Theo Oeverhaus is celebrating his racing debut in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) at the Nürburgring this weekend – at just 17 years of age, the Osnabrück native has become the youngest DTM driver of all time.
He already had a lead foot in the mini-kart: “You can probably say that. I was always the fastest, I always went full throttle,” said the Lower Saxony NDR. The youngster was also up front in the BMW 318ti Cup junior series. And that long before he got his driver’s license
Victory in the DTM Trophy at the age of 16
Last year, Oeverhaus competed in the DTM Trophy, the talent pool for touring car drivers, clinched his first victory at the Hockenheimring and ended the series in a strong sixth place among 28 drivers.
So now the guest start in the DTM for Walkenhorst, the BMW team from Melle near Osnabrück. The fact that Oeverhaus is writing motorsport history at the glorious Nürburgring in the Eifel also brings with it a little stress: “It’s going to be a tough weekend for me because I’m also competing in the DTM Trophy at the same time.”
Only the mother is worried…
“It brings us great pride and joy to be able to accompany Theo so successfully from karting to the DTM and I’m very excited to see how he will do in his first GT3 sprint race,” said Walkenhorst’s motorsport team manager Niclas Königbauer.
Oeverhaus, whom DTM manager Martin Tomczyk describes as a “huge talent”, is chasing after his big goal: “My dream is to one day become a paid works driver and turn my hobby into a job,” revealed the 17-year-old. For him, the DTM is the non plus ultra, because people drive there with “tough drums”: “That’s why my mother usually doesn’t come to the racetrack, she’s just too scared.”
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Sports current | 08/26/2022 | 12:17 p.m
