October 14th 2007 – Danish Touringcar Championship:
Nykjær claimed first Danish Seat title

D01 - Michel Nykjær is the winner of the 2007 Danish Touringcar Championship (photographer: Birger Vilén).
The 2007 Danish Touringcar Championship is Michel Nykjær. That was the conclusion after the second of three races on Sunday at FDM Jyllandsringen. At that time the Seat Leon had amassed so many points that neither Jan Magnussen nor John Nielsen could catch him at the top of the points table.
"It was so nice," Michel Nykjær sighed, when celebrating the championship. "After the first heat we had calculated on our position and predicted that if we could finish in front of John in the second heat, then the title would be ours, and as he was starting in eighth position and we were starting second, the options looked good."
The first of the three heats had quite a calm start to it, as all drivers seemed to play a waiting game, with John Nielsen and Casper Elgaard holding onto a secore 1-2 Team Essex lead in front of the Chevrolet twins of Pontus Mörth and Henrik Lundgaard. Michel Nykjær was further down the field, while Jan Magnussen found it difficult making progress from a lowly 12th place grid position. But then midways through the race, things suddenly changed.
Jan Magnussen got stuck in a very intense battle with newly crowned privateer champion Michael Outzen, and often during the race the two drivers were not having all four wheels on the tarmac, the end result being a collision which sent Michael Outzen into a spin, making Jan Magnussen’s championship hopes no good either.
With the top eight positions reversed on the grid for race two, Kurt Thiim led this race in front of Michel Nykjær and Tom Pedersen, and the latter driver was quite obviously the fastest one, as he managed to get past Michel Nykjær. But race one winner John Nielsen did not really make progress from his starting position as number eight, as his alternator broke down and made the use of the car’s power-steering impossible.
"It is difficult to say how much it slowed me down, but personally I am convinced that I could have closed the gap to Michel Nykjær and won the race," John Nielsen said. "But that is academic now, because Michel is a worthy champion."
With the name of the title holder settled for the final, there was still a battle for second and third place in the championship between Jan Magnussen and John Nielsen. The former moved up from eighth on the grid to finish fifth, while John Nielsen gained the lead from team mate and out-going champion Casper Elgaard with three laps to go, eventually clinching the runner-up-position in front of Jan Magnussen.
"Based on our situation this was probably as far as we could get," Jan Magnussen said. "Everybody was racing hard, not making it easy for me. Some drivers were helpful in the traffic, others not at all. But that is forgotten tomorrow."
With the 1-2 finish in its last DTC appearance Team Essex clinched the team’s title.

D02 – John Nielsen and Casper Elgaard were in a class of their own at FDM Jyllandsringen, taking a 1-2 win in the final (fotograf: Birger Vilén).
Result of final:
1. John Nielsen Horsens BMW 320si E90 19:22,093
2. Casper Elgaard Århus BMW 320si E90 19:22,892
3. Tom Pedersen Christiansfeld BMW 320i E46 19:23,802
4. Kurt Thiim Luxembourg BMW 320si E90 19:25,161
5. Jan Magnussen England BMW 320si E90 19:25,741
6. Henrik Lundgaard Hedensted Chevrolet Lacetti 19:28,447
7. Pontus Mörth Sverige Chevrolet Lacetti 19:29,389
8. Jason Watt Herlev BMW 320si E90 19:30,323
9. Michel Nykjær Tappernøje Seat Leon 19:32,129
10. Jens Edman Sverige Honda Accord 19:34,422
Result of qualifcation heat 1:
1. John Nielsen Horsens BMW 320si E90 15:41,248
2. Casper Elgaard Århus BMW 320si E90 15:43,052
3. Pontus Mörth Sverige Chevrolet Lacetti 15:49,351
4. Henrik Lundgaard Hedensted Chevrolet Lacetti 15:58,393
5. Jens Edman Sverige Honda Accord 15:58,446
6. Tom Pedersen Christiansfeld BMW 320i E46 15:58,798
7. Michel Nykjær Tappernøje Seat Leon 15:59,324
8. Kurt Thiim Luxembourg BMW 320si E90 15:59,591
9. Jason Watt Herlev BMW 320si E90 16:00,065
10. Kristian Poulsen Padborg BMW 320si E90 16:01,464
Result of qualifcation heat 2:
1. Kurt Thiim Luxembourg BMW 320si E90 15:48,616
2. Tom Pedersen Christiansfeld BMW 320i E46 15:50,712
3. Michel Nykjær Tappernøje Seat Leon 15:56,325
4. John Nielsen Horsens BMW 320si E90 15:57,869
5. Casper Elgaard Århus BMW 320si E90 15:58,064
6. Henrik Lundgaard Hedensted Chevrolet Lacetti 15:58,236
7. Jan Magnussen England BMW 320si E90 16:00,354
8. Jason Watt Herlev BMW 320si E90 16:02,512
9. Jens Edman Sverige Honda Accord 1:03,717
10. Kristian Poulsen Padborg BMW 320si E90 16:04,115
Championship positions – drivers:
1. Michel Nykjær Tappernøje Seat Leon 300
2. John Nielsen Horsens BMW 320si E90 287
3. Jan Magnussen England BMW 320si E90 270
4. Casper Elgaard Århus BMW 320si E90 236
5. Henrik Lundgaard Hedensted Chevrolet Lacetti 217
6. Michael Outzen Ringe BMW 320si E90 208
7. Pontus Mörth Sverige Chevrolet Lacetti 205
8. Tom Pedersen Christiansfeld BMW 320i E46 175
9. Jens Edman Sverige Honda Accord Euro-R 173
10. Kurt Thiim Luxembourg BMW 320si E90 128
11. Philip Andersen Risskov BMW 320si E90 112
12. Martin Jensen Albertslund Honda Accord Euro-R 110
13. Jason Watt Herlev BMW 320si E90 107
14. Robert Schlünssen Tyskland Peugeot 407 99
15. Kasper Jensen Aalborg Peugeot 407 69
16. Gunnar Kristensen Klampenborg Seat Leon 66
17. Nicki Thiim Sønderborg BMW 320si E90 60
18. Kristian Poulsen Padborg BMW 320si E90 59
19. Carsten Leveau København Seat Leon 48
20. Martin Pedersen Køge Peugeot 407 44
21. David Falch Roskilde Peugeot 407 42
22. Michael Carlsen Vissenbjerg Peugeot 407 39
23. Jens Møller Ikast Honda Accord Euro-R 36
24. Peter Ager Esbjerg BMW 320i E46 30
25. René Rasmussen Frederikssund BMW 320si E90 12
26. Leon Sørensen Hjørring Peugeot 307 2
27. Henrik Møller Sørensen Vejle Seat Toledo 1
Championship positions - privateers:
1. Michael Outzen Ringe BMW 320si E90 339
2. Tom Pedersen Christiansfeld BMW 320i E46 310
3. Philip Andersen Risskov BMW 320si E90 241
4. Gunnar Kristensen Klampenborg Seat Leon 210
5. Robert Schlünssen Tyskland Peugeot 407 195
6. Carsten Leveau København Seat Leon 188
7. Kristian Poulsen Padborg BMW 320si E90 181
8. Kasper Jensen Aalborg Peugeot 407 179
9. Martin Pedersen Køge Peugeot 407 171
10. Michael Carlsen Vissenbjerg Peugeot 407 152
11. Peter Ager Esbjerg BMW 320i E46 140
12. Jens Møller Ikast Honda Accord Euro-R 138
13. David Falch Roskilde Peugeot 407 124
René Rasmussen Frederikssund BMW 320si E90 124
15. Nicki Thiim Sønderborg BMW 320si E90 87
16. Jesper Ternvalt Havdrup BMW 320i E46 71
17. Camilla Stephansen Horsens Toyota Corolla T-Sport 56
18. Leon Sørensen Hjørring Peugeot 307 41
19. John Hansen Kruså Alfa Romeo 156 32
20. Henrik Møller Sørensen Vejle Seat Toledo 30
21. Ronni Jensen Næstved Peugeot 307 14
22. Hans Hartmann Herning Honda Accord Euro-R 6
23. Johnny V. Nielsen Holbæk Peugeot 307 4
24. Jesper Sally Hjortshøj Renault Megane 2
Peter Olsen Havdrup Peugeot 307 2
Championship positions - teams:
1. Team Essex 512
2. Chevrolet Motorsport Danmark 416
3. Den Blå Avis Fleggaard Racing 365
JM Racing 365
5. Seat Racing Team 300
6. Hartmann Honda Racing 280
7. Poulsen Motorsport 247
8. Team Essex Development 112
Autoforum Racing Team Silkeborg 111
10. Team Go Racing 101
11. Team Sturup Raceway 100
12. Team Peugeot DTC Køge 44
13. JM Racing II 42
14. Carlsen Motorsport 39
15. Markland Racing 1
www.dtc-net.dk
- Morten Alstrup-
More reports from this category all copyright automobilsport.com.