A preliminary ruling at Stemweder Berg?
The 53rd edition of the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg on August 9th and 10th could bring a crucial decision in the DRM championship race. If three-time champion Marijan Griebel wins again around Lübbecke and extends his winning streak to five, the fourth title is almost certainly his with only one round remaining.
However, anything can happen in rallying. Julius Tannert, the current second in the standings, knows this well. He aims to finish at the top of the podium in Stemwede and reduce his 25-point deficit to stay in contention for the lead. Around 60 vehicles, including international participants from Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, will start in the penultimate stop of the 2024 German Rally Championship. A total of 14 special stages are planned.
Griebel could open the door to the championship title
Griebel has been the dominant driver of the season so far and leads the standings comfortably. Another victory with co-driver Tobias Braun in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 could see Griebel, aged 35, already celebrating his fourth title. However, the three-time champion knows the unpredictability of his sport and remains cautious. "Anything can happen, I've experienced it myself. I'd be satisfied if we maintain our lead in Stemwede and finish well. Then our chances for the final at the Baltic Sea are very good. I want the fourth title, it doesn't matter where I get it," says the leader. Only his brand colleague Julius Tannert, who needs a win with co-driver Pirmin Winklhofer to reduce the 25-point gap, can prevent this. Tannert: "I assume that Marijan won't take any unnecessary risks with his big lead and will focus on the bonus points in the Power Stage and the Pop-Up Power Stage. We want to win to get closer to him and keep the championship race open until the end." Good chances for a podium finish at the 53rd ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg have Philip Geipel and Katrin Becker in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, as well as Nico Knacker and Thomas Puls (Hyundai i20 N Rally2).
Battle for second place in the DRM2 classification, Gromöller on course for the DRM Classic title
Tom Käßer and Stephan Schneeweiß (Peugeot 208 Rally4) have already secured the title in the DRM2 classification. Patrick Pusch and Fabian Hoese are second in the Opel Corsa Rally4 and want to defend this position. "So far, Tom Käßer has won all the races. Since he's not starting this time, there will be a different winner, and we want to be part of it. It's important to beat Max Schumann to keep the second place. I've finished second in Stemwede before, but I've also written off a car there, so anything is possible," says Pusch. Only two points behind, the driver duo Max Schumann/Kevin Lennartz in the Renault Clio Rally4 is lurking in third place. Schumann: "We've made some unnecessary mistakes so far that have cost us many points. We just have to drive relaxed, have fun, and finish the series well." Konstantin Keil with co-driver Andreas Luther in the Opel Corsa Rallye4, as well as the Swedish duo Simon Andersson and Jörgen Jönsson (Renault Clio Rally4), also have hopes for the vice-championship in fourth and fifth places. Andersson leads the Pirelli Junior classification narrowly ahead of Jonas Ertz.
Walter Gromöller is clearly on course for the DRM Classic title. The experienced driver wants to steer his Opel Ascona 400 to victory in the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg with co-driver René Meier and further increase his lead over Ingo Höppner and Sabrina Rieck in the Mercedes Benz 500 SL.
John Macht and Michael Teufel (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) have extended their lead in the Broad Sport class and head into the penultimate DRM race relaxed. John Macht: "I've never driven in Stemwede before. Like the last rallies, this is new territory for me. We need to try and secure the full points in our NC1 class to maintain our lead. That will be tough, as Stemwede relies on engine power, and we're not the strongest there." Overall second-placed Tarek Hamadeh-Spaniol, who will be competing in the Citroën C2 Challenge with Henry Wichura, shares this view. "Stemwede is very fast and fluid with many junctions. Engine power is crucial here. We've reinstalled our old engine, which was defective, and hope everything runs smoothly. With a total of 13 starters, our NC4 class is well-represented, so everything needs to go right to win. That's necessary to stay competitive at the top," explains the defending champion. Gromöller, in third place, hasn't given up the fight for the overall title in the Broad Sport series yet. "I'm relying on the help of my competitors, but the fast sections at the Stemweder Berg suit me and my vehicle. If there are no technical issues, we'll be in the mix at the front."
While the winner of the DRM Masters special value, Dennis Rostek, is already determined, Oliver Bliss and Julius Simon (Škoda Fabia R5) can move significantly closer to the title with another victory in the DRM Trophy.
The official start of the penultimate DRM season race is on Friday at 17:21 at Borsigstraße in Lübbecke. Four special stages await the driver duos, with day one ending around 21:30. The second stage on Saturday begins for the teams at 8:06, with a total of ten special stages to be completed. The 53rd ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg ends at 19:08 with the finish on Lübbecke's market square, where the top three of each class will be welcomed and honored after around 140 special kilometers.
The highlights of the German Rally Championship are exclusively shown on n-tv, a free-to-air television channel. The 30-minute DRM magazine "PS – DRM Deutsche Rallye-Meisterschaft" will be broadcast on Sunday after the racing events. Alternatively, the magazine can be accessed online at any time in the n-tv media library or on the RTL streaming platform.
Griebel's victory at the Stemweder Berg could potentially extend his mountain of points in the DRM championship, making his fourth title even more likely. The mountainous terrain of the rally could pose challenges to all competitors, but Griebel's experience and dominance this season could give him an edge.
The 53rd ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg features various challenges, including steep mountains and winding roads. The drivers will need to navigate these naturally occurring mountains with precision and speed to secure their positions in the championship standings.
