Comeback after rib fractures: Hotrod fairytale for Tim Dreschel at Venray
Tim Dreschel has recovered from his rib fractures in just seven weeks – During his comeback at Raceway Venray, the Recklinghausen native won all three rounds of the National Hotrod Championship
When the crash at Raceway Venray occurred at the start of the 2023 Autospeedway season, many fans were very nervous. Tim Dreschel was hit hard on the back straight in the National Hotrod race on Easter Monday and had to be hospitalized with several broken ribs. Just seven weeks later, the Recklinghausen native was back on the grid in the oval touring car class and immediately took all three wins at the Whitsun race in Venray, the Netherlands.
“I was struggling with pain for a few weeks,” Dreschel tells ‘Leadlap.net’ after his brilliant comeback. “From the sixth week, however, things started to go uphill. With a rib fracture, you can really only do one thing: wait and see! I just took it easy as best I could.” So the recovery was quick and Dreschel was able to take his seat in the cockpit of car number 940 again in time for the second day of racing.
The car was badly damaged in the accident at Easter, but the feared total loss did not materialize, as Dreschel explains: “The repairs went faster than expected. The rear axle was bent, as were one or two tubes on the frame and, of course, the body material. That was actually only two Saturdays, then the car was driven again, adjusted and loaded.” Still, the start in Venray was on the line.
“To be honest, I didn’t know until Sunday whether I would be driving at all,” reveals the youngster, who was allowed to start from the front due to the accident and the resulting lack of points. “But the day was just great, a complete success. I was very pleased to be able to repeat Easter Monday, so to speak. When I was driving, it was still a bit pinchy here and there, but the car felt great and I had a secure feeling.”
“The biggest praise at this point goes to the entire team,” Dreschel expresses his gratitude after three wins in three races. “Thanks also go to my father Carsten Dreschel as well as to Lars and Julien Dreschel, but of course also to Gerd Glahe and Maurice Maurer for the great support. Without people like that, none of this would be possible.”
With his three race wins, Dreschel consequently also took first place in the day’s standings. The German collected a total of 55 points on this race day, which counted towards both the Dutch Championship and the NHRRG Cup. Second was Jeroen Kurvers, who finished second in each of the two heats. Tim’s uncle Lars Dreschel was third in the day’s standings with three third places, while Mark Teuben and Supercup winner Reimon Bos completed the top-5. On Whit Monday, 14 cars competed in the National Hotrod.
