# 1997 Super Tourenwagen Cup

The 1997 ADAC Deutsche Super Touren Wagen-Cup was the fourth edition of the Super Tourenwagen Cup (STW).

## Season summary

The 1997 season saw a battle for the championship between Laurent Aïello for Peugeot and Joachim Winkelhock for BMW. Aiello took an early lead which he held throughout the season, scoring an impressive 11 wins and 17 podiums in 20 races. Winkelhock meanwhile emerged as the prime challenger after an even start between him and teammate Johnny Cecotto, but despite a mid-season four-race winning streak he could not catch Aiello, who claimed the title for Peugeot. Reigning champions Audi meanwhile struggled, despite a star lineup including Emanuele Pirro, Yvan Muller and Tamara Vidali, with Pirro winning only a single race and the other two drivers failing to reach the podium.

## Teams and drivers

| Team | Car | No | Drivers | Rounds | Class |
| ROC Auto/A.Z.K. | Audi A4 Quattro | 1 | Emanuele Pirro | 1-7 | M |
| ROC Auto/A.Z.K. | Audi A4 | 1 | Emanuele Pirro | 8-10 | M |
| ROC Auto/A.Z.K. | Audi A4 Quattro | 2 | Philipp Peter | All | M |
| ROC Auto/A.Z.K. | Audi A4 | 3 | Yvan Muller | All | T |
| ROC Auto/A.Z.K. | Audi A4 Quattro | 4 | Tamara Vidali | All | T |
| BMW Team Bigazzi | BMW 320i | 5 | Johnny Cecotto | All | M |
| BMW Team Bigazzi | BMW 320i | 6 | Joachim Winkelhock | All | M |
| Peugeot Esso | Peugeot 406 | 9 | Jörg van Ommen | All | M |
| Peugeot Esso | Peugeot 406 | 10 | Laurent Aïello | All | M |
| Team Honda Sport | Honda Accord | 11 | Altfrid Heger | All | M |
| Team Honda Sport | Honda Accord | 12 | Marco Werner | All | M |
| Cool Fire Alfa Romeo Team Engstler | Alfa Romeo 155 TS | 14 | Frank Schmickler | 1-7 | T |
| Cool Fire Alfa Romeo Team Engstler | Alfa Romeo 155 TS | 15 | Franz Engstler | All | T |
| Beru Zündtechnik AR Engstler | Alfa Romeo 155 TS | 16 | Marco Bromberger | All | T |
| Beru Zündtechnik AR Engstler | Alfa Romeo 155 TS | 17 | Danny Pfeil | All | T |
| Abt Sportsline | Audi A4 Quattro | 18 | Christian Abt | All | T |
| Abt Sportsline | Audi A4 Quattro | 19 | Kris Nissen | All | T |
| Opel Team Zakspeed | Opel Vectra | 20 | Kurt Thiim | 1-2, 4-10 | T |
| Opel Team Zakspeed | Opel Vectra | 21 | Uwe Alzen | All | M |
| Nissan Primera Racing | Nissan Primera eGT | 22 | Sascha Maassen | All | M |
| Nissan Primera Racing | Nissan Primera eGT | 23 | Roland Asch | All | M |
| Isert BMW-Team | BMW 320i | 24 | Steve Soper | 10 | T |
| Isert BMW-Team | BMW 320i | 25 | Leopold Prinz von Bayern | 1, 3-9 | T |
| Isert BMW-Team | BMW 320i | 26 | Christian Menzel | All | T |
| Opel Team SMS | Opel Vectra | 27 | Manuel Reuter | All | M |
| Opel Team SMS | Opel Vectra | 28 | Michael Bartels | All | T |
| Opel Team AM Holzer | Opel Vectra | 30 | Alexander Burgstaller | 1-5 | T |
| Opel Team AM Holzer | Opel Vectra | 31 | Ronny Melkus | 1-2, 4 | T |
| Team Honda Sport | Honda Accord | 32 | James Thompson | 10 | M |
| PMC Sports | BMW 320i | 33 | Marc Gindorf | 1-5 | T |
| JAS Engineering | Alfa Romeo 155 TS | 35 | Christian Danner | All | M |
| JAS Engineering | Alfa Romeo 155 TS | 36 | Stefano Modena | All | M |
| Cool Fire Alfa Romeo Team Engstler | Alfa Romeo 155 TS | 38 | Stephen Vollmair | 10 | T |
| MHT Sports | BMW 318is | 39 | Michael Heigert | 1-3 | T |
| Isert BMW-Team | BMW 320i | 40 | Éric Hélary | 2 | T |
| AUGROS-MIG Austria Team | Audi A4 | 44 | Klaus Niedzwiedz | All | T |
| AUGROS-MIG Austria Team | Audi A4 | 45 | Dirk Müller | 4-6, 8-10 | T |
| AUGROS-MIG Austria Team | Audi A4 | 46 | Raimund Baumschlager | 7 | T |
| Cool Fire Alfa Romeo Team Engstler | Alfa Romeo 155 TS | 47 | Gianni Giudici | 8 | T |
| Icon | Class |
| M | Drivers eligible to score points in the Manufactures Trophy |
| T | Drivers eligible to score points in the Team Trophy |

## Race calendar and results

| Round | Round | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Winning driver | Winning team |
| 1 | R1 | Hockenheimring | 27 April | Laurent Aïello | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 1 | R2 | Hockenheimring | 27 April | | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 2 | R1 | Zolder | 11 May | Johnny Cecotto | Johnny Cecotto | BMW Team Bigazzi |
| 2 | R2 | Zolder | 11 May | | Johnny Cecotto | BMW Team Bigazzi |
| 3 | R1 | Nürburgring | 25 May | Laurent Aïello | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 3 | R2 | Nürburgring | 25 May | | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 4 | R1 | Sachsenring | 15 June | Laurent Aïello | Joachim Winkelhock | BMW Team Bigazzi |
| 4 | R2 | Sachsenring | 15 June | | Joachim Winkelhock | BMW Team Bigazzi |
| 5 | R1 | Norisring | 29 June | Laurent Aïello | Joachim Winkelhock | BMW Team Bigazzi |
| 5 | R2 | Norisring | 29 June | | Joachim Winkelhock | BMW Team Bigazzi |
| 6 | R1 | Wunstorf | 13 July | Laurent Aïello | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 6 | R2 | Wunstorf | 13 July | | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 7 | R1 | Zweibrücken | 10 August | Laurent Aïello | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 7 | R2 | Zweibrücken | 10 August | | Emanuele Pirro | ROC Auto/A.Z.K. |
| 8 | R1 | Salzburgring | 24 August | Laurent Aïello | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 8 | R2 | Salzburgring | 24 August | | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 9 | R1 | Lahr | 7 September | Johnny Cecotto | Johnny Cecotto | BMW Team Bigazzi |
| 9 | R2 | Lahr | 7 September | | Joachim Winkelhock | BMW Team Bigazzi |
| 10 | R1 | Nürburgring | 5 October | Laurent Aïello | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |
| 10 | R2 | Nürburgring | 5 October | | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot Esso |

## Championship results

Points system :
| Race 1 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th |
| | 30 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Race 2 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th |
| | 60 | 48 | 40 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Pos | Driver | HOC | HOC | ZOL | ZOL | NÜR | NÜR | SAC | SAC | NOR | NOR | WUN | WUN | ZWE | ZWE | SAL | SAL | LAH | LAH | NÜR | NÜR | Pts |
| 1 | Laurent Aïello | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 696 |
| 2 | Joachim Winkelhock | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Ret | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 644 |
| 3 | Johnny Cecotto | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 4 | Ret | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 571 |
| 4 | Jörg van Ommen | 3 | 4 | 9 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 17 | Ret | 2 | 24 | 6 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 377 |
| 5 | Uwe Alzen | 9 | 26 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | Ret | 370 |
| 6 | Emanuele Pirro | 11 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | Ret | 5 | 3 | Ret | Ret | 4 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 19 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 357 |
| 7 | Yvan Muller | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 20 | Ret | 13 | 6 | 11 | 19 | Ret | Ret | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 298 |
| 8 | Roland Asch | 13 | 10 | 21 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 11 | Ret | 12 | 11 | 9 | 285 |
| 9 | Kris Nissen | 5 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 16 | 4 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 26 | 16 | 273 |
| 10 | Sascha Maassen | 14 | Ret | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 20 | Ret | 8 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 263 |
| 11 | Michael Bartels | 18 | 13 | 17 | 26 | 8 | 10 | Ret | DNS | 15 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 263 |
| 12 | Altfrid Heger | 28 | Ret | 28 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 14 | 10 | Ret | 10 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 12 | Ret | 12 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 238 |
| 13 | Christian Abt | 8 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 6 | Ret | 15 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 17 | 14 | Ret | Ret | 19 | 13 | 223 |
| 14 | Christian Menzel | 7 | 8 | 11 | 16 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 7 | Ret | DNS | 8 | 7 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | Ret | Ret | DNS | 222 |
| 15 | Tamara Vidali | 23 | Ret | 13 | Ret | 13 | 11 | Ret | 8 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 27 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 207 |
| 16 | Philipp Peter | 16 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 21 | Ret | 6 | 21 | Ret | 8 | 17 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 15 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 17 | 205 |
| 17 | Manuel Reuter | 15 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 16 | DNS | 14 | Ret | Ret | DNS | 9 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | Ret | DNS | 15 | Ret | 189 |
| 18 | Kurt Thiim | Ret | 19 | 24 | 13 | | | 20 | 20 | 20 | 11 | 4 | 4 | Ret | DNS | 9 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 9 | Ret | 180 |
| 19 | Marco Werner | 6 | 5 | 30 | 25 | 2 | 3 | Ret | DNS | 8 | 10 | 5 | 17 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 16 | 9 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 170 |
| 20 | Stefano Modena | 10 | 7 | 14 | 27 | 23 | 20 | 23 | Ret | 27 | 7 | 14 | Ret | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 10 | DNS | Ret | 129 |
| 21 | Klaus Niedzwiedz | 24 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | DNS | Ret | 12 | 14 | 9 | 12 | Ret | 12 | 8 | 22 | 20 | Ret | 14 | 21 | 15 | 103 |
| 22 | Leopold Prinz von Bayern | 29 | 17 | | | 15 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 26 | DNS | 16 | 21 | 26 | 18 | 26 | 23 | 17 | 15 | | | 85 |
| 23 | Alexander Burgstaller | 25 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | 79 |
| 24 | Franz Engstler | 21 | Ret | 22 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 23 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 57 |
| 25 | Frank Schmickler | 22 | 24 | 29 | Ret | 26 | 16 | 22 | 16 | 24 | 14 | 21 | 16 | 21 | 19 | | | | | | | 52 |
| 26 | Marc Gindorf | 20 | 16 | Ret | Ret | 19 | 17 | 18 | Ret | 19 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | 44 |
| 27 | James Thompson | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | 7 | 41 |
| 28 | Éric Hélary | | | 7 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 38 |
| 29 | Christian Danner | 17 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 17 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 17 | Ret | 18 | Ret | 24 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 18 | 37 |
| 30 | Steve Soper | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | 12 | 23 |
| 31 | Danny Pfeil | 26 | 21 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 25 | Ret | Ret | DNS | 24 | 19 | 23 |
| 32 | Dirk Müller | | | | | | | 19 | Ret | 18 | 21 | Ret | DNS | | | 23 | 21 | 15 | 16 | 22 | Ret | 21 |
| 33 | Raimund Baumschlager | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 | 13 | | | | | | | 20 |
| 34 | Marco Bromberger | 27 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 25 | Ret | 26 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 22 | Ret | 22 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 19 | Ret | DNS | 16 |
| 34 | Michael Heigert | Ret | 25 | 27 | Ret | 27 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| 35 | Ronny Melkus | 19 | Ret | 19 | 21 | | | 24 | DNS | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 |
| 36 | Stephan Vollmair | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 25 | DNS | 0 |
| 37 | Gianni Giudici | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | DNS | | | | | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | HOC | HOC | ZOL | ZOL | NÜR | NÜR | SAC | SAC | NOR | NOR | WUN | WUN | ZWE | ZWE | SAL | SAL | REG | REG | NÜR | NÜR | Pts |
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Red | Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Withdrew (WD) |
| White | Race cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Blank | Did not arrive (DNA) |
| Blank | Excluded (EX) |

### Manufacturers' Trophy

| Pos | Manufacturer | Points |
| 1 | BMW | 1215 |
| 2 | Peugeot | 1073 |
| 3 | Audi | 562 |
| 4 | Opel | 559 |
| 5 | Nissan | 548 |
| 6 | Honda | 442 |
| 7 | Alfa Romeo | 166 |

### Teams' Trophy

| Pos | Team | Points |
| 1 | ROC Auto/A.Z.K. | 505 |
| 2 | Abt Sportsline | 496 |
| 3 | Opel Team SMS | 423 |
| 4 | Isert BMW-Team | 368 |
| 5 | AUGROS-MIG Austria Team | 144 |
| 6 | Cool Fire Alfa Romeo Team Engstler | 109 |
| 7 | Opel Team AM Holzer | 83 |
| 8 | PMC Sports | 44 |
| 9 | Beru Zündtechnik AR Engstler | 38 |
| 10 | Opel Team Zakspeed | 20 |

## Footnotes

* 1 2 3 4 Cars 14, 15, 38, and 47. were entered as Cool Fire Alfa Romeo Team Engstler while cars 16. and 17. were entered as Beru Zündtechnik AR Engstler