Unleashing ride: Julius Tannert triumphs again in the Erzgebirge

Unleashing ride
Julius Tannert triumphs again in the Erzgebirge

March 18, 2024, 10:27 a.m

. Fast, tactically clever and flawless – this is how Julius Tannert presented himself at the 59th ADAC Rallye Erzgebirge. The man from Zwickau won seven of the twelve special stages and repeated his home success from last year. On Friday, the 33-year-old took the lead in the last special stage, but on Saturday he turned up the heat and drove away from his opponents.

Together with co-driver Frank Christian, he continuously increased his lead in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 and did not let a puncture in special stage seven stop him. After 137.62 kilometers, the driver duo at the front had a lead of 29.2 seconds. “It’s a great feeling to have won here for the second time in a row. We were perhaps too cautious on the last special stage on the Power Stage. But when we attack fully with such a clear lead and then end up lying on edge in the forest, everyone shows up The finger is on us. The victory is crucial, especially in front of these incredible fans. They braved the weather and cheered us on at the track. This is where motorsport lives,” said the local hero.

The current champion and brand colleague Marijan Griebel was only able to stand up to Tannert at the beginning, but had no chance in the further course of the “Erze” together with co-driver Tobias Braun. However, the Hahnweiler shortened the points gap because he won the two special stages in which the newly created pop-up power stage and the regular power stage were used. This meant he secured the maximum score of eight additional points, while Tannert only scored four extra points in both tests. The 34-year-old Griebel was correspondingly calm: “I was happy with the result on paper because of the additional points, but not on the track. Things didn’t go well right from the start and on Saturday morning I was at the start with slicks when it closed “It started to rain. Then things were over and I drove in slow gear after that.” The strong Danish duo Kenneth Madsen and Mette Felthaus came third in the Citrôen C3 Rally2, but are not counted for the DRM due to the lack of an international driver’s license. As a result, Dennis Rostek and Stefan Kopczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) moved up to third place, followed by Björn Satorius and Jennifer Lerch in the Ford Fiesta Rally2 and the driver crew Nico Knacker / Thomas Puls (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) in fourth and fifth place .

Tom Kässer wins the DRM2

The DRM2 classification went to Tom Kässer and Stephan Schneeweiß in the Peugeot 208 Rally4. “We managed to get through without making any mistakes, actually didn’t brake and were never off the track. The conditions were difficult, I’ve never changed tires that often. But it was worth it,” said Kässer happily. Behind, Simon Andersson and Jörgen Jönsson (Renault Clio Rally4) from Sweden, their brand colleagues Max Schumann and Kevin Lennartz secured the third and final podium place. Max Schumann: “That was a solid start to the season. Apart from a broken rim, the car remained intact. The tire choice was actually always wrong, but that was the case for everyone.” Walter Gromöller was unbeatable in the DRM Classic, as he once again thrilled the fans with his spectacular driving style in the Opel Ascona 400.

In addition to third place in the overall DRM classification, Dennis Rostek and Stefan Kopczyk also celebrated a dominant victory in the new DRM Masters special classification, which was held for the first time at the 59th ADAC Rallye Erzgebirge. “The goal was to win the Masters, but overall our performance was very high. We were even able to win a special stage ahead of Griebel and Tannert, that speaks for itself. I was really happy to be able to ride at all because I had my appendix taken out last week “I couldn’t eat properly before the ore and I didn’t do any sports. That’s why this difficult rally was very tough. But we’re on the right track,” explained Rostek. The second special DRM Trophy was won by Oliver Bliss and Julius Simon in the Skoda Fabia R5. Oliver Bliss dryly: “We are satisfied, even if the tire choice was always wrong.”

The 59th ADAC Rallye Erzgebirge once again offered spectators a fascinating motorsport spectacle. Circuits, gravel roads, potholes and hilltops placed the highest demands on the drivers and their cars, but also provided special moments and thrills for the numerous fans. As is often the case, the moody weather was the big unknown in the Ore Mountains. Sunshine and rain alternated regularly and made for treacherous surfaces on almost all of the day’s stages. The spectators honored the fantastic performance of all participants with lots of applause along the route and a warm welcome at the Stollberg market, where the top three in each class presented themselves to their fans on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Overall status of DRM after the 59th ADAC Rallye Erzgebirge

The highlights of the German Rally Championship can be seen exclusively on n-tv on free-to-air television. On the Sunday after the racing events, the news channel broadcasts the 30-minute DRM magazine “PS – DRM German Rally Championship”. Alternatively, the magazine can be accessed online at any time in the n-tv media library or the streaming platform RTL+.

“PS – DRM German Rally Championship” – The broadcast times

ADAC Rally Erzgebirge
Sunday, March 17, 24 11:15 a.m
Sunday, March 17, 2024 7:15 p.m. (week)

ADAC Actronics Rally Sulingen
Sunday, May 5, 24, 11:15 a.m
Sunday, May 5, 2024 7:15 p.m. (week)

ADAC Middle Rhine Rally + Hunsrück Rally
TBA TBA

ADAC Saarland-Palatinate Rally
Sunday, June 30, 24 11:15 a.m
Sunday, June 30, 2024 7:15 p.m. (week)

ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg
Sunday, August 11, 24 11:15 a.m
Sunday, August 11, 2024 7:15 p.m. (week)

ADAC Baltic Sea Rally
Sunday, 09/08/24 11:15 a.m
Sunday, September 8, 2024 7:15 p.m. (week)