1st Rollout after rebuild: Test run for the Opel Astra F Supertourer by Mike Briggs
1st Rollout after rebuild: Test run for the Opel Astra F Supertourer by Mike Briggs
Pentecost Saturday it was time again: After a break of almost two years, the first roll-out of the Opel Astra F Supertourer by Mike Briggs from the South African Touring Car Championship could finally take place! It took longer than planned, Steffan Irmler reported after being rudely raked away by a Swiss BMW M3 driver in round 2 of the race at the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in 2018 as part of the Touring Car Classics.
The accident damage was enormous. Many components from the shock absorber to the transmission to the engine had to be revised and repaired. The Irmler team had to hurry up: The Opel Astra was supposed to be used as part of the #SuperTourerReunion at the OGP 2020 with Mike Briggs and John Cleland.
No sooner said than done – the goal of the “operation” was a test day in Papenburg on May 30, 2020, organized by the touring car legend organization. Just a few meters rollout at home and a short visit to the MTO roller test bench in Ladbergen – and off we went to the test day.
In sunny weather, a crisp test program could be run. The Astra is running again. The new chassis offers great potential, some components still have to be tuned to the engine. Overall, the test run was very positive and the team around Steffan Irmler and Frank Schwettmann was able to start their journey home from the ATP test track in the evening with positive impressions.
Now it is time to implement the experience into optimization and prepare the Opel for the use of the two ex-professionals. The #SuperTourerReunion was postponed to 2021 by the Irmler team, hoping that by then corresponding events could take place again!
Here is a video of our roll-out::
Photography: Detlef Sauer Rennsport Fotografie