Auto Express – August 20, 2019

112 SpecialIssue http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

Ogier chasing Tanak in Germany

DTMset for500th race celebration

Franchitti to make

Goodwood return

Stephen Errity

[email protected]

●Toyotaman holds strong lead

●Greensmith replaces Evans again

FOUR-timeIndyCarchampionandthree-

timeIndy500winnerDarioFranchittiwill

makeareturntoracingattheGoodwood

Revivalnextmonth,drivingaFerrari250

GTSWBandanACCobraatthemeeting.

TheScotendedhissingle-seatercareer

onmedicaladviceattheendof2013,after

sufferingconcussion,ananklefracture

andaspinalfractureinaseriouscrash

atthatseason’sGrandPrixofHouston.

GERMANY’SDTMtouring-carseriesis

gearinguptomarkits500thracethis

weekendattheLausitzringcircuit.

The‘DeutscheProduktionswagen-

Meisterschaft’,theforerunneroftoday’s

DTM,firstappearedin1984anddeveloped

intotheInternationalTouringCar(ITC)

seriesin1995and1996(right).Itwas

contestedbyMercedes,OpelandAlfa.

Spirallingbudgetsandmanufacturer

withdrawalsledtothecollapseofthat

seriesattheendof1996,butDTMreturned

in2000withanewsilhouetteformula.

Inthecurrentseason,Audi’sReneRast

headstotheLausitzringon206points,

wellclearofhisclosestchallengerand

team-mate,NicoMuelleron169.BMW’s

MarcoWittmannisthirdon147points,

whileDanielJuncadellaisthebest-placed

AstonMartindriver,onjust22points.

CITROEN’SSebastienOgierwillbe

lookingtomakeupgroundonWorld

RallyChampionship(WRC)pointsleader

OttTanak(Toyota)astheseriesreturnsto

actionthisweekendonthechallenging

tarmacroadsofRallyGermany.

EstonianTanakhashitarichveinof

formrecently,withvictoriesinChile,

PortugalandFinlandhelpingtobolster

hispointstotalto180overOgier’s158.

Hyundai’sThierryNeuvilleisnotfaroff,

meanwhile,inthirdwith155points.

WelshmanElfynEvansremainsfourth

on78points,butRallyGermanywillbethe

secondeventhe’llmissasherecoversfrom

returntotheFiesta’sdrivingseatatthe

RallyTurkeyeventinmid-September.

“Elfynisunderstandablyfrustratednot

tobebackinGermany, especiallyatsuch

acriticalpointintheseason,”Millenertold

us.“Butweneedtoensureheisrecovered

beforecomingback.Gusmadeapositive

debutongravel,andwewerekeentogive

himthesameopportunityonasphalt.

“HeimpressedeveryoneintheFiestaR5

atRallyeMonte-Carloearlierthisyearand

Ithinkwecouldseesomegreatprogress.”

FAST FIVE

HUNDRED

DTMwill be

celebrating its

carsfromtoday

(right) and the

nineties (below)

abackinjurysustainedwhilecontestingan

eventinEstoniatoprepareforRallyFinland.

TheM-SportForddriver’sseatwillonce

againbetakenbyGusGreensmith,who

crashedoutofFinlandwhilerunningninth.

“Likeeveryoneelse,IwashopingElfyn

wouldbebackforthisone,”Greensmith

said.“Ifeelreallysorryforhim,butit’s

importanthemakesafullrecovery.There’s

nodenyingasphaltismypreferredsurface,

andI’mreallylookingforwardtoseeing

whatIcandowiththeFiestainGermany.

“Elfynhasalreadyprovenhow

competitivethecarisonthissurface.

Ialsowonmylastrallyontarmacandthink

I’llbeabletogetclosertothetopguys.”

M-SportteamprincipalRichardMillener

sayshehopesthatEvanswillbeableto

SUPER SUB

Gus Greensmith

(right) will once

again step in for

the injured Elfyn

Evans at M-Sport

“Tanak hashit arich vein

of form, winning in Chile,

Portugal and Finland”

BLASTING AWAY

Ta nak (far left) will be

looking to repeat his

2018 Rally Germany

win (left) as he closes

in on the driver’s title

SPORT

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