The unexpected often happens - Denmark's Kris Nissen, reigning TWC title winner in 2020 and runner-up in 2019, makes a surprise return to the current championship season.
With the replica of his Schnitzer BMW M3 from the 1991 DTM, Nissen will certainly try to make life as difficult as possible for the current favorites and championship leaders in the remaining points races.
TWC fans and Rainer Braun, who occasionally comments on the microphone, can look forward to many a duel. Since the fifth race of the season, the "Bosch Hockenheim Historic" event on the last weekend in August, there has been an open and prestigious battle between several top drivers in the Touring Car Classics at the Motodrom in Baden. Among other things: The duel between the two super Danes Gregersen (39) and Nissen (61).
Battle with almost identical material
Both are fighting with the same weapons, each sitting in the cockpit of a BMW M3 E30 in the TWC DTM-92 class - here the defending champion, there the three-time season winner and championship leader. And then there are other BMW rivals who also have to be beaten first. For example, Yannick Trautwein (28, STW BMW 320i) as the winner of the opening race, the fast Dutchman Marc Seesing (50, DTM M3) with constant contact with the front runners.
Or the experienced ex-DTM driver Peter Oberndorfer (65), who shares the poison green Alpina M3 from the 1988 DTM year with the fast Moritz Horn (24). Their service team 'Automotive 2.0' from Düsseldorf won the 2020 TWC Team Championship and also provided one of the strongest drivers in Otto Rensing (DTM M3).
Old stars still fast
Not forgetting the two representatives of the oldest DTM generation on the grid in the shape of Harald Grohs (77) and Leopold "Poldi" Prinz von Bayern (78), who are also in their former BMW M3 touring cars from the DTM of the 1980s. So the comeback will certainly not be easy for defending champion Nissen, especially as he is only starting in the middle of the season and is driving a newly built car that he does not yet know exactly how well it will react and function.
His BMW M3 is a replica of his former Schnitzer DTM car from the 1991 season. The detailed rebuild is in the hands of the company "KK Motorsport" from Kalefeld (located on the A7 between Northeim and Seesen), which specializes in this field.
Better late than never
Nissen himself is rather relaxed about it all and is looking forward to the comeback. "Above all, I think it's nice to finally see the TWC family again. I bought the car and hope that everything will be ready in time and that we will be competitive. I also want to race a few more times after Hockenheim and have already activated my old team with Peter Utoft, Albert Hamper and Hans Top."
After all, there are still two, possibly even three more races after the Bosch Historic in Hockenheim with a total of three scratch results. Even a late entrant like Ravenol ambassador Nissen still has a good chance of finishing among the top three in the overall standings.
Hahne also back in the cockpit
Incidentally, a second ex-champion is also celebrating his comeback at the Bosch Historic in Hockenheim. Armin Hahne (65), TWC title winner in 2019 in his original Ford Sierra Cosworth RS 500, also wants to face the tough competition. However, his Hartge BMW 320 is a DRM car built according to Group 2 regulations in 1976, making it one of the oldest vehicles in the field of around 40 cars.
The oldest racing touring car of all is a BMW 2002 Ti from 1971 - given the value of the 50-year-old treasure, its driver Markus Schenkl will probably want to avoid close fights with the risk of contact with the enemy.
Dates still to come in 2021
10-12.09.21 ADAC GT Masters 75th anniversary of Dekra, Lausitzring (D)
17-19.09.21 ADAC 1000km race, Nordschleife (D)
01.-03.10.21 TWC Group A Festival, Nürburgring (D)
Further information can be found on the Touring Car Classics website.
