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FIA GT Championship - Hockenheim

3 June 1999

3rd round : Hockenheim 500 km (Germany) - June 25th /27th, 1999

From June 25th to 27th, the Hockenheim circuit will host the third round of the 1999 FIA GT Championship.

Located 90 kilometres from Frankfurt, 120 km from Strasbourg, 320 km from Zurich and 240 km from Luxembourg, the German circuit is ideally placed in the heart of Europe. At the end of June, it will also be at the crossroads of all motor sport activities as, besides the FIA GT Championship, it will host go-kart, motorbike and truck events !

It will be a premiere and the show offered to the spectators should be fascinating !

The FIA GT Championship

The main event of the week-end, the FIA GT Championship, will put 30 GT cars on display to the public, each developing 600 bhp for a weight of 1100 kg. The represented makes will be Chrysler, champions in 1997 and 1998 with the Viper, Porsche, Lister and Marcos.

The event will be held over a distance of 500 km but unlike the two previous years, the GT cars will not use the 6.823 km long Grand Prix circuit.

In order to offer a better show to the public, the organisation chose to use the short circuit, which is 2.63854 km long and which will allow the spectators to follow the race in the Stadium. On this narrow track with lots of turns (six to the right and two to the left), the tyres will play a key role.

Cor Euser's new Marcos Mantara LM 600 will make its first appearance at Hockenheim following its homologation by the FIA on June 1st. Laurence Pearce should enter two of his Lister Storms.

Open doors to the employees of the automobile industry In order to allow a maximum number of people to enjoy this unique programme, free access coupons valid for the three days of the event have been made available to the manufacturers of the Frankfurt and Stuttgart regions (DaimlerChrysler, Porsche, Opel and Ford) as well as to more than 100 companies associated with the automobile industry.

These coupons will allow the employees of these companies to attend the event with their families for free. The paddock will be accessible for 40 DM per person per day.

The FIA GT Championship races for Dolphin Aid On the occasion of this race, the FIA GT Championship is supporting the charity organisation, Dolphin Aid.

This German organisation, created by Kirsten Khner, enables children with mental, physical or psychological disabilities to benefit from therapy with dolphins. This programme was developed by American psychologist Dr David E. Nathanson. Two dolphin-therapy-centres were created in South Florida and in Israel where the children work in a swimming pool with at least one dolphin who helps them to re-establish contact with the surrounding world in a playful way.

Teams wishing to support this action will be given stickers to put on their cars.

Sony Playstation Gran Turismo Competition

Sony Playstation will provide ten Sony Playstation game consoles with the Gran Turismo game. A competition will be organised throughout the week-end and will oppose drivers, team members and the public.

Super Moto

A Super Moto race will be held at Hockenheim. The first Super Moto race took place in the seventies in order to determine the best motorcycle racer among all categories.

Cross-country or enduro 500 cc two strokes or 600 cc four strokes engined bikes are used, the suspensions of which are stiffened and lowered, the brakes modified (280 mm discs advised) and the rims are widened (3,5'' at the front and 4,25'' at the rear). The tyres are hand cut slicks. Engine preparation is unrestricted.

The tracks consist of 20% of dirt and 80% of tarmac. At Hockenheim, the grid, consisting of two groups of 40 drivers, will use part of the dragster track and part of the off-road track.

Race Trucks Demonstration

During this event, the Hockenheim circuit will welcome three MAN, DAF and Mercedes race trucks. The race trucks are equipped with a 12-litre engine developing an average of 1400 bhp for a maximum weight of 5000 kg.

These trucks will be up against the GT cars of Chrysler Viper Team Oreca and Roock Racing.

Support events 
Ferrari Porsche Challenge 
Formula EFDA 2000 (Opel Lotus)
Super Kart Trophy Formula E

Prices 
Saturday : 30 DM 
Sunday : 45 - 85 DM 
Paddock access : 35 DM


Timetable
Friday, June 25th, 1999
08.10 - 08.40 :Free practice session - Ferrari Porsche Challenge 
08.55 - 09.25 : 1st free practice session - Super Kart Trophy Formula E
09.45 - 11.15 : First free practice session - FIA GT Championship  
11.30 - 12.15 : Free practice session - Formula EFDA 2000
12.30 - 13.00 : 2nd free practice session - Super Kart Trophy Formula E
13.15 - 13.45 : 1st qualifying practice session - Ferrari Porsche
Challenge 
14.10 - 15.40 : Second free practice session - FIA GT Championship 
16.00 - 16..30 : 1st qualifying practice session - Formula EFDA 2000 
16.50 : Free practice session - Super Moto 

Saturday, June 26th, 1999
08.00 - 08.30 : 1st qualifying practice session - Super Kart Trophy
Formula E
08.40 - 09.10 : 2nd qualifying practice session - Ferrari Porsche
Challenge 
09.35 - 10.20 : 1st qualifying practice session - FIA GT Championship 
10.35 - 11.05 : 2nd qualifying practice session - Super Kart Trophy
Formula E
11.30 - 12.00 : Race 1 - Formula EFDA 2000
12.25 - 12.55 : Race 1 - Ferrari Porsche Challenge 
13.10 - 13.35 : Race Truck Demonstration 
14.05 - 14.30 : Race 1 - Super Kart Trophy Formula E
15.00 - 15.45 : 2nd qualifying practice session - FIA GT Championship 
16.00 : Press conference - FIA GT Championship 
16.05 - 16.35 : 2nd qualifying practice session - Formula EFDA 2000 
16.50 : Qualifying Practice Session - Super Moto 

Sunday, June 27th, 1999
09.00 - 09.20 : Warm up - FIA GT Championship 
09.40 - 10.20 : Race 2 - Ferrari Porsche Challenge 
10.30 - 10.55 : Race 2 - Super Kart Trophy Formula E
11.05 - 11.25 : Warm up - Super Moto
11.30 - 11.50 : Race Truck Demonstration
12.30 - 15.30 : Hockenheim 500 - 3rd round - FIA GT Championship (190
laps) 
15.45 (appr.) : Podium ceremony - FIA GT Championship
16.00 (appr.) : Press Conference - FIA GT Championship 
15.50 - 16.20 : Race 2 - Formula EFDA 2000 
16.30 - 17.10 : Finale (Race + Show) - Super Moto

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