7.10.2002
Fourth place for Opel in action-packed season finale

Timo Scheider ended Opel's DTM season on a high with a strong fourth place at the finale at Hockenheim on Sunday in front of 57,000 race fans.

The race weekend for round ten of the 2002 DTM started very well for Opel, with Manuel Reuter (Opel Team Phoenix) and Scheider (Opel Team Holzer) scoring a one-two in the opening practice session. In the afternoon, Opel continued to top the times with Michael Bartels (Opel Team Holzer).

Menu made a great start to the qualification race and was running seventh when former F1 star Jean Alesi (Mercedes) attempted an over-optimistic overtaking move at the hairpin, slamming into Menu's car just as the Swiss was passing Alesi's team-mate Marcel Fassler to take sixth. All three cars collided, and Menu's race was ruined. Reuter took up the charge and picked up sixth place, and was close behind Christian Abt's Audi at the finish, with Scheider right behind him in seventh.

Former DTM star Johnny Cecotto made his first start in the series for 10 years in Opel Euroteam's second car, and did an admirable job to qualify 15th. The 46-year-old Venezuelan last raced in the series in 1992 for BMW, but rolled back the years to finish 14th in the qualification race and 10th in the main event. Reuter, Bartels and Menu failed to finish due to accident damage.

This ended another season of exciting DTM racing, the profile of which continues to grow on the world motor sport map.

DTM Final Standings after ten races:

1. Aiello 70 points, 2. Schneider 64, 3. Ekström 50, 4. Fässler 30, 5. Alzen 24, 6. J.Alesi/Mercedes 24, 7. Abt 15, 8. Scheider 10, 9. Tomczyk 7, 10. Menu 7, 11. Reuter 7, ... 13. Winkelhock 3, ... 15. Bartels 1.