The title fight in the ADAC GT Masters is entering the penultimate stage against the magnificent backdrop of the dunes and the sea. The Super Sports Car League will line up for the 'semi-finals' and the penultimate race weekend of the season in Zandvoort in the Netherlands (18th to 20th September). The title fight is hotting up with four races to go before the end of the season. Luca Ludwig (26, DEU) and Sebastian Asch (29, DEU/both Team Zakspeed), championship leaders in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, have come under pressure recently, since rivals Klaus Bachler (24 , AUT/GW IT Racing Team Schütz Motorsport) in the Porsche 911 have rapidly reduced their deficit. Placed third in the championship standings, Dominik Baumann (22, AUT) and Jens Klingmann (25, DEU/both BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert) in the BMW Z4 are waiting to seize their chance. Two Dutch drivers will be having a needle match. Last year's double winner Jaap van Lagen (38, NLD) will line up in the Lamborghini Gallardo with Tomas Enge (38, CZ). Van Lagen also has the home win in his sights, as does 24-Hours of Spa winner Nick Catsburg (27, NLD), who will also be in a Lamborghini, partnered by Albert von Thurn und Taxis (32, DEU/all Reiter Engineering). SPORT1 will broadcast both races live from Zandvoort on Saturday and Sunday at 13:00 CET. Admission to the stands set in the terrain around the circuit is free at the Zandvoort Masters Weekend which features the ADAC GT Masters and the 25th running of the Masters of Formula 3.
Championship leaders need first match point to win the title
Ludwig and Asch have the first match point in the title fight in Zandvoort. Mathematically speaking, the Mercedes-Benz drivers have a chance to win the title in the Netherlands before the season ends. Clinching the title on the North Sea coast under their own steam is difficult, though, because, in order to be in an unassailable position at the top of the rankings before the finale, Asch and Ludwig would have to increase their lead by another 28 points. Ludwig: "Nothing is impossible. The chances of taking the title before the season ends are as great as the chance of Klaus Bachler reducing the deficit further. We must attack in Zandvoort and not rest on our points cushion. We have to work hard, because the performance wasn't there last time out at the Sachsenring. We weren't quick enough. We reckon that the Porsche will be strong in Zandvoort, so we have to maintain our lead in the standings."
Porsche took a double victory in Zandvoort in 2014
Rival drivers Bachler and Martin Ragginger (27, AUT) in the Porsche would like to keep the title fight open until the finale at Hockenheim. Last year, their Porsche Team, GW IT Racing Schütz Motorsport, enjoyed a perfect weekend in the Netherlands, winning both races. "I certainly hope that we can now repeat last year's great result," said the Austrian. "The track should suit our Porsche, plus, it's certain to be a bit cooler by the sea and a little rain is always a possibility - all these things should really suit us. It's not just the title fight that is still exciting, because Audi, BMW and Bentley were very fast recently."
Baumann and Klingmann in the BMW Z4 also want to keep their chances of lifting the title alive. Zandvoort will decide whether the two third-placed drivers in the standings still have a hope of claiming the title in the finale during the first weekend in October in Hockenheim. The BMW drivers are the only pair to have achieved three wins so far this season. Also, the circuit set in the North Sea dunes really suits the compact Z4. In 2012, BMW secured the first of eleven race wins so far in the Super Sports Car League there.
Corvette still without a win in the 2015 season
Audi and Bentley are also among the favourites to take the win. The R8 made a strong start to the second half of the season. Audi won three out of four races recently, and at Bentley Team HTP is eager to score another podium finish at the first appearance of the Bentley Continental at Zandvoort. Victories in the ADAC GT Masters are more keenly contested than ever. Nine different driver pairings in all secured wins in the previous twelve races. Corvette are still without a win this season. Andreas Wirth (30, DEU) and Daniel Keilwitz (26, DEU/both Callaway Competition) have finished on the podium at five out of six race weekends. Keilwitz intends to repeat his race win of 2012 in Zandvoort and aims to stand on the top rung of the podium at long last.
Nissan pair aiming to maintain lead in Gentlemen class
A tough fight is also expected in the Gentlemen class. Corvette driver Remo Lips (32, CH/Callaway Competition) had to miss the Sachsenring weekend and so lost the championship lead to Dominic Jöst (36, DEU) and Florian Scholze (42, DEU/both MRS GT-Racing) in the Nissan GT-R. Lips will be back in contention in the Netherlands and aims to retake the championship lead.
Zandvoort: Rough tarmac and sand put high demands on tyres
The ex-Formula 1 circuit on the North Sea coast also provides fresh challenges for the tyres provided by ADAC GT Masters exclusive tyre partner Pirelli. "Zandvoort is unique, and not just because of its situation in the North Sea dunes," explained Anna Playford, Pirelli trackside engineer. "Sand continually blows onto the track, which means that the level of grip is constantly changing. The track's tarmac and also its layout place high demands on tyres, plus, there are banked turns and plenty of changes in elevation."
Zandvoort Masters Weekend joins forces with Formula 3 Masters
The ADAC GT Masters will be joining forces with the Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort. The well established Formula 3 event in which Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hülkenberg and David Coulthard have all taken wins in the past, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Admission to the stands set in the terrain of the circuit is free at the Zandvoort Masters Weekend which features the ADAC GT Masters and Formula 3 Masters. Tickets giving free access to these stands can be downloaded on the website of the Circuit Park Zandvoort at: www.cpz.nl. Tickets to the paddock, including autograph-signing session and pit walk, and the fixed grandstands with seating are also available, starting at 20 euros. Tickets can be purchased in advance at adac.de/gt-masters. ADAC members can take advantage of the ADAC preferential scheme. Tickets are available online at www.adac.de/gt-masters and at www.eventim.de, from any ADAC branch office and from more than 20,000 Eventim outlets throughout Europe.
In addition to the super sports cars of the ADAC GT Masters and the young Formula 3 stars, the Renault Clio Cup Central Europe, the Special Touring Car Trophy (STT), the DTC des DMSB - ADAC PROCAR and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux will provide more racing action in Zandvoort.
The eight events and 16 races of the 2015 ADAC GT Masters season are to be staged at venues in Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. ADAC GT Masters races will again be shown live by ADAC new live-TV exclusive partner SPORT1, who will broadcast all 16 ADAC GT Masters races live and in their entirety in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Broadcasts will normally begin at 1pm on race weekends.