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| | Headline: | Successful Comeback to Racing Completed | Date: | 24/08/2009 | | Source: |  (Click Here for more details). |  | | | | | | Review: | Successful Comeback to Racing Completed - ALPINA Wins at the ADAC GT Masters on the Nürburgring
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In only their second appearance in the German ADAC GT Masters Series, the Allgäu team captures
victory. It’s a grand comeback after 20 years out of racing. The last victory was Christian
Danner’s double-victory for ALPINA at the Hockenheimring round of the DTM in 1988.
The foundation for the win was already laid in training. Jens Klingmann, the 19-year-old Touring
Car and GT rookie, drove a dream qualifying lap at 1:58.48 on the Gran Prix course in the Eifel and
garnered the Pole position.
“Everything totally clicked, the BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 just glides over the track”, said Klingmann.
No less than seven of the highly-favoured Audi R8 V10s fielded by the Phoenix, Rosberg and Abt
Audi DTM teams tried and failed to better Klingmann’s time. Jens then used the BMW ALPINA
B6 GT3’s massive torque to his advantage at the start on Saturday, leading into Turn One. With
the Argo and Rosberg team Audis fighting over second place, Klingmann was nearly a second a
lap quicker, creating a gap between himself and the Audis. “I was driving absolutely at the limit “ ,
said Klingmann later.
With a sensational 20-second lead, Jens darted down pit lane and handed over to Andreas Wirth
during a perfectly-executed pit stop. Andreas, the 2004 BMW USA Champion and right on pace
with Jens, continued to give the pursuers no opportunity to close in. At the end of the hour all was
academic: the new BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 crossed the finish line the clear victor, followed by Marc
Hennerici in the Callaway Corvette and Frank Kechele in his Argo Audi R8.
“We’re super-happy that our first win came so quickly, “ said an ecstatic Andy Bovensiepen, the
team’s boss. To the surprise of many, the BMW 6 Series-based BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 has proven
itself a front-runner from the start in the FIA GT3 series. Eleven of the world’s most-renowned
sports car marques compete in this series, including Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche.
The Buchloe race team are already looking forward to their next race: the FIA GT3 European
Championship’s next round on the 13th September at Portimão/Portugal.
TV Highlights from the ADAC GT Masters Weekend at the Nürburgring can be viewed on DSF:
Saturday, 29th August 2009 13:15-14:15
Saturday, 5th September 2009 10:15-11:15 (repeat)
(all times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+2))
See all our ADAC GT Masters Coverage
| | | Cars: | Alpina B6 GT3 (E63 (09 -)) | | | 3007 |  |
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