Michel Nykjær wins first heat

With a massive lead, despite two safetycar periods, polesitter Michel Nykjær won the first heat of the day, at round 3 of the Danish Touringcar Championship. Jan Magnussen tried to get past after every safetycar period, but Nykjær managed to pull out a lead on the straights.

If you want action and drama, you can either watch an opera, or attend a DTC race. Chevrolet driver Michel Nykjær started out from pole, James Thompson, Jan Magnussen and John Nielsen followed on the next places. That menu was bound to result in action packed racing. Jens Reno Møller in the FDM Motorsport Seat Leon had been excluded from the qualification after causing a collision, and had to start from the back of the grid.

Michel Nykjær took the start in front of Thompson and Magnussen, and only a few laps later John Nielsen and Henrik Lundgaard collided in turn one. Nielsen was stuck after hitting the wall, while Lundgaard managed to get going again. Nielsen later stated that it was one of the biggest crashes in his career, suffering from a possible concussion. The BMW had its left side damaged badly, and it will not be raced anymore today.

The safetycar was deployed, until Nielsen’s Team Telesikring BMW E90 was cleared out of the way. Nykjær was still leader of the pack, in front of Thompson, Magnussen, Per Poulsen and Martin Jensen. Two laps later the safetycar left the track, and Nykjær took the restart.

Thompson in second did however attack Michel, but was unable to get past. Meanwhile Magnussen was under constant attack from Hartmann Honda privateer Poulsen and teammate Martin Jensen. After five laps, another safetycar period was called for, when Casper Elgaard collided with Joachim Stephansen’s Team Telesikring BMW E90, in the Horseshoe turn. Both were out of the race, a very sad day for Team Telesikring.

At the restart Magnussen managed to get past Thompson, using his rear wheel drive to his advantage in the turn. But nothing could catch Nykjær, Magnussen managed to get close in the turns, but on the straight the Chevrolet engine had an advantage over the E85 driven BMW of Magnussen.

Jens Reno Møller was penalized for hitting the floppy cones in the turns, and had to take a penalty lap, putting him behind John Hansen in the Invitation Only Seat Leon Super Copa. At last we had the silver KP Racing Mercedes C200 back in the game, but in the dying laps of the race it began having misfires, dropping it behind Hansen. The two other Invitation Only drivers, Jens Ole Mathiesen and Martin Marrill tried to take advantage of the wounded Mercedes, but there were not enough laps.

Michel Nykjær wins a splendid heat, in front of Magnussen and Thompson. Henrik Lundgaard made it through the race, but it all had an steamy end, as the Chevrolet blew its radiator in the pit after the race, the damage caused by the Nielsen contact.

“It was a great win, “ Nykjær explained. “We could surely do without the two safetycar periods, because we hoped to win over the other guys, with better tires. But still, it succeeded and we won. I am very happy!”

Heat 2 will take place at 15.40, starting up with the grid show.