Geipel wins first Toyota Yaris Cup rounds

25th April 2005

Philip Geipel, only 18 years old, won the first two rounds of the 2005 Toyota Yaris Cup. "His performance was impressive," commented Isolde Holderied.

The 2005 Toyota Yaris Cup kicked off with two exciting races at the 'Motopark Oschersleben'. Philip Geipel was the dominant force at the 3.667 kilometre circuit. Starting fifth on the grid, the youngster worked himself up to first place over the course of race 1. By crossing the line, he secured the first 14 championship points of the season. In the second race, Geipel was in a league of his own once again, with his 31 rivals unable to make an impression. Since double-points are awarded in the seconds rounds of a Yaris Cup weekend, he is now leading the drivers' standings with 42 points. At the same time, Geipel is first in the juniors' category. Behind him, Steve Kirsch and Christiaan Frankenhout took second and third place in both races.

"I had expected Philip to compete at the front of the grid," said Isolde Holderied, who is involved in the Toyota Yaris Cup as instructor and advisor, "That he was able to win both races, however, came as a surprise. I'm impressed with his fighting spirit at Oschersleben."

It wasn’t just Geipel, but also the lady drivers on the Yaris Cup grid who made their mark. Out of seven female drivers three succeeded in securing a top ten finish. The most successful lady was Netherlands’ Sandra van der Sloot who came fourth in both races. "No girl has ever done better in the Yaris Cup," said Isolde, "And that was only the beginning. I cannot wait for the next races."

Markus Schrick, Vice President of Toyota Deutschland GmbH, was equally impressed with the season opener. "The first Yaris Cup weekend was pure motor sport with passion and exciting races all over the place," he said, "The races were full of eagerly fought duels, but all the drivers respect each other a lot." Schrick was also competing in a Toyota Yaris and took 25 th and 22 nd place respectively. Rounds three and four of the series will be held at the Nürburgring between 5 th and 7 th May.

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