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Casper Elgaard loses win due to noise problems
Instead reigning champion Jan Magnussen was handed a joyless win
There was drama on and off the road when the drivers in the Danish Touringcar Championship took part in the most prestigious round of the series – the Grand Prix of Denmark – the sixth round of the eight race series at Jyllands-Ringen.
Crossing the finishing line first in the important final race of the meeting was a first time ever achievement for both Casper Elgaard and his Team Essex Invest.
"I that race I probably made the best start that I have ever made," the jubilant BMW driver said in the minutes after Danish Minister of Sport and Culture, Brian Mikkelsen, had given him the winner's garland. "I dived between the two cars in front of me and reached the first corner in front. From there it was just a question of driving the best I had learned. To win the Grand Prix is something that I have dreamt about for a long time, because it is the race, I have wanted to win the most. It is unbelievable!"
Unbelievable was also the verdict that came two hours after the engines had been turned off. The top three cars on the road when through post-race scrutineering, which revealed that both the BMW 320i of Casper Elgaard and the Seat Toledo of Michel Nykjær exceeded the noise level by 10-12 dB. According to the national rule book thise exquates to a 30 second penalty, which sent Elgaard and Nykjær back to seventh and eighth, while Jan Magnussen was handed a rather joyless win.
"A win is a win, but this ain't fun," the Peugeot driver said. "If you are going to win a race, you are going win it on the circuit, where everybody can see it. Casper was really fast today. Michel the same, and neither of those have been going faster, because their cars made to much noise."
Jens Edman and Henrik Lundgaard had started from the front of race one, but while the latter made a terrible getaway, Jens Edman went into the lead and started building up a small cushion. This however was soon nullified by John Nielsen, who was significantly faster on the twistier parts of the circuit. Jens Edman left the door marginally opened, John Nielsen tried a passing move, but in the end the two cars tangled, disrupting the front suspensions of both cars. Thus Michel Nykjær found himself into a lead he was not to lose, while the rest of the field also gained two positions.
This meant that Jason Watt was elevated from seventh to fifth at the chequered flag, and with the top five positions being reversed for the grid of the final, the 2002 champion was on pole. Alas, he was passed by the fast starting Casper Elgaard and when entering the first tight left hander, his Peugeot 307 understeered into the sandtrap, ruining his race.
Jan Magnussen inherited second place, but was soon under hot pressure from Michel Nykjær, who made one of his trade mark daring passing manouvres at the end of the straight, going by the reigning champion and then closing the gap to Elgaard, whom he could not challenge. Moving in the other direction was championship leader Henrik Lundgaard, who made yet another tardy getaway and suffered a plethora of problems.
"I'm really appalled at the hard driving that I experienced in the first corner," Henrik Lundgaard said, shaking his head. "People do not take any care, just as along as they can push and shove. The steering of my car got a hefty whack, and I'm really lucky to see the chequered flag with rubber on the tyres. As early as lap three the tyres are overheating, so it was just a question of finding a way to the get to the finishing line. I'm really glad that I only had to let to other cars get past me."
Generally the judges had a busy day. Apart from the 30 second noise penalties to Casper Elgaard and Michel Nykjær, race exclusions were handed out to John Nielsen (for his collision with Jens Edman), while the same fate was suffered by Jens Møller and Jacob Kristensen for similar offences.
The penultimate round of the Danish Touringcar Championship takes places at Padborg Park on September 19th.
Result of race 1 – Pre Final of round 6 of 8 – Jyllands-Ringen – 10 laps of 2.300 kms:
1. Michel Nykjær Seat Racing Team Seat Toledo 12.18,480
2. Casper Elgaard Team Essex Invest BMW 320i E46 12.20,149
3. Jan Magnussen Peugeot Statoil Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 12.23,328
4. Henrik Lundgaard Toyota Castrol Racing Toyota Corolla T-Sport 12.26,810
5. Jason Watt Peugeot Statoil Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 12.27,065
6. Pontus Mörth Volvo Motorsport Danmark Volvo S60 12.27,314
7. Martin Jensen Peugeot Statoil Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 12.28,904
8. Mike Legarth Team Vamdrup BMW 320i E46 12.29,217
9. Jørgen Weinreich Team Zulu Racing Toyota Corolla T-Sport 12.30,518
10. Kurt Thiim Renault Sport Renault Megane Sports Hatch 12.31,250
Result of race 2 –Final of round 6 of 8 – Jyllands-Ringen – 14 laps of 2.300 kms:
1. Jan Magnussen Peugeot Statoil Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 17.14,192
2. Mike Legarth Team Vamdrup BMW 320i E46 17.20,416
3. Kurt Thiim Renault Sport Renault Megane Sports Hatch 17.24,532
4. Henrik Lundgaard Toyota Castrol Racing Toyota Corolla T-Sport 17.25,829
5. Martin Jensen Peugeot Statoil Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 17.27,362
6. Pontus Mörth Volvo Motorsport Danmark Volvo S60 17.32,108
7. Casper Elgaard Team Essex Invest BMW 320i E46 17.35,318
8. Michel Nykjær Seat Racing Team Seat Toledo 17.39,660
9. Jesper Sylvest Sylvest Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 17.41,999
10. Gunnar Kristensen Team Sturup Raceway BMW 320i E46 17.47,854
Championship positions – drivers:
1. Henrik Lundgaard Toyota Castrol Racing Toyota Corolla T-Sport 172 p.
2. Casper Elgaard Team Essex Invest BMW 320i E46 138 p.
3. Martin Jensen Peugeot Statoil Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 132 p.
4. Jens Edman Toyota Castrol Racing Toyota Corolla T-Sport 116 p.
5. Michel Nykjær Seat Racing Team Seat Toledo 113 p.
6. Mike Legarth Team Vamdrup BMW 320i E46 104 p.
7. Pontus Mörth Volvo Motorsport Danmark Volvo S60 98 p.
8. John Nielsen Team Essex Invest BMW 320i E46 92 p.
9. Kurt Thiim Renault Sport Renault Megane Sports Hatch 89 p.
10. Jan Magnussen Peugeot Statoil Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 85 p.
11. Michael Carlsen Carlsen BP Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 81 p.
12. Jason Watt Peugeot Statoil Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 68 p.
13. Jens Møller Team Essex Invest BMW 320i E46 40 p.
Philip Andersen K-motorsport Honda Civic Type-R 40 p.
15. Jesper Sylvest Sylvest Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 37 p.
16. Jørgen Weinreich Team Zulu Racing Toyota Corolla T-Sport 30 p.
17. Tom Pedersen K-motorsport Honda Civic Type-R 28 p.
18. Michael Schröter Team Volkswagen/Castrol Volkswagen Golf GTI 23 p.
19. Gunnar Kristensen Team Sturup Raceway BMW 320i E46 21 p.
20. Carsten Leveau Team Sturup Raceway BMW 320i E46 19 p.
21. Martin Pedersen Team Peugeot DTC Køge Peugeot 406 Coupé 18 p.
22. John Hansen JHI ATS Motorsport Alfa Romeo 156 4 p.
23. Jacob Kristensen K-motorsport Honda Civic Type-R 2 p.
Championship positions – teams:
1. Toyota Castrol Racing 288 p.
2. Peugeot Statoil Motorsport 235 p.
2. Team Essex Invest 230 p.
4. Seat Racing Team 113 p.
5. Connection Racing 104 p.
6. Volvo Motorsport Danmark 98 p.
7. Renault Sport 89 p.
8. Carlsen BP Motorsport 82 p.
9. K-motorsport 70 p.
10. Team Sturup Raceway 41 p.
11. Sylvest Motorsport 37 p.
12. Team Zulu Racing 30 p.
13. Team Volkswagen/Castrol 23 p.
14. Team Peugeot DTC Køge 18 p.
15. JHI ATS Motorsport 4 p.
Championship positions – privateers:
1. Mike Legarth Team Vamdrup BMW 320i E46 220 p.
2. Michael Carlsen Carlsen BP Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 191 p.
3. Jens Møller Team Essex Invest BMW 320i E46 119 p.
4. Jesper Sylvest Sylvest Motorsport Peugeot 307 GTI 118 p.
5. Gunnar Kristensen Team Sturup Raceway BMW 320i E46 98 p.
6. Jørgen Weinrecih Team Zulu Racing Toyota Corolla T-Sport 94 p.
7. Carsten Leveau Team Sturup Raceway BMW 320i E46 81 p.
8. Martin Pedersen Team Peugeot DTC Køge Peugeot 406 Coupé 70 p.
9. Michael Schröter Team Volkswagen/Castrol Volkswagen Golf GTI 68 p.
10. John Hansen JHI ATS Motorsport Alfa Romeo 156 23 p.