Saturday April 24th, 2004

The village where Formula One drivers Michael and Ralf Schumacher grew up and cut their teeth on a kart track is to be demolished to make way for an open-cast coal mine, Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Saturday.

The 400 metre-deep pit operated by energy utility RWE is now around five kilometres away from the village on the edge of Kerpen in western Germany where the Schumachers grew up and where their mother, who died last year, is buried.

"Each time I go shopping for supplies I look to see how much closer the digger has come," the paper quoted Karola Schnock, owner of a restaurant once owned by the Schumacher family, as saying.

Sueddeutsche said from 2012 the village, Manheim, would be demolished to make way for the giant diggers. Before then, the 1,700 residents and graveyard, where Elisabeth Schumacher is buried, will have to be moved to a venue that has not yet been decided.

Published at 14:21:52 GMT

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(03-11-2005): Australian GP Paddock Gossip (03-09-2005): Greece Finds Site for Formula One Track (03-09-2005): Red Bull Set to Get Honda Engines in 2006 (03-08-2005): Schumacher in Line for Sporting Oscars (03-07-2005): Daily Grapevine Sunday Analysis - Australia

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