Rallye Deutschland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The OMV ADAC Rallye Deutschland is an annual rally-event that has been on the World Rally Championship calendar since 2002. Previous events have been hosted by e.g. Frankfurt, Mainz and Koblenz since 1982. Beginning in 2000, it was relocated to the region around Trier.

Rally Deutschland is entirely held on asphalt. A significant part of its attraction originates in the mixture of track characteristics encountered throughout the three day period. This setup has earned it the description of "three rallies in one". After the Shakedown in the morning, the actual event starts on Thursday evening with the traditional Showstart in front of the Porta Nigra. Friday's leg one leads the drivers through the vineyards east of Trier. The stages typically consist of short straights followed by tight turns and hairpins. On day two, the rally moves to the south onto the military training ground in Baumholder. This leg is especially legendary for the "Panzerplatte" stage with the cars leaving the ground over the crest simply known as "Gina". Leading across rugged asphalt and concrete-plates, the stages' special danger lies in the so-called "Hinkelstones", rocks up to a meter in size sidelining the roads as a restraint for military vehicles. Small driving-errors almost automatically lead to serious damage to both car and driver, the most prominent victim being Petter Solberg in 2004. Leg three on Sunday morning brings the drivers to the rural roads outside Sankt Wendel. The stages typically consist of long, high-speed straights, separated by a few tight turns. The rally ends in the early afternoon with the finish ceremony in front of the Porta Nigra.

Besides the different characteristics, the frequently changing weather makes for additional excitement. Short but strong rainshowers can appear out of nowhere and significantly complicate the tyre-choice. In 2004, Marcus Grönholm became the prominent victim of a rainy morning when he crashed out of the introductory stage on Friday.

As a special courtesy for the more than 200,000 fans, the rally includes a spectator special stage held in Sankt Wendel. The Service Park, set up on the shore of the picturesque Bostalsee, offers the possibility to watch the mechanics working on the cars during service.

At the end of each leg, the cars return to the Parc Ferme on the Viehmarkt in downtown Trier (with the exception of 2004). Here, the fans may round off the day at the brewery festival, or in 2006 at the all-weekend roman festival "Brot & Spiele".[1]

[edit] Past Winners

Part of the German Rally Championship
Year	Event	Winner	Vehicle
1982	1. Rallye Deutschland	Erwin Weber	Opel Ascona 400
1983	2. Rallye Deutschland	Walter Röhrl	Lancia 037
1984	3. Rallye Deutschland	Hannu Mikkola	Audi Sport Quattro
1985	4. Rallye Deutschland	Kalle Grundel	Peugeot 205 T16
1986	5. Rallye Deutschland	Michèle Mouton	Peugeot 205 T16
1987	6. Rallye Deutschland	Jochi Kleint	VW Golf GTI
1988	7. Rallye Deutschland	Robert Droogmans	Ford Sierra Cosworth
1989	8. Rallye Deutschland	Patrick Snijers	Toyota Celica
1990	9. Rallye Deutschland	Robert Droogmans	Lancia Delta Integrale
1991	10. Rallye Deutschland	Piero Liatti	Lancia Delta Integrale
1992	11. Rallye Deutschland	Erwin Weber	Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
1993	12. Rallye Deutschland	Patrick Snijers	Ford Escort Cosworth
1994	13. Rallye Deutschland	Dieter Depping	Ford Escort Cosworth
1995	14. Rallye Deutschland	Enrico Bertone	Toyota Celica
1996	15. Rallye Deutschland	Dieter Depping	Ford Escort Cosworth
1997	16. Rallye Deutschland	Dieter Depping	Ford Escort Cosworth
1998	17. Rallye Deutschland	Matthias Kahle	Toyota Corolla WRC
1999	18. Rallye Deutschland	Armin Kremer	Subaru Impreza WRC
2000	19. Rallye Deutschland	Henrik Lundgaard	Toyota Corolla WRC
2001	20. Rallye Deutschland	Philippe Bugalski	Citroën Xsara WRC

Part of the World Rally Championship
Year	Event	Winner	Vehicle
2002	21. ADAC Rallye Deutschland	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC
2003	22. ADAC Rallye Deutschland	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC
2004	23. OMV ADAC Rallye Deutschland	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC
2005	24. OMV ADAC Rallye Deutschland	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC
2006	25. OMV ADAC Rallye Deutschland	Sébastien Loeb	Citroën Xsara WRC