"OPC Race Camp" Team Line-up for 2008 24-hour Race Announced

* Six Germans, two Austrians and two Swiss convince jury
* Next step: Professional preparation for the 2008 24-hour race

2007-10-01, Rüsselsheim -- The world’s first race driver casting, “OPC Race Camp”, which started with around 18,500 candidates, has now reached a decisive stage. After the remaining 20 candidates took part in the final test at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife on August 27 and 28 – with media representatives from many countries looking on – the ten best drivers were announced during an event at the ARRI Studio in Munich on September 27. They will form the “OPC Race Camp” team for the 2008 Nürburgring 24-hour race. Opel breaks new ground with the OPC Race Camp – a professional talent casting that helps ordinary drivers discover and develop their motor racing skills.

Before the final announcement was made, Manuel Reuter, two-time Le Mans winner, former Opel works driver and current OPC ambassador, as well as his instructors, had to struggle with the decision for several days. “It was more difficult than we had expected,” Reuter revealed. “The performance level of the remaining 20 candidates was very high and they were quite close together. We can be proud of the team that we have, especially because they prove that the Race Camp philosophy and selection process are effective.”

Although the main criterion for the final selection were the lap times achieved at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, this was not the only factor. Skills and mental qualities like finding the right line, driving style and handling of the car and equipment were also considered, as was the ability of each candidate to cope with the increasing pressure. Reuter and his team are convinced they made the right choice with their “top 10”. “All of them have made steady progress, are consistently quick, mentally strong and are team players. That is a very important characteristic, as motorsport is a team affair – something we have emphasized again and again. This is especially true in endurance racing.”

Six Germans, two Austrians and two Swiss convinced the jury. The Germans are Alex Plenagl, a professional skier and member of the Munich Ski Federation, dental student Sebastian August from Potsdam, economics student Benjamin Scharf from Netphen/North Rhine-Westphalia, Christian Bach, automotive development engineer from Rechtenbach/Bavaria, Dr. Peter Pangert, a dentist from Rudolfstad/Thuringia and Christian Bollrath from Loehne/Nordrhine-Westfalia, who currently works in Atlanta, Georgia as managing director of a lighting systems manufacturer. The Race Camp team members from Austria are Stefan Leitner, a vehicle technology student from the technical university of Graz, and Martin Karlhofer from Voitsberg, who has just successfully completed his studies in mechanical engineering and machining technology at the HTL Bulme engineering school. Two Swiss round off the OPC Race Camp Team: Kurt Wenger from Binningen, a sales representative for a Dutch high-tech bicycle manufacturer and Thomas Güntert from Dübendorf, a qualified car mechanic, car sales manager and head of a car dealership’s technical department.

The next steps for the team are all part of an intensive program to prepare for the 24-hour race. This includes participating in five rounds of the “Rundstrecken Challenge Nürburgring” to obtain their international C-level race licenses. Three of these rounds take place this year (October 6, 21/22 and November 3). The team will also be supported by “Jockel” (Joachim) Winkelhock, a fellow Le Mans winner and current Opel ambassador, who achieved two victories in the Nürburgring 24-hours.

All information and the latest news about the OPC Race Camp can be found at http://www.opc-racecamp.de/.

Source: GM

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