Duels between Germany and Austria at the action-packed premiere of the PRTC at the Salzburgring
Salzburgring. The legendary traditional racing circuit in Nesslgraben, Austria, near the city of Salzburg, was the venue for the premiere racing weekend of the Pfister Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC). The motor racing festival hosted by BG Sportpromotion set the stage for several well-known racing series, finally making genuine motor racing possible again in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Big names from the world of motor racing had announced they would be there, such as Walter Röhrl, Harald Grohs, Kris Nissen and Roland Asch.
The fans were able to follow all the action on the racing circuit in an excellent live stream with commentary and close-ups, which attracted an audience of more than 30,000 viewers.
In the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC), meanwhile, 10 racing drivers went into battle in the CHEVROLET Cruze 1.8 LT V3 Eurocup. The motto of the racing series, “real cars, real racing”, was plain to see on the racing circuit, with superb touring car action.
10 racing drivers fight it out for victory in the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge (PRTC)
appealing mix of ambitious youngsters and “gentlemen drivers”
During the first test drives under dry and hot conditions on the Friday, the two “Chevy veterans” Wolfgang Kriegl (AUT) and Björn Dietrich (GER) achieved the fastest lap times. Other PRTC racing drivers took the opportunity to get to know the 4.255 km long high-speed race track, and prepared themselves well for the upcoming weekend of racing.
Wolfgang Kriegl puts down an excellent performance during a battle in the rain
On the first day of racing on the Saturday, the conditions changed all of a sudden: Stormy weather, cloudy skies and rain descended on the racing circuit. Local driver Wolfgang Kriegl proved best able to cope with the slippery and challenging conditions: Not only did he secure pole position for the first race, but also a superb race victory with an advantage of more than 10 seconds over the next drivers.
The battle was intense further down the field: Roman Holzner (GER) celebrated a sensational touring car debut, putting Björn Dietrich (GER) and Sven Grossmann (GER) under considerable pressure. The exciting action saw three drivers fight it out for second place, with Dietrich missing the braking point on the first chicane twice before he then pulled off two courageous overtaking maneuvers in the notorious paddock corner in the best touring car tradition to move back into second place.
The winners’ podium in the first race: from left to right: Björn Dietrich, Wolfgang Kriegl and Sven Grossmann
Close behind them, Roman Holzner came in at fourth place with fast lap times, ahead of Dennis Bröker (GER), who had an unremarkable but constant race. Sixth place was taken by Dirk Ehlebracht (GER), who finished ahead of Aaron Morf (GER) and Mathias Gaiser (GER), who finished 8th and secured the final championship point.
The second day of racing on the Sunday saw another change in the weather conditions: Dry and hot weather was forecast for the Salzburgring.
Björn Dietrich beats Kriegl to win the Sunday race
At the start of the day of racing on Sunday, the drivers got to enjoy the great atmosphere at the Salzburgring and watch the famous race series, as their race didn’t get underway until 14:50 hrs local time. By that time, the conditions on the racing circuit were clear: It was dry, with a good grip on the road surface.
Following the standing Grand Prix start, Wolfgang Kriegl initially built up a decent pole position, but was forced to give it up again after a surprise attack by Björn Dietrich on the first lap, who succeeded in taking the lead in the race.
As usual, the battle was intense further down the field: Roman Holzner used the slipstream of Kriegl and Dietrich to catch up with the leaders, but then found himself contending with electronic problems on his CHEVROLET Cruze Eurocup 1.8 LT V3 Cup racing car, just like Sven Grossmann.
The speed was there – but the luck wasn’t: Roman Holzner (GER)
After that, Dirk Ehlebracht (GER) looked like a safe third place, before braking problems saw him missing the turning point in the first chicane and being forced to give up his place on the winners’ podium to Dennis Bröker (GER), who held on to third place until the finishing line.
At the front of the pack, Wolfgang Kriegl threatened to overtake several times in Björn Dietrich's rear-view mirror, but Dietrich defended his position courageously and won Sunday’s race. Fourth place was secured by Mathias Gaiser (GER), who came in before touring car rookie Aaron Morf (GER), who completed the top 5 finishers.
Young Sandro Ritz (GER), a graduate from the world of go-carting, secured his first championship points. In a good race, the youngster came in at 6th place, in front of Patrick Huber (GER) and Sven Grossmann (GER).
Provisional racing calendar for 2020
July 24-26, 2020 Automotodrom Grobnik** (CRO)
September 14, 2020 Official test day at Salzburgring (AUT)
October 3, 2020 Official test day at Wachauring (AUT)
October 10-11, 2020 EuroSpeedway Lausitz (GER)
July 24-25, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
October 31 - November 1, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
November 13-14, 2020 Motorsportarena Oschersleben (GER)
**FIA CEZ guest races
Eligible to start in the Pfister-Racing Touring Car Challenge are touring cars according to the DMSB Group H regulations, where the focus is on touring cars from the manufacturers CHEVROLET and CUPRA. The classes are determined according to engine capacity.
The class winners win honorary awards and other high-quality prizes. Opportunities for entry are available as part of the ADAC Touring Car Driver Evaluation and through participation in 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 ADAC Touring Car Driver Evaluation is available at www.pfister-racing.eu – you can also contact us by telephone on +49(0)9350 / 90 900 59
