CARTteam.de Leipzig 24H preview

CARTteam.de ready to make its debut in the 24H of Leipzig

Leipzig, Germany (January 27, 2011) -- With a strong group of drivers, CARTteam.de is ready to make its on-track debut in the 24H of Leipzig. The newly formed German squad will feature a combination of experienced professional drivers who have competed in the highest ranks of motorsports around the world, and competitive amateur drivers.

The team was founded in 2010 by Tino Herrmann and Gilbert 'Gib' Stoffmann, who both will be part of the driver line-up. With both being involved with American openwheel racing news site OpenWheelWorld.net, Andreas Wirth was added very early to CARTteam.de's drivers line-up. Wirth competed in 2005 and 2006 in the American Champ Car Atlantic Series, where he captured 3 race wins, and also drove two Champ Car races in Surfers Paradise, Australia and Mexico City that year. Earlier this month Wirth competed for AMG Mercedes in the Dubai 24H race, finishing in seventh position.

Max Wissel will be the team's second star-driver. The young German competed the past three seasons for FC Basel in Superleague Formula, scoring two wins, 11 podium finishes and finishing third in the championship in both 2009 and 2010.

Yonny Weeden will be the team's only international driver. The 26-year old driver was known as one of the promising British talents in the early 2000s and even won a McLaren Mercedes young talent go-karting event, in front of later to be crowned Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton. Weeden also competed in a selected number of races in the Belgian Formula Renault 1.6 series, winning 3 pole positions and 3 race wins in 2005 in only 6 races.

The team had originally lined up former Champ Car Atlantic Champion and Champ Car World Series Conquest Racing driver Charles Zwolsman lined up as second non-German driver. However, due to the unexpected passing of his father one week before the event, Zwolsman decided to step down for the Leipzig 24hr event. The entire CARTteam.de team wishes to express their sincerest sympathies to Zwolsman, his family and friends and hopes to offer Zwolsman a chance to return with the team in the near future.

CARTteam.de found this week a last-minute replacement in Manuel Nees, who has won many German go-karting championships, including the 2005 DMV Kartmeisterschaft Ic/C championship.

In Hermann Wutz CARTteam.de finds a different kind of driver, compared to all drivers who are used to driving formula cars or go-karts. As 2010 German Slalom champion, CARTteam.de expects Wutz gain a different perspective on possible changes.

The CARTteam.de line-up will be completed by the 19-years old Eric Neuber. The German driver won in 2006 the DMV Bundesmeisterschaft Junior go-karting championship. Neuber competed the past three seasons in the German Formel Lista championship, finishing in fourth position in 2010.

CARTteam.de, which will be led by team manager Lars Buchweitz and assistant-team manager Patrick Straver, already tested earlier this month in Leipzig with five of its eight drivers. The team got quickly up to speed with Max Wissel already steering the #2 BOOF Pizza kart to lap times just half a second shy of the lap record.

The Leipzig 24H race will start January 29 at 2pm CET and will finish 24 hours later at January 30. As one of the most important German 24 hour karting events, the CARTteam.de drivers will face tough competition from drivers like Augusto Farfus, Rene Rast, Jorg Muller, Dirk Werner and Norbert Siedler.

The #2 BOOF Pizza kart will wear a specially designed livery during the Leipzig 24hr race, based on the unique silver / orange livery Champ Car used for their Panoz DP01 test car. This livery shows the team's close relationship with American openwheel racing.

Selected CARTteam.de quotes:

Lars Buchweitz (team manager): "It's our first attempt in the 24 hours race in Leipzig, so we'll just operate in the heads down modus. Minimizing errors and trying to concentrate on the race will be our primary focus."

Patrick Straver (assistant-team manager): "We obviously can't wait for the Leipzig 24hr to begin. It's clear that we've got a very strong group of drivers. Even though it's our first race, I think we can be very competitive. It will be important to gain experience as a team and try to keep our kart out of trouble. I'm looking forward working together with each individual member of the team; it will certainly be a great weekend!"

Andreas Wirth (Driver): "I'm looking very much forward to compete the 24h of Leipzig with the cartteam.de. I think it will be a lot of fun and also suing some friends and old competitors again. I've driven two 24h go-kart races before, but that was years ago. So I'm looking forward to do it again. Just coming back from the 24h of Dubai I guess I'm used to not sleeping for a while and to go racing! For me the first thing is to have some fun, but I know that we have quite a good team together, so if we push and have fun I believe we will be good for the top 10."

Gilbert 'Gib' Stoffmann (Driver / Founder): "Obviously it's an honor to be driving with drivers like Andreas Wirth and Charles Zwolsman. We had a great time building the team, getting sponsors onboard, hiring the right people. We're expecting a great weekend for all, we just take everything like it comes to us."

Tino Herrmann (Driver / Founder): "I'm very excited to get behind the wheel of the #2 BOOF Pizza kart for the 24h of Leipzig. It's the first time our team will be racing in Leipzig. The track is very challenging and I expect a very close competition. However our team is in very good shape and we'll be trying to win. I like to thank all the people who supported us during the last weeks of preparation, especially our primary partners BOOF Pizza and dasistgut.de."

Yonny Weeden (Driver): "I'd like to thank all the guys at CARTteam.de for the invitation to join them in the Leipzig 24hr race. I'm really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel and I'm eager to win. Who knows where this could lead, I'm ready to jump back in to a car and go racing today, so any offers are more than welcome!"

Reza Jhasemi (BOOF Pizza, sponsor): "We are very pleased that CARTteam.de has chosen for the tasty Pizza's and Pasta's of BOOF Pizza. Like the drivers on the track, we also try to be the best! Especially the drivers should be able to profit of our carbohydrate-rich Pasta's."

-source: www.CARTteam.de