Hockenheim, Germany - This was race day for the highly popular DTM touring car series in Hockenheim, Germany. The 93,000 spectators witnessed a total domination of the Audi team. Indeed, three Audi A4s finished in the top three positions at the chequered, with the best-placed Mercedes driver being, again, Canadian
Bruno Spengler, in 4th position.
There were dark clouds this morning, and the weather forecast called for some rain during the lunch hour. This was the perfect recipe for a highly entertaining race. However, the sun came out around noon, and the conditions were perfect for the event.
The two Audis of Timo Scheider and Mattias Ekstrom took off like rockets at the green, while Spengler managed to stay in 3rd place. But on lap 5, the Canadian started to lose touch with the leaders. In fact, he was losing 5 to 6/10ths of a second each lap to the leading duo.
Spengler lost a position during the second round of mandatory pit stops, and had to battle fiercely against Martin Tomczyk (Audi) when he returned into the fray. Despite Tomczyk being faster, Spengler never opened the door. He did not crack under pressure. In fact, it is the German who cracked, missing his braking at the end of the long straightaway. Fortunately, he did not hit the rear of Spengler's Mercedes.
