MOTORSPORT LAP
Sheldon becomes first SA driver in DTM
Teenager holds Van der Linde name high, while SA-built Hilux finally wins Dakar
BMW Motorsports has announced that 19-year-old South African Sheldon van der Linde will join its 2019 DTM driver’s line-up. Van der Linde will thus become the first SA driver to race in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) or German Touring Car Masters, a series contested by the likes of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz that is held at European tracks such as the Hockenheimring in Italy, Nurburgring in Germany and Brands Hatch in the UK. Although they resemble their road-going versions, DTM cars feature purpose-built carbon-fibre tubs, larger brakes and enormous aero kits. They are powered by two-litre four-cylinder turbo engines that produce about 462kW and can reach top speeds in excess of 300km/h. The Johannesburg-born racer follows a blue-blooded family of renowned wheelsmen such as elder brother Kelvin (Adac GT Masters Championship), Grandfather Hennie van der Linde (touring cars 1972-1986), father Shaun van der Linde (production/touring cars 1992-2004) and uncle Etienne van...
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