DTM: Timo Scheider is 2009 DTM champion
A second place at the season finale at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Wuerttemberg behind his only rival for the title, Gary Paffett (Mercedes), sufficed for Timo Scheider to repeat his DTM triumph from 2008. After Bernd Schneider (2000/2001), the German is only the second driver in DTM history to have defended the title. Scheider痴 Audi A4 DTM is fitted with a high-tech clutch from Schweinfurt. In the final standings, after the tenth and final round of the season, Scheider has a lead of 5 points over Paffett and 19 over Paffett痴 brand colleague Paul Di Resta.
Other drivers using high-tech from ZF Sachs Race Engineering to score point successes at Hockenheim in front of 155,000 spectators (throughout the weekend) were Alex Pr駑at (4th place/Audi), Jamie Green (5th/Mercedes-Benz), Oliver Jarvis (6th/Audi) and Markus Winkelhock (8th/Audi). The title of the best driver of a year-old car was clinched with assistance by F Sachs as well. The Briton Jamie Green was the front runner in this group. Like all 2008-spec AMG Mercedes-C-Class cars, Green痴 vehicle is equipped with a clutch from Schweinfurt.
Results, finale, Hockenheim (D), 10th round, DTM, 23 Oct -25 Oct 2009:
1. G. Paffett, Mercedes, 1h 06m 01.702s
2. T. Scheider, Audi, + 1.043s, ZF Sachs
3. P. Di Resta, Mercedes, + 1.792s
4. A. Pr駑at, Audi, + 5.234s, ZF Sachs
5. J. Green, Mercedes, + 5.994s, ZF Sachs
6. O. Jarvis, Audi, + 7.737s, ZF Sachs
7. B. Spengler, Mercedes, + 8.664s
8. M. Winkelhock, Audi, + 9.847s, ZF Sachs
Final drivers� standings:
1. T. Scheider, 64 points; 2. G. Paffett, 59; 3. P. Di Resta, 45; 4. B. Spengler, 41; 5. M. Ekstr�m, 41; 6. M. Tomczyk, 35; 7. J. Green, 27; 8. T. Kristensen, 21; 9. O. Jarvis, 18; 10. M. Winkelhock, 11.
World Rally Championship: Hirvonen finishes season as vice champion
Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen has finished the 2009 season as the runner-up in the Great Britain Rally as well as with a second place overall in the World Rally Championship. The Finn whose Ford Focus RS WRC uses a clutch from ZF Sachs Race Engineering arrived at the WRC finale as the leader of the standings and just barely missed clinching the first title in his career. Two special stages before the end of the rally Hirvonen, who had celebrated a total of four wins in the 2009 season, was separated from the leader, S饕astien Loeb, by merely 18.2 seconds. But on the penultimate special stage Hirvonen lost 1,07.5 seconds because the bonnet of his car suddenly opened while the vehicle was in motion. On the last special stage the Finn still set a best time but had to admit defeat to Loeb in the fight for victory and the title by 1m 06.1s.
Besides Hirvonen, Henning Solberg and Mattew Wilson from the Stobart-Ford private team in places five and six scored a total of seven points at the extremely difficult dirt road rally in Wales. Hirvonen痴 team colleague Jari-Matti Latvala was classified in seventh place. All drivers of a Ford Focus RS WRC rely on high-performance clutches from ZF Sachs Race Engineering in the World Rally Championship.
Results, Great Britain Rally (GB), 12th round of the World Rally Championship, 23 Oct - 25 Oct 2009:
1. S. Loeb/D. Elena, Citro・, 3h 16m 25.4s
2. M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen, Ford, + 1m 06.1s, ZF Sachs
3. D. Sordo/M. Marti, Citro・, + 1m 07.1s
4. P. Solberg/P. Mills, Citro・, + 1m 28.1s
5. H. Solberg/C. Menkerud, Ford, + 6m 28.0s, ZF Sachs
6. M. Wilson/S. Martin, Ford, + 7m 46. 0s, ZF Sachs
7. J. Latvala/M. Anttila, Ford, +12m 11.9s, ZF Sachs
8. C. Rautenbach/D. Barritt, Citro・, +14m 27.8 s
Drivers� championship:
1. S. Loeb, 93 points; 2. M. Hirvonen, 92; 3. D. Sordo, 64; 4. J. Latvala, 41; 5. P. Solberg, 35; 6. H. Solberg, 33; 7. M. Wilson, 28; 8. S. Ogier, 24; 9. F. Villagra, 16; 10. C. Rautenbach, 9.
Manufacturers� championship:
1 Citro・, 167 points; 2 Ford, 140; 3 Stobart-Ford, 80; 4 Citro・ Junior Team, 47; 5 Munchiエs Ford, 23.
Other results:
Results, Hockenheim (D), 9th round, Porsche Carrera Cup, 23 Oct -25 Oct 2009:
1. J. Bleekemolen, Porsche, 31,44.088s, ZF Sachs
2. J. Janak, Porsche, + 3.909s, ZF Sachs
3. C. Engelhart, Porsche, + 5.364s, ZF Sachs
4. T. J臠er, Porsche, + 10.725s, ZF Sachs
5. N. Thiim, Porsche, + 11.681s, ZF Sachs
6. F. Stoll, Porsche, + 12.888s, ZF Sachs
7. R. Renauer, Porsche, + 23.584s, ZF Sachs
8. P. Wlazik, Porsche, + 24.344s, ZF Sachs
Final drivers� standings:
1. T. J臠er, 152 points; 2. J. Bleekemolen, 147; 3. J. Seyffarth, 104; 4. R. Renauer, 104; 5. N. Thiim, 99; 6. J. Johansson, 66; 7. S. Asch, 58; 8. F. Stoll, 56; 9. C. Engelhart, 54; 10. V. Brito, 51.