It was also the first victory in the series for manufacturer Porsche. Only eleven drivers were classified, among those who dropped out were Lucas Auer from Tyrol and DTM leader Sheldon van der Linde.
“Motorsport history with Porsche. I’m very proud,” said Preining while still in the cockpit. The man from Linz drives for the KÜS Team Bernhard in his first year in the DTM. Preining started the race from second place on the grid, in which there were three safety car phases. His Norwegian brand colleague Dennis Olsen finished second, followed by ex-champion Rene Rast. Philipp Eng took fifth place, Clemens Schmid was tenth.
“The car was so strong. We were very good on the brakes. That ultimately gave us victory because we were always able to pass the Audis at all restarts. Luckily the race was over at some point because it was a thrill with all the restarts,” Preining explained in an interview on ProSieben, adding: “It was a long, hard road. Now we’re finally here.”
Auer left through no fault of his own, having previously struggled with health problems. After qualifying, the Tyrolean suffered from a blockage of the sacroiliac joint in his pelvis, which spread to his neck. The neck muscles “closed” and caused pain. After treatment, Auer was fit enough for the race.
In the overall standings, Auer (60 points) is still the best Austrian in fifth place. 20 points separate him from leader Van der Linde. Preining (41 points) is now eighth before the second race at the Norisring on Sunday.
Source: Nachrichten
