Jensen keeps things exciting in the Scirocco R-Cup 15.09.2013: First pole position, first real win in the Scirocco R-Cup – Kasper H. Jensen mounted

First pole position, first real win in the Scirocco R-Cup – Kasper H. Jensen mounted the top step of the podium today smiling happily.


By winning the first race of Volkswagen’s home event in Oschersleben, the Danish driver has kept the championship exciting – at least until Sunday – by forcing top-of-the-table Kelvin van der Linde to settle for second place. The 17-year-old South African can now claim the title early in the second race at the Motorsport Arena.


After seven of nine races in this season of the world’s only single-make championship powered by natural gas, the teenager has notched up 276 points, giving him a 69-point lead over his closest rival, Jensen (207).


If van der Linde is at least 60 points ahead after Sunday’s race in Oschersleben, he will be the unassailable champion before the season concludes at the Hockenheimring on 19 October. After the presentation ceremony, the overall leader got a few tips from former Formula 1 driver Jan Lammers. The 57-year-old Dutchman won the Legends category.


Lammers was seventh off the grid and finished in 14th position in the overall standings. His chances of a better result were scuppered right on the first bend when the track was briefly blocked following a collision. The other veteran drivers were also caught in the snarl-up, but later engaged in thrilling duels with their young rivals.


Former DTM champion Kurt Thiim (DK/55) took 15th place in the end, putting him 3 - 2 up on 19th-ranking Klaus Niedzwiedz (D/62) in the two drivers’ own internal contest at the Scirocco R-Cup. The two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk (NL/59) finished 21st. In the overall standings, the Motorsport Allstars are winning 180 - 146 against the DTM Legends.


At the top of the table, Jensen and van der Linde became embroiled in a two-way battle right at the beginning of the race after van der Linde quickly overtook Dennis Trebing (USA), who finished in third place. The South African chased the leader for several laps before easing off so as not to jeopardise his title hopes.


This meant that the race ended with Jensen’s first real triumph in the Scirocco R-Cup. Although he bagged the maximum number of points for the overall Scirocco R-Cup standings in the season’s opening event at the Hockenheimring, Legends driver Nicola Larini (I) crossed the finishing line before him.


Meanwhile, Michele Di Martino escaped relatively unscathed from his accident during free practice on Friday. The 20-year-old German managed not to break anything and has been diagnosed with a blunt thoracic trauma with sternal fractures after smacking into the crash barrier.


 Di Martino is expected to spend the weekend at Magdeburg University Clinic for monitoring, so he will be unable to take part in the second race in Oschersleben.


The second race of the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup’s fifth and penultimate weekend will start bright and early at 10:00 hrs on Sunday. A 30-minute summary of the first race will be broadcast on Sport 1 at 20:15 hrs on Sunday.





Quotes following the first race in Oschersleben


#17 Kasper H. Jensen

Qualifying 1 – race 1: “It’s just fantastic. Although I was awarded full points for winning the first race in Hockenheim, the Legends driver Nicola Larini finished ahead of me. I’ve waited a long time, but now I’ve finally celebrated my first victory. It was my first time in pole position too. It really was a perfect day. Of course I’ll try to go on the offensive to snatch the title, but it’ll be very hard to stop Kelvin now.”


#20 Kelvin van der Linde           
               
Qualifying 3 – race 2: “At the beginning, I tried to attack Kasper. But then I took a conservative approach to the whole thing and stopped taking risks. After all, what I really want is to win the championship and it’s looking very positive on that front. Rain is forecast on Sunday, which will shake everything up a bit. But if I can get the car across the finishing line safely, I could claim the title.”


#17 Dennis Trebing        
                  
Qualifying 2 – race 3: “It took a long time, but now I’ve managed my first podium finish this year. I’ve changed a few things about my driving style and now everything has finally fallen into place. But the most important thing is that Michele Di Martino wasn’t hurt too badly in his accident during free practice. All of the Scirocco drivers hope he makes a speedy recovery!”


#41 Jan Lammers         
         
Qualifying 7 – race 14: “Of course it’s nice to win the Legends category, but everyone’s a winner at the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup. The youngsters because they can learn a lot here, and us old hands because we can get together with our friends and really let our hair down again. I would have loved to finish within the first six, of course, but the track was blocked on the first bend. I overtook the two ladies just before the end: I’ve got a lot of respect for everything they do.”


- Stefan Moser, photos Volkswagen