Tandy (27, GB) and achieved his second win of the season in the ADAC GT Masters last week in Austria. Sebastian Asch (26, Ammerbuch) and Maximilian Gtz (26, Uffenheim / kfzteile24 MS Racing Team) in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG are also aiming to have a top-rung finish at long last. They have been on the podium four times so far but have yet to bag their first win of the season. The Lausitzring would be the ideal place for a win, since it was here in 2011 that the kfzteile24 MS Racing team achieved its first victory in the ADAC GT Masters. Frentzen and Wirth ready to pounce and claim first podium of 2012 Robert Renauer (27, Jedenhofen / FROGREEN CO2 neutral) is also still waiting for his first win of the season in his Porsche 911. Renauer secured second place at the Red Bull Ring in qualifying and in both races along with Nicolas Armindo (30, France). He intends going one better at the Lausitzring by finishing in P1. The mixed doubles competitors, Claudia Hrtgen (40, Aachen) / Dominik Schwager (35, Munich / Schubert Motorsport) in the BMW Z4, plus Jesse Krohn (21, Finland) / Nicolas Verdonck (26, B / Lambda Performance), who surprised everyone with two podium finishes for their Ford GT, are also hot contenders for a podium finish. Ex-Formula One driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen (45, Neuss, Germany), who shares the Corvette with Andreas Wirth (27, Heidelberg / Callaway Competition) also looks like achieving his first podium of the 2012 season; the Corvette of Frentzen/Wirth just missed the champagne shower last time out with a P5 and a P4. Home race for Seyffarth Mercedes-Benz and Schulze Nissan GT-R The Lausitzring constitutes a home race for both SMS Seyffarth Motorsport from Querfurt in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Schulze Motorsport from Tagewerben near Leipzig in the Nissan GT-R. Jan Seyffarth (26, Querfurt), who drives for his father's team, hopes to translate his speed into a good result at his home race: "Unfortunately, we've been cursed with bad luck and have dropped down the field on numerous occasions so far this season whilst lying in a promising position. As far as lap times go, our SLS AMG is always one of the fastest, but in the race, for the reasons already mentioned, we've yet to achieve results that count." Team Schulze Motorsport is also a family affair, as Michael (27) and Tobias Schulze (30, both from Tagewerben), who share the cockpit of the rare Nissan GT-R, are the sons of team boss Wolfram Schulze. Dolenc intent on extending lead in the amateur championship stakes The amateur class also promises lots of excitement: after three victories in the last four races, 911 driver Swen Dolenc (44, Maulbronn / PROFESSIONAL AUTO TECH) has opened up a small lead on rival Kristian Poulsen (36, Denmark / Young Driver AMR) in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. "The Lausitzring is one of my favourite tracks and I really like it," says Dolenc, making it absolutely clear that he intends further extending his lead. After his first win of the season in the amateur championship in Austria, Toni Seiler (54, Switzerland / Callaway Competition) also aims to be a serious contender for victory in his Corvette. Seiler, the longest-serving ADAC GT Masters racing driver, must also be in contention for victory in the Lausitz, since he has already won two races here in the past. Junior motor racing drivers at kart slalom in the paddock The ADAC Masters Weekend at the Lausitzring will also be an amazing setting for motor racing juniors from ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg. After a tremendously successful debut last year, a kart slalom will again take place this year in the paddock for the stars of tomorrow. From karting to super sports cars, the ADAC shows off the full spectrum of motor racing and all the excitement that it has to offer during the ADAC Masters Weekend at the Lausitzring.
ADAC GT Masters on TV: All 16 races of the ADAC GT Masters are broadcast live at 12.15pm on Saturdays and Sundays in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on free-to-air TV channel kabel eins. Sports channel SPORT1 will feature highlights of the ADAC GT Masters from the Red Bull Ring in the ADAC Masters Weekend Magazine on 1st September at 2pm. In addition, live timing from all practice sessions and races to supplement live TV broadcasts can be found at www.adac-gt-masters.de.
