Martin Tomczyk claims maiden DTM victory at Barcelona

Having started from pole-position, he crossed the finish line after 58 action-packed laps on the 2.949 kilometres long circuit in first place ahead of Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz). Ex-Formula 1-driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen completed the podium in third place. Tom Kristensen, Schneider’s main rival in the battle for the DTM title, failed to score any points, finishing ninth. This allowed Bernd Schneider to further extend his championship lead. Before the ninth round of the season at Le Mans in France (October 15, 2006), Schneider has an 18 points’ lead over Kristensen. An extensive press release with quotes of the drivers and the motor sport directors will follow shortly.

The qualifying at a glance
Spectators on the weekend: 42.000
Air temperature: 26,7 °C
Track temperature: 29,6 °C

Start Tomczyk takes the lead from Frentzen, Kristensen, Schneider. Frank Stippler has a good start and moves up to sixth
Lap 1 Christian Abt hits Nicolas Kiesa's car. Kiesa runs into Ickx's car and then hits Pierre Kaffer, who in turn runs into Green's car. Spengler pushes Mücke around. Jamie Green, Nicolas Kiesa into the pits
Lap 2 Safety car out
Lap 3 Order: Tomczyk is leading from Frentzen, Kristensen, Schneider, Stippler, Häkkinen, Ekström, Scheider and Margaritis.
Lap 6 Racing resumes, no postion changes. Christian Abt under investigation. Schneider attacks Kristensen for third and gets past on the back stretch
Lap 7 Alesi and Scheider collide, Scheider runs into Häkkinen. Scheider into the pits, heavy damage to the right side of the car, retires. Kiesa also under investigation. Spengler overtakes Lauda for ninth.
Lap 10 Frentzen locks up under braking and runs wide, Schneider goes past into second place.
Lap 12 Frentzen drops back to fifth, Spengler into the pits
Lap 13 Abt into the pits. Black and white flag (warning) for Tom Kristensen
Lap 16 Tomczyk is leading Schneider by 2.6 seconds, then Kristensen in third from Ekström, Frentzen, Stippler, Margaritis, Alesi, La Rosa and Lauda.
Lap 19 Ekström passes Tom Kristensen for third place. Stippler into the pits.
Lap 21 Drive through penalty for Jean Alesi. Margaritis into the pits.
Lap 22 Schneider into the pits
Lap 23 Tomczyk into the pits, Alesi comes in for his drive through
Lap 24 Kristensen into the pits
Lap 25 Stoddart into the pits
Lap 26 Spengler into the pits for his second stop
Lap 27 Frentzen into the pits
Lap 28 Häkkinen, Mücke, Abt into the pits
Lap 31 Ekström into the pits. Häkkinen past Alesi as the Frenchman locks up under braking.
Lap 32 Sixth-placed Kristensen spins, loses one place and continues.
Lap 33 Alesi under investigation. Kristensen and Stippler into the pits. Ekström attacks Schneider and gets past.
Lap 34 Schneider into the pits.
Lap 35 La Rosa, Tomczyk, Alesi into the pits.
Lap 36 Ekström, Mücke into the pits. Tomczyk gets past La Rosa.
Lap 37 Ekström re-joins behind Schneider. Lauda into the pits.
Lap 38 Ekström attacks Schneider, Tomczyk past Häkkinen. Häkkinen into the pits.
Lap 39 Ekström past Schneider. Margaritis into the pits.
Lap 41 Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 42 Lauda into the pits.
Lap 43 Mücke off the track, continues.
Lap 45 Drive-through penalty for Mattias Ekström for pushing another car. Frentzen, Alesi into the pits.
Lap 46 Frentzen attacks Spengler. La Rosa into the pits, Ekström comes in for his penalty.
Lap 47 Kristensen locks up under braking and runs wide. Frentzen past Spengler.
Lap 48 Order: Tomczyk is leading from Schneider, Frentzen, Spengler, Ekström, Stippler, Margaritis and Kristensen.
Lap 50 La Rosa past Kristensen for eighth.
Lap 53 Tomczyk locks up under braking, continues.
Lap 54 Schneider briefly off the track, continues.
Lap 56 Ekström attacks Spengler for fourth place and gets past.
Lap 58 Final lap. Martin Tomczyk claims his first victory from Bernd Schneider and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Ekström comes fourth from Spengler, Stippler, La Rosa, Margaritis, Kristensen and Abt.