Formula BMW ADAC Championship - Rounds 5 and 6 - Spa-Francorchamps - Race

First win for Chris van der Drift. Spa. The challenges of the race
track at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium are also reflected in the diverse
placings of the Formula BMW ADAC Championship. On Saturday,
Sébastien Buemi (CHE/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) won ahead of Marco
Holzer (Bobingen/AM-Holzer Rennsport) and Chris van der Drift (NLD/Team
Rosberg). On Sunday, van der Drift was first to cross the finish line,
leaving Nicolas Hülkenberg (Emmerich/Josef Kaufmann Racing) and
Jonathan Summerton (USA/Team Rosberg) in his wake. "Today is the
best day of my racing career," said a thrilled van der Drift, who
has finally taken his first win in his second season. Born in New
Zealand, he came to Germany last year after a karting career in order
to gather his first experience inside a Formula car. The 19-year-old
instantly won the Rookie Championship, and felt so much at home in
Holland with his family that this year he is racing under the Dutch
flag. With 58 points after the sixth race of the championship, van der
Drift is currently third in the drivers' standings behind
Hülkenberg (100) and Buemi (75). "I'm glad I was at least
able to collect some important points this weekend," said
Hülkenberg of his fourth-placed finish on Saturday and second place
on Sunday, when he benefited from Buemi's retirement. The Swiss driver
was taken off the track on the first lap by his Mücke team-mate
João Urbano (POR/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg). Urbano managed to
continue his race and worked his way up from the middle of the field
into fifth place. American driver Summerton, meanwhile, drove into the
points for Team Rosberg. "It's my first podium place in Germany,
and of course I'm absolutely delighted," said the 17-year-old from
Florida, who had already contested a season in Formula BMW USA last
year. Natacha Gachnang (CHE/Josef Kaufmann Racing) put in some
sensational catching-up work. Having started from 25th after an
accident during qualifying, the 17-year-old Swiss crossed the finishing
line in eighth place. The field was short of one driver this weekend:
Jiri Micanek jr. (CZE/Czech National Team) was out of action following
an appendix operation. Races seven and eight of the Formula BMW ADAC
Championship will be held on 27th and 28th May 2005 as part of the
support programme of the Formula One race at the Nürburgring.
Race 6, placings: 1. Chris van der Drift (NLD/Team Rosberg) 20:23.036,
2. Nicolas Hülkenberg (Emmerich/Josef Kaufmann Racing) 20:23.849,
3. Jonathan Summerton (USA/Team Rosberg) 20:24.667, 4. Martin Ragginger
(AUT/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) 20:29.826, 5. João Urbano
(POR/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) 20:33.915, 6. Stefano Coletti
(MCO/Eifelland Racing) 20:37.379, 7. Tim Sandtler (Bochum/Mamerow
Racing) 20:37.980, 8. Natacha Gachnang (CHE/Josef Kaufmann Racing)
20:39.417, 9. Tobias Hegewald (Waldbreitbach/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg)
20:40.194, 10. Andzej Dzikevic (LTU/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) 20:40.572,
11. Jens Höing (Berlin/Team Rosberg) 20:48.315, 12. Henri
Karjalainen (FIN/Team Rosberg) 20:50.140, 13. Marco Holzer
(Bobingen/AM-Holzer Rennsport) 20:52.130, 14. Harald Schlegelmilch
(LVA/AM-Holzer Rennsport) 20:53.529, 15. Johnny Cecotto jun.
(Munich/Team Lauderbach Motorsport) 20:59.901, 16. Dominik Wasem
(Seiboldsdorf/HBR Motorsport) 21:00.112, 17. Christian Vietoris
(Lissendorf/MLX-Eifelland Racing) 21:03.818, 18. Benjamin Leuchter
(Duisburg/Team Lauderbach Motorsport) 21:04.866, 19. Marco Idili
(NLD/HBR Motorsport) + 2 Runden. DNF: Markus Niemelä (FIN/Team
Rosberg) 23:38.911, Fabio Onidi (ITA/Eifelland Racing) 23:40.271, Mika
Mäki (FIN/Mika Mäki) 24:05.614, Nick de Bruijn (NLD/Josef
Kaufmann Racing) 23:47.651, Sébastien Buemi (CHE/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg). Fastest race lap: Chris van der Drift 2:30.983 min
Circuit length: 6.973 kilometres Race 6, Rookie placings (newcomers to
the Formula series): 1. Nicolas Hülkenberg (Emmerich/Josef Kaufmann
Racing), 2. Martin Ragginger (AUT/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg), 3. Stefano
Coletti (MCO/Eifelland Racing), 4. Tobias Hegewald (Waldbreitbach/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg), 5. Jens Höing (Berlin/Team Rosberg), 6.
Johnny Cecotto jun. (Munich/Team Lauderbach Motorsport), 7. Christian
Vietoris (Lissendorf/MLX-Eifelland Racing), 8. Marco Idili (NLD/HBR
Motorsport). DNF: Mika Mäki (FIN/Mika Mäki), Nick de Bruijn
(NLD/Josef Kaufmann Racing). DNS: Sergio Perez Mendoza (MEX/4speed
Media). Championship standings after 6 out of 20 races: 1. Nicolas
Hülkenberg (100), 2. Sébastien Buemi (75), 3. Chris van der
Drift (58), 4. Nick de Bruijn (34), 5. João Urbano (30), 6.
Sergio Perez Mendoza (29), 7. Marco Holzer (28), 8. Natacha Gachnang
(24), 9. Martin Ragginger (23), 10. Jonathan Summerton (18), 11.
Benjamin Leuchter (16), 12. Markus Niemelä (15), 13. Fabio Onidi
(13), 14. Stefano Coletti (12), 15. Tim Sandtler (4). 16. Mika
Mäki (3), 17. Tobias Hegewald (2), 18. Dzikevic (1), 19. Henri
Karjalainen (1). Rookie standings: 1. Hülkenberg (120), 2.
Ragginger (59), 3. de Bruijn (57), 4. Coletti (55), 5. Perez Mendoza
(52), 6. Hegewald (38), 7. Mäki (26), 8. Vietoris (22), 9. Idili
(18), 10. Cecotto jun. (16), 11. Höing (15).