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Qualifying race: Schneider strokes it

Bernd Schneider increased his DTM series lead by another three points by winning the qualifying race at the Norisring today (Sunday)

The reigning champion led from start to finish in his D2 AMG Mercedes, winning by 2.3secs from Uwe Alzen, Marcel Tiemann and Marcel Fassler.

Alzen started third but aggressively rubbed his way past Tiemann under braking for the first turn. He closed to within 0.2secs of Schneider on lap four but, just as memories of him taking off his Opel team leader Manuel Reuter last year at Hockenheim were flashing through the mind, Schneider drew away and never looked in danger thereafter.

Alzen was a comfortable second, well clear of Tiemann, the latter coming under attack in the closing stages from Fassler who had battled his way past Joachim Winkelhock's Opel at the Grundig hairpin on lap 10. As Smokin' Jo tried to retake the place a lap later, he lost out to Christian Abt's Audi too and slumped to sixth.

Peter Dumbreck was seventh for AMG Mercedes, ahead of the Opels of Michael Bartels and Timo Scheider. The Astras of Manuel Reuter and Alain Menu had run well up the order, until Reuter spun on lap two and Menu was taken off when Laurent Aiello's Audi tagged Thomas Jager's Merc at the chicane on the final lap.

Aiello had already hit Abt Audi team mate Mattias Ekstrom as he fought his way up from 19th on the grid to 10th. Not the most subtle race of the Frenchman's career...

The main race starts at 13.02 local time (12.02 BST).




Bernd Schneider, 2001 D2 Mercedes CLK, 15 laps
Uwe Alzen, 2001 Warsteiner Mercedes CLK, +2.3s
Marcel Tiemann, 2001 Eschmann-Manthey Mercedes CLK, +4.4s
Marcel Fassler, 2001 Warsteiner Mercedes CLK, +4.6s
Christian Abt, 2001 Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R, +5.9s
Joachim Winkelhock, 2001 Holzer Opel Astra Coupe, +8.0s
Peter Dumbreck, 2001 D2 Mercedes CLK, +8.4s
Michael Bartels, 2001 Holzer Opel Astra Coupe, +14.0s
Timo Scheider, 2001 Holzer Opel Astra Coupe, +14.9s
Laurent Aiello, 2001 Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R, +18.1s
Mattias Ekstrom, 2001 Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R, +19.8s
David Saelens, 2000 Rosberg Mercedes CLK, +22.1s
Christijan Albers, 2000 Persson Mercedes CLK, +22.3s
Yves Olivier, 2000 Phoenix Opel Astra Coupe, +23.1s
Manuel Reuter, 2001 Phoenix Opel Astra Coupe, +25.7s
Martin Tomczyk, 2001 Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R, +27.6s
Hubert Haupt, 2000 Euroteam Opel Astra Coupe, +31.3s
Alain Menu, 2001 Euroteam Opel Astra Coupe, +40.6s
Peter Mamerow, 2000 Mamerow Opel Astra Coupe, +43.0s
Tomas Jager, 2000 Persson Mercedes CLK, +43.3s
Patrick Huisman, 2001 Eschmann-Manthey Mercedes CLK, 4 laps
Darren Turner, 2000 Rosberg Mercedes CLK, 2 laps

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