Photo: Gripping Media

Championship status ahead of the final

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Before the last race of the season, it’s time for the Danish Touringcar Championship drivers to do their mathematics. The rules state that the drivers must remove the five lowest scores before the final race.

James Thompson is leading the championship, 7 points ahead of Michel Nykjær. Thompson will most likely lose the lead, as he most probably won’t be present at Jyllandsringen for the final race due to his contracts in other series.

Henrik Lundgaard will do his utmost to challenge Nykjær to the title. With only two points between the two teammates, team manager Kent Bo Steffensen can only fear another incident like the one on Ring Djursland.

The last driver with championship hopes is Jan Magnussen. Despite his absence from one race weekend earlier this year, the Ree Sport driver has collected enough points to have a fair chance of winning the championship. He is only seven points behind Lundgaard. In fifth position, Jason Watt has got 187 points, 38 points after the 2008 champion Magnussen.

Independent driver Per Poulsen is leading the independents championship with 22 points to Jens Møller. After the Ring Djursland race, Poulsen got a penalty for pushing Jason Watt, which means that one second will be added to his best time in qualifying. Poulsen has lodged an appeal against the penalty, but if it gets turned down, the title is in danger.

JM Racing driver Kasper Jensen is out of the title fight, but his third place is challenged by Peugeot driver, Michael Carlsen. With 17 points separating them, Jensen has got little room for mistakes, while Carlsen seems to be faster and faster through the season, hoping to secure a podium finish with the aging Peugeot 407.

In the Invitation Only class, John Hansen seems to be the only realistic championship winner. With 31 points between him and fellow Seat Leon Supercopa driver Martin Marrill, the only way for Hansen to lose the title is not finishing any of the three races with Marrill finishing them all. BMW driver, Jens Ole Mathiesen, is left with no real chance of improving his third position.