Early result in the “League of the Super Sports Cars”?

• Tension before races 11 and 12 of the ADAC GT Masters in Hockenheim
• Leader van der Linde (Audi): “We are by no means safe”
• Ground-breaking race weekend in the supporting series too

The final countdown to the penultimate race weekend of the ADAC GT Masters 2019, taking place from 13 to 15 September at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, has begun. Around 30 top-class GT3 racing cars guarantee a first-class horsepower spectacle in the run-up to the race weekend in the “asparagus capital”. In the two one-hour races with a change of driver, (start: Saturday at 14.45 and Sunday at 13:05, each live on SPORT1) several title contenders will compete against teams who have absolutely nothing to lose – setting the stage for a highly-charged race.

And even though it’s not the venue for the season finale this year, the excitement at Hockenheim may be decisive for the championship outcome. It may even reveal who will take the title. Four races before the finish, the Swiss driver Patric Niederhauser and South Africa’s Kelvin van der Linde in the Audi R8 LMS from HCB Rutronik Racing are placed at the top of the table with 144 points. The Corvette drivers Markus Pommer and Marvin Kirchhöfer from the Callaway Competition team are already 40 points behind. And there’s little between their chasers: Max Hofer/Christopher Mies (Audi R8 LMS, Montaplast by Land-Motorsport, 97 points), Christian Engelhart/Mirko Bortolotti (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo, Orange 1 by GRT Grasser, 92 points), Rolf Ineichen/Franck Perera (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo, Orange 1 by GRT Grasser, 89 points) and David Jahn/Sven Barth (Corvette C7R, RWT Racing, 88 points) are just nine points apart. With a total of 100 points still to be awarded, 15 teams are still in with a shot at the title.

The supposed security could therefore turn out to be deceptive for the table leader. Especially since the 4.5 km long Hockenheimring Grand Prix circuit with its long full-throttle stretches is just up the powerful Corvette’s street. “We are by no means safe because we are aware of how quickly things can change in the ADAC GT Masters,” emphasises van der Linde who is now based in Kempten in the Allgäu region. “In this closely-run championship, even small mistakes can have serious consequences. So it’s time to tackle the last four races with the highest concentration and try to get the maximum from each one. We can do the maths afterwards.” There should be plenty of motivation for HCB Rutronik Racing in two respects: it’s a home match for the team led by team manager Fabian Plentz: the team’s Remchingen base is only 60 kilometres south of Hockenheim.

And the battle for the team title is also raging: the Austrians of Orange 1 by GRT Grasser lead with 162 points just ahead of HCB Rutronik Racing (152), Montaplast by Land Motorsport (137), Callaway Competition (115) and the defending champions, MANN-FLTER Team HTP with 114 points.

Tension in the supporting series

The fight for the title is also hotting up in the supporting series. The ADAC GT4 Germany has fully met the high expectations in its first season. Exciting races, beautiful vehicles, a great variety of brands and a lot of change at the top, resulting in an exciting title fight. Brothers Hamza and Jusuf Owega in the Mercedes-AMG GT4 from GetSpeed Performance are, on 103 points, just two points ahead of the BMW duo Gabriele Piana/Marius Zug (RN Vision STS Racing Team) and only six ahead of Eike Angermayr and Mads Siljehaug in the KTM X-Bow GT4 from Felbermayr-Reiter. In the ADAC TCR Germany, Audi driver Antti Buri leads with 320 points ahead of Hyundai driver Max Hesse (298), last year’s champion Harald Proczyk (282) and Honda ace Mike Halder (274). Things look clearer in the ADAC Formula 4: 16-year-old Frenchman Théo Pourchaire, on 53 points, has the first glimpse of the title at Hockenheim ahead of Arthur Leclerc, the younger brother of Ferrari star and Monza GP winner Charles Leclerc. Julien Andlauer has a good starting position in the Porsche Carrera Cup: with four races remaining, the Frenchman leads with 197.5 points, ahead of the German defending champion Michael Ammermüller (174) and the Dutchman Larry ten Voorde (154).

Get close to the drivers and vehicles

Being close to the action is a key part of the success of the ADAC GT Masters. There’s barely any races where spectators can get as close to racers and racing cars than they can in the League of the Super Sports Cars. Those looking to update their autograph book in one go should head to the “Meet the Drivers” on Saturday at 5.30 p.m. in front of ADAC Hospitality. Audi lady Carrie Schreiner and her male opponents will be there as well to greet their fans and can also be seen at the pitwalks on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Another special feature of the ADAC GT Masters is the “Paddock Tour” on Saturday at 11.45 a.m. and on Sunday at 10.40 a.m. This allows race visitors to get a first-hand insight into what goes on in the paddock. Registration and meeting point can also be found at ADAC Hospitality.

Tickets and advance sales

Friday, 13 September:                                 EUR 10 only on the day

Saturday, 14 September:                            EUR 25 in advance / EUR 35 on the day

Sunday, 15 September:                              EUR 25 in advance / EUR 35 on the day

Weekend ticket (with access to driver’s paddock):

Friday, 13 September – Sunday, 15 September: EUR 35 in advance / EUR 45 on the day

Tickets are available via www.adac.de/motorsport and www.hockenheimring.de, by telephone via the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg hotline +49 (0)6205 950222 or via ADAC branch offices.

At the centre of the action with the VIP ticket

With the VIP package “Racing Live”, motor-racing fans are even closer to the action: As well as a weekend ticket including access to the drivers’ paddock, this limited exclusive offer includes entry to the VIP lounge on the Sunday with first-class catering, a reserved VIP parking space directly in the drivers’ paddock and your choice of seat on all the open stands. Individual hospitality and tours of the starting grid, timekeeping, race control and media centre round off this exclusive weekend experience. The VIP package is available for EUR 225.00 per person. You can receive information about the VIP Ticket from: Jürgen Fabry, Tel.: +49 7244 706250