Uniroyal Funcup in Oschersleben

Hanover, April 2007. With the start of the second season run of the Uniroyal Funcup approaching, the excitement is mounting. On May 16/17 (the Ascension Thursday weekend) the racers sporting the silhouette of the legendary VW Beetle head for the slightly modified racetrack in Oschersleben. No admission fee is charged visitors.

As in the past year, the DTM track of the Motorsport Arena in Oschersleben is the scene of the second season race in Uniroyal Funcup competition. There is enormous interest in seeing what impact the new track routing will have on lap times. Changes are to be expected in the aftermath of the reconstruction of the first and final bends and the surfacing of the safety zones.

Preparations are scheduled to get going at noon on Wednesday, May 16. These include acceptance review of the documents, issue of the racers' outfits, final technical acceptance, and meeting of the participants. Prior to the training session (5 to 7 p.m.) new entrants can take part in one of the theoretical and practical licensing courses necessary for attaining start authorization. At the Paddock Party, the starting positions for the 6-hour race the following day will be drawn as of 7:30 p.m.

On Ascension Thursday, May 17, the commando goes ahead right on time. The racers must already move into the starting line-up as of 7:30. At eight o'clock sharp the starting flag will drop. At 2 p.m. the first one who to see the black-and-white checkered flag at the end of the estimated 180 laps of this marathon, with its numerous pit stops and driver changes, will have been decided. Can Tim Tews and Kalle Kern add a further triumph to their record after the opening victory at the Adria International Raceway or will last year's winner, Stoll Motorsport, snatch the big trophy? Will impuls Motorsport's five-car metallic blue armada come to the fore?

Again this year, the Funcup remains hands-on motorsport. No admission is charged visitors, who have a chance to experience up close this racing event in the fertile plains around Magdeburg.

The Uniroyal FunCup is a brand cup held in Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. In Germany the 760-kg, 130-HP racing cars can be driven by anybody. The plastic vehicle body – a VW Beetle look-alike – conceals inexpensive mass-produced components contained in a specially designed tube-type chassis frame. A completely new vehicle costs around 33,000 euros. Interested parties should check out www.funcup.eu

Starting in 1895, the Belgian rubber goods manufacturer Englebert produced tires for Continental AG and other companies. After merging with US Rubber in 1958, the company changed its name to Uniroyal Englebert. Uniroyal, the inventor of the rain tire, has been a European brand of the Hanover-based Continental AG since 1979.

The Continental Corporation is a leading supplier of tires, brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics and technical elastomers. In 2006 the corporation realized sales of EUR14.9 billion. At present it has a worldwide workforce of more than 87,000.