Sauto.cz Racing Team won the first race of the season - 25.04.2009

Sauto.cz Racing Team entered new season of Czech circuit racing championship in the great style. Antonin Charouz, Jarek Janis, Peter Kox, Vaclav Nimc (Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse AMG DTM) won the endurance race of Division 4, which took place on the Brno circuit today. Second car driven by Antonin Charouz, Stefan Mucke and Tomas Enge had started also very well, Stefan Mucke was long time leader of the race, but unfortunate incident in the pit lane ended their race.

Sauto.cz Racing Teams‘ Mercedes cars ocupied front row of the grid and in early part of the race they were running on the first and second position battling with Audi. After the first pit stops Mercedes #1 moved onto the first position and Stefan Mucke was leading with great gap.

Dramatic moment came on when Stefan came to pit stop and Tomas Enge get in the car. When Czech driver started from the box he touched another car in pit lane. Sauto.cz Racing Teams‘ Mercedes was little bit harmed and after one lap the car lost the bonnet. The race was over. After this shame the second car of Sauto.cz Racing Team took the leading position and controled P1 until the end of the race.

Antonin Charouz: „It is shame, what happend to our car #1. There were so many photographers around our caron the pit lane, that was absolutly unposible to see, that another car is passing our box. Tomas started and clashed this car. On the other hand I am very happy with our performance and of course with the great result of the second car.“

Vaclav Nimc: „I had started in the race really good and than I as carefull to save my position. The car was perfect and I was really satisfied with my performance and with perfect result.“

Jarek Janis: „I had little problems with the tyres, but in the second part of my stint it was much better and I scored some good lap times. I am also happy, that my health troubles are away. I felt realy comfortably in the car today. It was very nice to be on the highest step of the rostrum after so long time, but I am sorry for the second crew, because they had good race and they were going for victory before this accident. It’s shame.“

Peter Kox: „I really enjoyed my comeback into the Czech championship. I like a lot Czech people and this championship. I still need to do more kilometres with this car, I still feel that I am not really taking the maximum out of it. On the other hand we had good lead and I only had to consolidate the lead, make no mistakes. I tried to get the rhytm in the traffic and get reasonable lap times. I think, I had achieved this. Czech championship is little bit like Le Mans Series, where I am usually competing. But there is one difference. In Le Mans Series I must to look in the mirrors all the time, but in Brno I was in the fastest car. It was really good race and I am looking forward for my next race in Czech championship.“
 
Division 4 – Endurance race (3 hrs) – overall results
Brno, Saturday April 25
1. Charouz/Janiš/Kox/Nimč Mercedes-Benz DTM  90 laps
2. Talkanitsa/Kaufmann Corvette C5R   - 3 laps
3. Konopka/Studenič  Porsche 997   - 5 laps
4. Želinský/Charous  Ferrari 430   - 6 laps
5. Peham/Schmitter  Porsche 997 GT3  - 6 laps
6. Machánek/Racz  Porsche 911   - 7 laps
7. Urban/Urban/Charouz Lamborghini Gallardo - 9 laps
8. Kačírek/Suchý  BMW M3 GTR  - 10 laps