10.05.17 Kaufmann: Successful start to the touring car season

Wolfgang Kaufmann wins the Youngtimer Trophy’s opening race at Hockenheim

The venue of round 1 of this year’s Youngtimer Trophy turned out to be a good track for Wolfgang Kaufmann and Dieter Dörmann. As early as the first timed practice session at Hockenheim, Kaufmann in his Ford Escort RS 1600 set the benchmark times. He was the only driver to get below the two-minute mark for a flying lap. At the end of the two practice sessions, the driving duo celebrated pole position for the first race of the year.

Kaufmann took the start of the one hour timed event at the wheel of the MK.I Escort, he immediately set the pace and drew away from his competition: “The Escort ran like clockwork, I was able to light up the track from the beginning.”

During his stint behind the wheel, which the series’ regulations limited to 24 minutes, he could not be too assured of his success: “the alternator warning light came on after a few laps, so I eased off the throttle a bit and ran as few electricals as possible” – nevertheless, he had a lead of over 40 seconds at the driver change. “A quick inspection then showed that the alternator belt hadn’t come off, and happily we were able to continue”, Kaufmann breathed a sigh of relief.

Dörmann then protected their lead as he turned clean, steady laps. Their only real worry came after the race, when the officials handed him a time penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag. But even with the addition of these 40 seconds, the remaining cushion of 11 seconds meant that Kaufmann / Dörmann were still the winners.

“What a fine result, a class performance by Dieter and the team”, Kaufmann summed up his Hockenheim race weekend, “I hope to be able to join Dieter and the beautiful Escort BDA for the races at Spa-Francorchamps and at the Nürburgring.”