Just under a week before the DTM Classic/Touring Car Legends race weekend at the Lausitzring, tst sport + technik took the opportunity for an exclusive functional test at the BILSTER BERG. The focus of intensive preparations for the sporting event southeast of Berlin was the shakedown of the repaired 1996 ITC vintage Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Six weeks ago, a leaking steering system at the Nürburgring prevented the start of a car originally driven by Kurt Thiim – the Dane, DTM title winner in 1986, continues to play an active role in the racing team from Hann.-Münden.

The headlines:

1. Roll-out: All three Mercedes-Benzes brought completed their function tests without complaint.
2. Partnership: Track plan from the BILSTER BERG on the front bonnet of the 1996 ITC bolide.
3. A matter for the boss in a hurry: Thorsten Stadler is also active as a test driver in two other customer 190s.

With a content smile, Thorsten Stadler took stock after the functional tests at the BILSTER BERG: “All three touring car classics that we brought along went through excellently, we didn’t have any problems to report at all.” This was especially true for a 1996 ITC C-Class, which made its debut at the BILSTER BERG – as an advertising medium for the 4.2-kilometre test and presentation track in the Teutoburg Forest. Its track plan is depicted on the front of the bonnet, and has been since the season opener of the “Touring Car Legends” racing format six weeks ago at the Nürburgring.

The odd thing about it: Until now, the Class 1 bolide driven by Dane Kurt Thiim a quarter of a century ago has not run at all in its new regalia on the track to which it is dedicated. Stadler has now made up for this – in the form of a leak test after the steering system sprung a leak at the Nürburgring. At the time, friend and customer Jörg Hatscher (Intax Motorsport) provided the 1996 sister car driven by Italo-Scotsman Dario Franchitti for the second round of the “Touring Car Legends”: the double of a relief effort at the Hockenheimring in April 2018. Stadler nevertheless remained without points, as he is registered for the series with his own racing touring car and not with the loaned car, which he looks after technically, as it were.

At the Lausitzring, he will once again start as a soloist with the ancestral C-Class, whose bodywork is decorated in a dark brown that tends towards black. A second customer car, driven by Ellen Lohr in the 1994 DTM, is presented by Guido Momm – and by Kurt Thiim. While these two C-Class cars will be competing for tst sport + technik, Intax Motorsport will also be fielding two examples under the technical responsibility of the team from the source in the Weser. Klaus Ludwig and Jörg van Ommen are their prominent volanteurs. This extends the field to four examples of the technically complex trellis-frame bolides. In addition, Thorsten Stadler and his team naturally continue to rely on the predecessor of the C-Class, the “baby Benz”, i.e. the 190 E 2.3/2.5-16 with four-valve technology. Two of the dynamic four-door models were also in action at the BILSTER BERG. Both customer vehicles ran just as smoothly – and they are ready for new deeds. For the time being, they have found their home in one of the converted munitions halls on the site in the heart of East Westphalia.

The upcoming race weekend of the DTM Classic/Touring Car Legends at the Lausitzring will be delivered via livestream to the comfort of home for all those who can’t be there – from qualifying on Saturday morning, the motto is: “Loud. Live. Legendary.” We will, of course, keep you up to date with the latest news.

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