2006 Challenge winner at the wheel of a Norma shared with Rémy Wurtz, Julien Schell is off to a good start this season to bring home the title to his family stable, Pegasus Racing. With the support today from David Caussanel in the Ligier JS49 N°18 EVO, they only need one more win for to be totallyl over the moon.
After three seconds and a third in four races, their performance is impressive. Hot on their heels are other consistents in the Challenge, the determined Philippe Haezebrouck, always focussed and fast, teamed up this season with the young Damien Toulemonde in the LD Autosport stable Norma M20 F N°7. They have notched up three podiums meaning they are still in the running in spite of a poor performance at Dijon where they finished sixth, incurring repeated troubles in practically every race, such as the slow punctures suffered by Damien.
Running third, leaders from the IRS stable, José Ibanez, the boss and William Cavailhes, have notched up two DNFs against two wins. If the reliability they have re-found in their Norma M20 F N°3 over the last two races is confirmed, they will be difficult to beat for the title. Their ability to adapt to a new track such as the German circuit will be a determining factor for forthcoming events. They will be able to count on support from the stable's second car, N°4 which, in the hands of Lionel Robert and François Desprez, took the win in the Val de Vienne event and is lying fourth in the Challenge.
For Vilariño family, father Andres and son Ander, the outlook is not so good. After a barrelling start of season on their Jarama home ground, nothing! The multiple Champions d’Europe de la Montagne have been dogged by mechanical problems since they blew the engine of their Norma M20 F N°23 at the « Val de Vienne 3-Hours». An unhindered return would certainly be quite welcome in Germany in order to put them back in the running for the title.
Former shareholders in Auto Sport Academy, the "baby" of chairman Nicolas Deschaux, Fabien Rosier and François Guillet-Arnaud will be attempting to make the most of their sixth place on general classification after their superb performances since the start of season in their "old generation" Norma M20 N°19 of the Extrême Limite stable. Young Brit, Richard Bernans will be sharing the drive of this Juno SSE N°51 with a new team-mate, Lee Atkins, to defend his position against the two teams at the head of the Gentlemen Drivers Trophy for teams composed of two drivers of over forty years old.
With a third place on scratch at the Dijon event, Toulouse driver Philippe Vidal, teamed up with La Rochelle driver Denis Caillon, are ahead, in their Tony Pereira TFT stable Norma M20 F N°9, of the Juno SSE N°5 of Jean-Louis Bianchina and Jean-François Yvon. The latter have been very consistent since the start of the season, rewarding the investment by Laurent Fort, boss of Esprit Compétition, for the British constructor and will have the support of the 2005 Champion Nigel Greensall for this event. In the second Juno from the stable, Philippe Mondolot will team up with Michel Ghio and Philippe Papin discovering the car for the first time.
Still in the running for a place in the honours in spite of an incomplete season, Christophe Baillet and Jean-Louis Herbeth have put the Norma M20 F N°17 of Car Compétition in tenth position on scratch, which they share with Brits Brian Casey and Rowland Kinch in the G-Cat Racing Norma M20 F N°38.
Mirco Schultis will be aiming for a win at home as he did at the opening event. He will be teamed up for the job with compatriot Roland Mitlander in their Austrian car, the PRC N°89 from Pedrazza Racing Car.
In his Norma M20 F N°55, Philippe Illiano is teamed up with top driver Alain Ferté who is sure to have some surprises up his sleeve. Finnish driver Markus Palttala teams up with Belgian Belge Léo Van Sande in the second Ligier JS49 N°59 from Pegasus Racing while Philippe Thirion and Bruno Bazaud, like many others, will be out for the first time on the German circuit in their Norma M20 F N°69.
And finally, Yann Le Calvez and Sylvain Guanzini N°36 wil be fighting off the return of Alain Giavedoni and Eric Gourmelon N°71 in the C3 category. The two teams from Radical SR3 with their motorcycle engines should make for plenty of cut and thrust.