ETCC: Oschersleben: Tom Coronel race report

Few fortunate moments for Tom Coronel in Oschersleben ETCC race.

For Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel there seemed to be a change of fortune this weekend. For the first time this year the Carly Motors - Team Isert BMW driver put his car on pole position. On raceday however was denied converting his pole position into a podium score due to a collision with fellow BMW driver Jorg Müller. In the early stages of the race the Dutchman was hit from behind by the German and eventually had to stop with suspension failure. In the second race at the German track of Oschersleben Tom Coronel worked his way up from the back of the field to eighth place. The two other cars of the Carly Motors - Team Isert, previously raced by Peter Kox and Duncan Huisman remained empty this weekend. Both races were won by BMW driver Dirk Müller.

In free practice the improvements of the Carly Motors - Team Isert were already shown. "Tuner Carly Pellinkhof and his people worked really hard on the engine and we were absolutely fast. On my first set of tyres I took third place in qualifying. Towards the end of the session I used my second set which resulted in pole position. I am happy to be the first BMW driver on pole position this year and of course it is a nice reward for the hard work of Carly and his team", Tom Coronel said.

In the first of the two races the Dutchman quickly had to let go on his first position and dropped down to third place. Lying in third place he was hit from behind on the fourth lap causing him into an excursion to the gravel trap. "The front suspension was broken and it didn't make any sense to continue. I drove to the pits to let them fix it for the second race. Of course I am disappointed as it was the first time that I was fighting for a podium finish", Coronel commented afterwards.

In the second race Tom Coronel started from the final row together with fellow BMW driver Frederik Ekblom. "Ekblom passed me right after the start of the first race and was leading for some laps. Just like me he was pushed out of the race and had to visit the pits to fix the damage. That's why the both of us started from the back. We both ran through the field by setting fastest laptimes and managed to crawl back to eighth and ninth place. It was a nice and fair race but unfortunately without any points rewards."

The next ETCC will be held at Spa-Francorchamps in three weeks time. For Tom Coronel and the Carly Motors-Team Isert as near as it gets to a home race. "We showed this weekend that we can race for the podium and I really hope to get there at Spa". From this weekend on the ETCC had changed the regulations. The Alfas that dominated the season so far were punished with 15 kg of extra weight while the other cars were allowed to take the same amount of weight out of the car. At the same time the maximum revs were increased for the five and six cylinder cars. These new regulations should bring more competition to the ETCC. Obviously the organisation was proved right judging by the results of this weekend.

Tom Coronel is supported in the FIA European Touringcar Championship by Apex, Seiko, Bertelli and McGregor.

-tcr-