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ADAC Norisring Trophäe “200 Meilen von Nürnberg”

Norisring, Nürnberg, BRD

Date: 17/9/1978
Track length: 2.300 m
Attendance: 90.000
Entries accepted:
Starters: 12 (Div. 1), 20 (Div. 2), 25 (200 meilen)
Finishers: 7 (Div. 1), 12 (Div. 2), 17 (200 meilen)

Pole position: Hezemans in 0.50,8 (Div. 1), Heyer in 0.53,2 (Div. 2), Hezemans (200 meilen)
Fastest lap: Ludwig in 0.51,8 (Div. 1), Heyer in 0.54,6 (Div. 2)

Distance: 44 laps, 62 laps (200meilen)
Average speed: 155,76 kmh (Div. 1); 140,00 (Div. 2)
Weather: Sunny
Ruleset: Group 5/1976
Car info: 1978 Cars

Pictures

After Zolder, Hezemans had turned in his resignation to Loos; he was sure to get a drive since Porsche wouldn’t like to lose the championship. Loos predictably refused to let Hezemans go, and in the end, with some gentle pressure from Porsche and five 3.2 engines Hezemans and Loos were friends again.
The Norisring had moved its traditional fine weather to the late September date this year, and with three top-line races and 90.000 spectators the old Reichsparteigelände thrilled with expectation.

Division 1
Apart from the usual entries, there was the Martini car for Ickx - but this would only be raced in the 200 miles race, unlike the McLaren Turbo BMW, which would be piloted by Stuck (DRM) and Hobbs (200 miles). A second one would have been here too, but it was withdrawn since its intended pilot was Ronnie Peterson - who lost his life a few days earlier.
In practice, Hezemans did what was expected; he claimed pole, wringing everything out of the car without mistakes. Wollek was 4/10ths behind, then Ludwig who was said to already have a contract with Loos for 1979 and Ickx in Moby Dick as fourth - until his engine blew. He was followed by Schurti, Fitzpatrick and Stuck in the BMW. No sign of a Toyota...
Hezemans took the lead after the start, but Schurti and his Max Moritz car were in great form today - Hezemans soon had to let him go to salvage 15 points, but a blown engine meant the end and reduced his chances on the title considerably. Fitzpatrick retired too, while Ludwig started the hunt on Schurti - but had to settle for second, with Wollek third.

Division 2
Heyer had a smashing pole as well, 53,2 seconds was a little faster than Stuck in the Division 1 BMW... Winkelhock was second, Surer in the Swiss car was a surprise third, in front of Hahne (turbo Escort) and Ertl. Höttinger was only 7th after switching between his two cars which did not help matters for a relatively inexperienced driver.
Heyer, Ertl, Winkelhock and Hahne was the turbo-quartet after the start, but the atmo cars of Höttinger, Surer and Quester followed suit. Ertl held back a little and was rewarded when Heyer (camshaft) and Winkelhock (gearbox) both retired. Surer had a fight with Hahne but let him finally go - memories of 1977 were still fresh. Wolf and Quester had a fight too, but when Wolf retired and Höttinger dropped back after contact with Ertl, Quester fired up and finished fourth, while Höttinger was black flagged with a loose wheel.

200 Meilen rennen
For the grand final, many an engine had to be changed and in the mean time some calculations were made: if Ertl would not finish in the top-3 at the last round at the Nürburgring, and Hezemans won, the latter would still be champion.
Schurti again took the lead but got the black flag when he lost a little oil; a harsh decision, and with him many others left the race: Hahne and Heyer (engine), Hobbs (Gearbox), (Ludwig (front axle), Ickx (brakes) and Winkelhock (valves). In the end, Wollek won in front of Hezemans and Konrad.

Division 1
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1   5 Jägermeister Max Moritz Team
Porsche 935-77A		 Manfred Schurti, FL
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 44 laps, 38.59,0 4 0.51,3    
2   9 Weisberg Gelo Team
Porsche 935-77A		 Klaus Ludwig, D
 3211 tc B6 Division 1 44 laps, 38.59,8 3 0.51,1 0.51,8  
3   2 Vaillant Kremer Team
Porsche 935-77A		 Bob Wollek, F
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 44 laps, 39.02,8 2 0.51,1    
4   3 Porsche Kremer Racing
Porsche 935-77A		 Dieter Schornstein, D
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 42 9 0.54,7    
5   15 Meccarillos Racing Team
Porsche 935		 Claude Haldi, CH
 2857 tc B6 Division 1 42 7 0.54,2    
6   20 Jägermeister Max Moritz Team
Porsche 934		 Edgar Dören, D
 2993 tc B6 Division 1 40 12 0.57,8    
7   35 McLaren North America
BMW 320 Turbo 2.1		 Hans-Joachim Stuck, D
 2100 tc L4 Division 1 39 6 0.53,3   Pit stop (water hose)
DNF   6 Weisberg Gelo Team
Porsche 935-77A		 Toine Hezemans, NL
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 24 1 0.50,8   Engine
DNF   36 Team Vastkuststugan
Porsche Carrera RSR		 Kurt Simonsen, S
 2994 B6 Division 1 24 11 0.57,2    
DNF   16 Konrad Racing
Porsche 935-77A		 Volkert Merl, D
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 22 8 0.54,6    
DNF   4 Minolta Kremer Racing
Porsche 935-77A		 Louis Krages ("John Winter"), D
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 10 10 0.54,7    
DNF   8 Weisberg Gelo Team
Porsche 935-77A		 John Fitzpatrick, GB
 3211 tc B6 Division 1 9 5 0.51,9   Water temperature
DNS/DNQ?   38  
Ford Capri RS Turbo		 Gerd Ruch, D
 ? V6 Division 1          

Division 2
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1   55 Sachs Sporting
BMW 320 Turbo 1.4		 Harald Ertl, A
 1428 tc L4 Division 2 44 laps, 41.01,6 5 0.55,0    
2   53 Mampe Ford Zakspeed
Ford Escort II RS Turbo		 Armin Hahne, D
 1427 tc L4 Division 2 44 laps, 41.02,9 4 0.54,8    
3   90 BMW Schweiz
BMW 320		 Marc Surer, CH
 1990 L4 Division 2 44 laps, 41.14,1 3 0.54,4    
4   91 Faltz-Alpina Essen
BMW 320		 Dieter Quester, A
 1990 L4 Division 2 43 10 0.56,6    
5   72 Team Rodenstock Albert Austria
BMW 2002 Turbo		 Franz Albert, A
 1428 tc L4 Division 2 43 8 0.55,7    
6   95 EBG-Freizeit Racing Team
BMW 320		 Jochen Dauer, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 43 11 0.56,6    
7   56 Team GS - Fruit of the Loom
BMW 320		 Bernhard Wissler, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 43 16 0.58,7    
8   89 Écurie Basilisk
BMW 320		 Walter Nussbaumer, CH
 1990 L4 Division 2 42 13 0.57,2    
9   65 Memphis Team International
BMW 2002 Turbo		 Sepp Manhalter, A
 1428 tc L4 Division 2 41 14 0.57,9    
10   71  
BMW 320		 Lothar Wagner, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 41 18 0.59,6    
11   94 Wrangler Racing Team
BMW 320		 Preben Kristoffersen, DK
 1990 L4 Division 2 41 17 0.59,2    
12   88  
BMW 2002		 Dieter Erdmann, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 39 20 1.00,9    
DNF   74 Valvoline Deutschland
BMW 320		 Gustav Fischer, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 37 19 0.59,6    
DNF   57 Team GS - Fruit of the Loom
BMW 320		 Markus Höttinger, A
 1990 L4 Division 2 36 7 0.55,4   Accident
DNF   58 Faltz-Alpina Essen
BMW 320		 Wolfgang Wolf, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 28 9 0.56,6   Driveshaft
DNF   52 Mampe Ford Zakspeed
Ford Capri III Turbo		 Hans Heyer, D
 1427 tc L4 Division 2 15 1 0.53,2 0.54,6 Camshaft
DNF   50 Würth HAT
BMW 320 Turbo 1.4		 Manfred Winkelhock, D
 1428 tc L4 Division 2 14 2 0.54,0   Gearbox
DNF   92 Immo Klein Racing
Ford Escort II RS Turbo		 Mario Ketterer, D
 1427 tc L4 Division 2 7 12 0.56,8   Accident
DNF   61 Team Heidegger
BMW 320 Turbo 1.4		 Walter Brun, CH
 1428 tc L4 Division 2 7 6 0.55,0   Gearbox
DNF   54 Mampe Ford Zakspeed
Ford Escort II RS		 Jürgen Weiler, D
 1975 L4 Division 2 4 15 0.58,1 0.54,6 Camshaft
DNQ   86 MSC Bad Cannstadt
VW Scirocco		 Erich Kornmann, D
 1596 L4 Division 2          

200 Meilen
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1   2 Vaillant Kremer Team
Porsche 935-77A		 Bob Wollek, F
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 62 laps, 55.40,3 2      
2   6 Weisberg Gelo Team
Porsche 935-77A		 Toine Hezemans, NL
 3211 tc B6 Division 1 62 laps, 56.20,1 1      
3   16 Konrad Racing
Porsche 935-77A		 Franz Konrad, A
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 60 22      
4   8 Weisberg Gelo Team
Porsche 935-77A		 John Fitzpatrick, GB
 3211 tc B6 Division 1 60 6      
5   29 ASA Cachia Seiko
Porsche 935		 Jean-Louis Lafosse, F
 2857 tc B6 Division 1 59 23      
6   15 Meccarillos Racing Team
Porsche 935		 Claude Haldi, CH
 2857 tc B6 Division 1 59 11      
7   90 BMW Schweiz
BMW 320		 Marc Surer, CH
 1990 L4 Division 2 59 10      
8   57 Team GS - Fruit of the Loom
BMW 320		 Markus Höttinger, A
 1990 L4 Division 2 59 16      
9   58 Faltz-Alpina Essen
BMW 320		 Harald Grohs, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 59 15      
10   4 Minolta Kremer Racing
Porsche 935-77A		 Louis Krages ("John Winter"), D
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 59 24      
11   3 Porsche Kremer Racing
Porsche 935-77A		 Dieter Schornstein, D
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 59 14      
12   91 Faltz-Alpina Essen
BMW 320		 Dieter Quester, A
 1990 L4 Division 2 58 18      
13   95 EBG-Freizeit Racing Team
BMW 320		 Jochen Dauer, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 57 19      
14   89 Écurie Basilisk
BMW 320		 Walter Nussbaumer, CH
 1990 L4 Division 2 57 20      
15   72 Team Rodenstock Albert Austria
BMW 2002 Turbo		 Franz Albert, A
 1428 tc L4 Division 2 56 17      
DNF   35 McLaren North America
BMW 320 Turbo 2.1		 David Hobbs, GB
 2100 tc L4 Division 1 51 8     Gearbox
DNF   9 Weisberg Gelo Team
Porsche 935-77A		 Klaus Ludwig, D
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 48 3     Front suspension
DNF   53 Mampe Ford Zakspeed
Ford Escort II RS Turbo		 Armin Hahne, D
 1427 tc L4 Division 2 19 12     Valve
DNF   5 Jägermeister Max Moritz Team
Porsche 935-77A		 Manfred Schurti, FL
 2994 tc B6 Division 1 17 5     Blackflagged: oil loss
DNF   52 Mampe Ford Zakspeed
Ford Capri III Turbo		 Hans Heyer, D
 1427 tc L4 Division 2 16 7     Valve
DNF   40 Martini Racing
Porsche 935-78		 Jacky Ickx, B
 3211 tc B6 Division 1 14 4     Brakes
DNF   50 Würth HAT
BMW 320 Turbo 1.4		 Manfred Winkelhock, D
 1428 tc L4 Division 2 13 9     Valve
DNF   61 Team Heidegger
BMW 320 Turbo 1.4		 Walter Brun, CH
 1428 tc L4 Division 2 10 13      
DNF   56 Team GS - Fruit of the Loom
BMW 320		 Bernhard Wissler, D
 1990 L4 Division 2 4 21      
DNF/DNS?   92 Immo Klein Racing
Ford Escort II RS Turbo		 Mario Ketterer, D
 1427 tc L4 Division 2   25     Valve