333 races for “driving force” of DTM

The 2009 DTM finale marked the 333rd race that Hans Werner Aufrecht has overseen as Chairman of series organisers ITR. Since July 1986 Aufrecht has overseen 219 DTM events, comprising of 9,606 laps of racing held on 32 circuits in 15 different countries, with Norbert Haug describing him as “the DTM on two feet”.

Aufrecht’s achievement was marked by a presentation at Hockenheim, with tributes being paid to the man who, in addition to his DTM role, has helped Mercedes-Benz become the touring car giant they are today. In 1967 the German helped found AMG, before selling the majority of the company to Daimler AG in 1998.

A year later Aufrecht formed H.W.A AG, which builds and runs the Mercedes C-Class in the DTM, while also preparing that companies Formula Three engines. Aufrecht remains on the supervisory board of H.W.A AG to this day, but it is for his achievements as ITR Chairman that he was recognised at the weekend.

“Since 1972, Hans Werner Aufrecht and I have been linked by a close friendship which is marked by respect and mutual appreciation,” said Dr. Thomas Betzler, deputy chairman of the ITR Board, “He is the driving force and motivator of the ITR board and had it not been for him, the DTM would not be where it is today: at the pinnacle of international touring car racing.”

Audi’s Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich paid tribute to Aufrecht and his contribution to the wider German motorsport landscape, saying; “333 DTM races is an impressive number. For me, this reflects how long, consequently and tenaciously Hans Werner Aufrecht has been contributing to the DTM and to German motorsport in particular with a lot of personal commitment. It is largely thanks to him that the DTM has become what it is today: one of the world’s most popular racing categories.

Despite having been on the losing side over the years to cars prepared by Aufrecht’s AMG and HWA outfits, Ullrich is nevertheless impressed by his continual commitment.

“I keep being impressed in particular by the intensity with which HWA is paying attention to the slightest details, committed and without any compromises. He never gives up and is just somebody that doesn’t let things get out of hand. That is still the case today, after so many successful years in motor racing.”

Having worked alongside Aufrecht over the years, Mercedes-Benz motorsport director is one of the best placed to pay tribute to the chairman.

“For Hans Werner Aufrecht, 333 DTM races are surely in the category of records that he finds rather irrelevant. He certainly will not have counted the number of events that he has attended and considerably contributed to as chief of the ITR.

“For HWA, the only thing that matters at the end of the day is how the spectators on site and in front of the TV screens are being entertained. And when there are many of them jumping up and down and clapping their hands for sheer excitement, that means for HWA that the ITR and everybody involved did a job that was “not bad”. For most people that aren’t called HWA, ’not bad’ actually means ’very good’.

“Just like the touring cars are the DTM on wheels, Hans Werner Aufrecht is the DTM on two feet – nobody else has made a deeper impression on the series and nobody else has done more for its benefit.”

TouringCarTimes would also like to pass their congratulations on to Hans Werner Aufrecht for his 333 races at the helm of the DTM.