DTM - Race Odds / NASCAR - Busch, Busch, Busch / WTCC - It will get better / more please

Since I a) in the DVB-T Diaspora hang my girlfriend and I b) had a family party at the weekend, I've seen little accordingly. No F3, no ALMS, NASCAR only the beginning and not IRL.

DTM - Zandvoort
I have the weekend to get an anonymous tip that the entry of Citroen in the DTM from 2009 is to be decided. Apparently the French build a prototype, which should be already in the wind tunnel model. I can not logically verify the information, the email sounded pretty serious. On the other hand, probably not a worthwhile entry in the next year, as it should be so in 2010 a new regulating element in terms of chassis. Would be very surprised if the French unceremoniously left the rally world championship soon as 2009.

For sport. A rather humdrum race - at least the front. This is the Audi drive in the box would not, was clear anyway, and after the second pit stop, then nothing happened. But to say that the race has been particularly bad, now would be unfair. There were then but very many close duels in the back of the pack. That was a little outdated - well, the route is not just so much here and it is the aerodynamics of the modern DTM cars. You could see here and there every now and again, how easy was the front axle when you started up too close. Since the beginning of the curve we may be close to it, ultimately you back a few feet away. How can one pass in a series, whose vehicles are indeed quite close to each other in terms of performance?

In the comments received, the DTM again off their fat. Boring. Monotonous. Too much competition. No real race. I criticize the DTM also like, but I continue to believe that the basis of the vehicle is actually not bad. They look good, the V8 engines are the right and the driver's field is even now not too bad. The issue of DTM's just that it was not founded by a sports federation, but by the manufacturers themselves. I argue for years that you open the DTM for "free" teams and zulässst a semi-works support. That alone would bring even more pepper in the matter. It is also clear that the aerodynamic development of the car must be screwed back urgently. Not only because the lap times are so fast, but also because you can not overtake. It is not the aerodynamics can leave completely, but in the WTCC and BTCC in you can see that it is possible to suck in long curves can be. Just because the DTM must also go back.

Jens Schroeder, media analyst with the new portal meedia.com was kind enough to give me time, the ratings of the DTM from the weekend. The numbers I found a bit disappointing. A total of 1.15 million viewers (9.7% market share) saw the race. The target group of 14 to 49 only 430 000 viewers (7.8%) were. Now the race an hour before the normal time is started and the market shares of the other races were significantly better:

First Race: 13.4% / 11.7%
Second Race: 13.5% / 10.6%
Third Race: 13.2% / 13.2%
4th Race: 11.0% / 9.0%
5th Race: 10.9% / 10.2%
6th Race: 9.7% / 7.8%

(Source: Jens Schröder)

The summer break is clearly seen. But 430 000 spectators - that's a number I of NASCAR in Germany zutraue quite well. Unfortunately, Premiere has never moved out numbers, but that what I heard, was also in the six-digit range. For a series from the U.S., who knows a little here and was in the pay-TV. , Everyone can make his rhyme out of it.

WTCC - Estoril
Two really good race in the WTCC. Somehow, at mid-season burst of nodes to be in the series. Already the race in Brno were really good and partly also on the track of Estoril not easy, it went right down to business. They exchanged a lot of paint and some carpet, it was knocked down and overall very hard run, without it being too rough. Even if the seat has won once again, dominating the Meiterschaft, it does not bother at Estoril. The races are fun and it's the FIA ​​finally managed to get almost all the manufacturers on a level. Actually two good races and we can probably now looking forward to the appearance at Brands Hatch.

NASCAR - Chicago
If you can beat Kyle Busch is because, I thought so before the race, then probably to the 1.5 miles ovals. For when he saw this year not so good, apart from in times of his victory in Atlanta. But the "Open Championships Kyle Busch" go well. His statistics are frightening good. In the Cup, he has won seven of 19 races and the rounding of something more than 5000 race he has performed over 1000. In the north, he has five wins, two in the CTS. Makes 14 victories in three different racing classes. Can you imagine, and you'd better translated as follows: That would be like having four races in F1, Hamilton, third in the GP2 and by the way won two in a season in F3. Unbelievable. And it really seems to lie at the driver, because neither Hamlin nor Stewart are able to follow. The question is just - who will stop it and how long will his luck?

For those NASCAR tracks are usually rather difficult. If one, like last year with Jimmie Johnson, it all goes into the ground, that's not good for the ratings. Last year we had at least still Jeff Gordon, who has kept it, but this year? That is a terrific driver Kyle Busch, the question now not even those who hate him abysmally. Ultimately, it's just so that what the fans really want to see. Always cross, always full pipe and his actions, such as those against Jimmie Johnson at the restart on weekends narrowly on the border of fairness. NASCAR could actually get along wonderfully with an even longer streak, as if it would give an adversary who can defy him. So if you have a scenario like in the '80s, when Darrell Waltrip (also at that time very unpopular) grappled with Dale Earnhardt. But that is not easy to see. Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Junior, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson - they all seem to have this year has no chance except Kyle Busch times a worse day.

Good - by Kyle Busch is still a long way. The chase everyone knows has its own laws and even if he goes in with 100 points ahead, that does not mean that he will end up winning. In Chase again a corner is driven harder and there could retaliate quickly that he has in the course of the season dealt a little too much. The Toyota team will focus on Kyle Busch, Chevy in it will probably be junior to the next, but here is the fact that many teams are in Chevy Chase, while at the Toyota Cup probably would not like to give to Tony Stewart.

Various news
- Paul Tracy will return to the IRL. We hear that he is going to Edmonton for Walker Racing at the start. Supposedly IRL owner Tony George has been working flat out a few weeks to find a sponsorship package for Tracy and the team.

- Santander, a Spanish bank and one of the main sponsors of McLaren is said to have allegedly decided, from 2010 to switch to Ferrari. This is another indication that Alonso will move to the Italians. My gut feeling is still that of the Spaniards in 2009 will go for the Reds at the start.

Various news
Addendum to yesterday's entry about the relationship between journalists and the motor sport industry. First, there is at all Except sports a secondary product, the auseiandersetzt with other areas of sport, on the other hand has here "NoteMe" a reference to the website of Premiere Moderator Peter Lauterbach given. As you can see that the single player "Post Speed ​​Academy" which is always shown recently in the F3 Euro race, calculated by the production company of Lauterbach is created. Now Lauterbach has nothing to do with the F3, hence there is nothing to complain about, except maybe the fact that the trained young drivers will be calculated by the premiere presenters / commentators who they interview later times. This has been a rather bad aftertaste, but again, I'm just assume that the boundaries remain somewhat protected. Who will train the young drivers because otherwise in interviews, if not people from the field. That does not mean that one is not critical in future issues.

Something I was surprised but then she provides about the fact that there appears to Lauterbach is a company that produces the DTM for the IPTV /. Very uncomfortable I was when I also saw in the reference list, that his firm also for Mercedes and BMW Motorsport works. Since I do wonder how to ask critical questions to BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen, if at the same elsewhere contractor or at least was still. It takes like "ball of steels" if you have a company with employees, customers and the same question a critical.

I would like Lauterbach did not mean to imply that he is working unclean. As mentioned yesterday before, it would be insane to take, you would after a while not part of the scene in which you work. And of course it also includes business connections. The question is always just how you handle it, how far it lives up to its customer to realize that this is the one and the other job. After all, Premiere has solved one of the compounds resulting, a possible problem in that it has hired Keke Rosberg, who does not even known to mince his words. But a little reminiscent but I have to mix journalistic reporting with their own business interests that have emerged in cycling "journalism" in recent years.

But the subject interests me now is something more. Who else has information that they can send you. I treat the anonymous.

14/07/2008

15/07/2008

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Since I a) in the DVB-T Diaspora hang my girlfriend and I b) had a family party at the weekend, I've seen little accordingly. No F3, no ALMS, NASCAR only the ...