As in the big DTM, the 2022 championship in the DTM Trophy talent factory was not decided until the season finale in Hockenheim. And once again Tim Heinemann was able to celebrate winning the title.
It is already the second championship title in the DTM Trophy for the 24-year-old. In the first year of the series (2020) he dominated in a Mercedes-AMG GT4 from HP Racing International, this time Heinemann drove a Toyota GR Supra GT4 for Ring-Racing.
The numbers speak for themselves: Heinemann won six of the 14 races, clinched four poles and clocked three fastest race laps. The Toyota driver closed the bag with sixth place in the penultimate race at Hockenheim on Saturday. The race win didn’t help his only remaining pursuer, Colin Caresani.
Tim Heinemann with a successful run after the summer break
“It’s finally done! With sixth place it’s obviously not ‘in style’ as one would like to do it, but that doesn’t matter,” said a relieved Heinemann after the coronation. “A lot could have happened today, in the end everything went according to plan.” In the final count, Heinemann has a 47-point lead over Caresani.
The 18-year-old Dutchman competed in the 2022 DTM Trophy in a BMW M4 GT4 from the Project 1 team and, after the Norisring weekend, still led the overall standings by a hair’s breadth from Heinemann. But then Caresani lost touch in the title fight when Heinemann won three out of four races at the Nürburgring and in Spa.
The Toyota driver brought about the preliminary decision. While Caresani safely secured the vice-championship position in Hockenheim, the fight for third place overall became exciting. BMW youngster Theo Oeverhaus, who is already a guest entrant in the big DTM at the Nürburgring, fought against Audi driver Thiago Vivacqua.
Clear goal: promotion to the DTM in 2023
Walkenhorst driver Oeverhaus finally prevailed in this duel with third place in Saturday’s race and second place on Sunday. Vivacqua only scored five points in the finale: On Sunday he started from pole, but after fierce duels including a ride in the Sachs curve he only finished eleventh. The Brazilian was eliminated in race 1.
Tim Heinemann’s goal for 2023 is clear: After winning the second championship title, promotion to the DTM should finally work out. Back in September, Heinemann compared the situation to ‘Motorsport-Total.com’ with professional football.
“If no one was promoted from the 2nd Bundesliga to the 1st Bundesliga, then no one would play in the 2nd Bundesliga,” explained Heinemann on the sidelines of the Nürburgring event. But the question of promotion in the DTM is “always a huge budget issue,” Heinemann continued. On the racetrack he did everything to achieve his goal.