24Hs at the Nuerburgring

hgb · 3 Jun 2002, 08:19 (Ref:303197)

I was at the Nuerburgring this weekend for the 24Hs. Splendid weather and a fantastic race with 208 cars on the grid. The Zakspeed Viper won, second was the H+R Porsche and another Porsche on thrid. The Falken Nissan Skyline came fifth. More on www.24h-rennen.de. Ten days to go... 9, 8, 7, ...

Peter Scillitoe · 3 Jun 2002, 17:29 (Ref:303626)

Thanks hgb for your report of the race. Did you manage to get up to the Karussell? The posts around that corner are all staffed by British marshals. I marshalled at the event for a number of years, but decided to move on to pastures new (ie Le Mans).

I think the race is very special, and a must go for any true motorsport fan. The track is awesome, the race brilliant, the atmosphere fantastic and the spectators.............well, they are something else (in the nicest possible way).

I hope to go back for one more time before I finally retire from marshalling.

Shawn · 3 Jun 2002, 20:49 (Ref:303816)

Hi, I have just returned myself, along with a rather nice sun burn/tan. I went along with Rod Birley and the rest of the team as we were racing in the Youngtimer Trophy Race on Friday with Dave Thomas and his Mk1 Capri. Things didn't go to well for us from first practise onwards. Dave got a little bit airbourne on one of the bumps and the left hand 1/2 shaft cried enough.But this was after Rod had managed to post a time good enough for 38thon the grid.(out of 230+). With a spare axle fitted for the second practise Rod took the the Capri out again. 2 laps down the engine decided to show the world its conrod so no improvement on the time. To the amazement of the gathered German spectators in the paddock 'ze mad Englanders'had packed a spare engine (or at least Dave had) in the van.
The engine change was fitted with minutes to spare before the race thanks to a different length of alternator belt,which was bodged to fit using a bonnet pin ??? Any guesses to this one then.
Rod started the race in 38th, came past in 33rd after one lap and then a few laps later radiod in saying there was a misfire which eventually caused the car to stop out on the circuit. After a bit of headscratching Rod found a chaffed wire which was duely insulated using a piece of the rear light lens tape. All was well again until the pit stop when another misfire appeared which the cause could not be found.End of race....
On Saturday we watched the V8 Stars Race. Wow !! Some of that in the UK PLEASE if any one of importance is reading this. Then we down the the pitlane because Rod wanted to find Dave Cox who was in one of the BMW's in the 24 hour race, but he and the car were already on the grid. But no ! Rod was off onto the grid with the rest of us in hot pursuit. With half an hour to go before the start we were on the grid in front of all the packed grand stands talking to to one of the drivers ! (talk about having a complex).
In the afternoon we decided to go and visit the British marshalls at the Karussell. After what seemed like an eternity walking around the camps,beer stores,tree houses and I hate to think what else of the spectators mentiond by Peter (I think I know where George Lucas got the idea for the Tree People in Return of the Jedi) we arrived at the marshalls posts. With Rod off meeting the marshalls I took some time to get my breath back and take some photos,I will post some when they have been developed. On the way back we were taken the short cut up a 'vertical hill'!! so for those of you who have never been - DO NOT GO THE SHORT CUT UNLESS YOU HAVE GOT A ROPE AND A PICK AXE.
The evening was spent at Adenau bridge wathing the cars flying down the hill across the Adenau town bridge and back up the other side in the dark past all the drunken,raving spectators with fireworks in the sky. What an experience!!!
Same again next year please.

hgb · 3 Jun 2002, 20:50 (Ref:303820)

Peter, how long is it that you haven't been to the Ring as a marshall ? The 24H race evolved a lot during the last 5 years. I've been there for 7 years or so and in that time the number of spectators increased from around 20.000 to now 151.000. Now it is just one big party, a bad daydream for you marshalls I must confess. The number of cars on the grid was 208 which managed to cover an awesome 511.000 KM during that day. God bless there were no severe injuries. I hope that next year some real works entries are subscribed. As for the ones which started the boom (like the small Minis like the little A**h*le) I hope the Ring management give them the chance for a second 24H race. BTW, the DSF channel did a super job by covering 15 hours of the race plus half an hour of celebration. Did you see how the one driver pushed his wreck over the finishing line ? That's just great if you're sheering with a beer in your hand. I'll skip Le Mans next year in favour of the FULL Ring spectacle.

paulzinho · 3 Jun 2002, 21:07 (Ref:303834)

Great story Shawn, sounds fantastic!!

What I wanna know is how they get 208 cars to start the thing with some form of order!!!

Do you guys do a 14 mile warm up lap at all!?

Speedworx · 3 Jun 2002, 21:22 (Ref:303844)

Is there any coverage of the race on tv?

Peter Scillitoe · 3 Jun 2002, 21:49 (Ref:303865)

Quote:

Originally posted by hgb
Peter, how long is it that you haven't been to the Ring as a marshall ?

Last time was for the 2000 race.

Quote:

Originally posted by hgb
The 24H race evolved a lot during the last 5 years. I've been there for 7 years or so and in that time the number of spectators increased from around 20.000 to now 151.000. Now it is just one big party, a bad daydream for you marshalls I must confess. [/B]

Don't get me wrong. We never had any trouble with the regular spectators. Even the drunks were harmless (if only we could say that about the typical British drunk). The regular spectators up at the Karussell have got to know us all very well, and they dealt with any potential troublemakers.

Quote:

Originally posted by hgb BTW, the DSF channel did a super job by covering 15 hours of the race plus half an hour of celebration. Did you see how the one driver pushed his wreck over the finishing line ? That's just great if you're sheering with a beer in your hand. I'll skip Le Mans next year in favour of the FULL Ring spectacle. [/B]

DSF kindly featured me on their 2000 transmission from the race (including an interview in English dubbed into German).I also managed to get my photograph in the 2001 race programme. Unfortunately, since I changed to digital TV I can no longer get DSF. Shame

Peter Scillitoe · 3 Jun 2002, 21:56 (Ref:303867)

Quote:

Originally posted by paulzinho
Great story Shawn, sounds fantastic!!

What I wanna know is how they get 208 cars to start the thing with some form of order!!!

Do you guys do a 14 mile warm up lap at all!?

Three grids of at least 60 cars in each.

All cars do a 14 mile warm up lap with spectators on the track shaking hands with the drivers, letting off fireworks, etc. Same happens at the end of the race.

It's just brilliant

Peter Scillitoe · 3 Jun 2002, 21:58 (Ref:303869)

Shawn

A brilliant report which captures everything about the whole weekend. I meant to send a good luck greeting to Rod last week, but forgot. Sorry to hear that all did not go to plan. I know Rod has got faster year on year as he learnt the circuit. Here's to next year.

Osella · 3 Jun 2002, 22:34 (Ref:303883)

What are the entry rules? anything whatsoever with doors?

paulzinho · 3 Jun 2002, 22:56 (Ref:303898)

Whens next years race? And how much are tickets? I might take a trip down there!!

Shawn · 3 Jun 2002, 23:06 (Ref:303904)

Yes, certainly looks that way but I will get Rod to elaborate on the rules.
I only saw the 24 hour race televised on the German DSF channel, sadly not the 500kms.
Try these links to get an idea of the racing.
http.//www.24h-rennen.de
http.//nurburgring.de
click on the union jack on both and look for the 500km photos.
Each one of the three cars are shown on the first link.
page 1 has got a shot of the rear of Rod and Dave's car.
page 4 has both the sister car(no 176)and also Martin West, centre-bottom.
Also you will see a racing Police car somewhere there.

Rob29 · 4 Jun 2002, 07:07 (Ref:304083)

Quote:

Originally posted by hakkiman
Is there any coverage of the race on tv?

Watch out for highlights on Motors TV.They seem to show all the DSF German racing,albeit dubbed by a dreadful American?

cybersdorf · 4 Jun 2002, 12:50 (Ref:304390)

Quote:

Originally posted by Osella
What are the entry rules? anything whatsoever with doors?

Not quite - there is a handicap rule in place; they work with ballast and air restriction. My guess it that the cars are slightly at GT3 level, or slightly above, performance-wise. The Viper has 460 horses according to the team (that'll be 520 then

) but weighs in at 1250kgs.

The regulations have been adopted by the European Endurance Racing Club; they should have them available in English.

cybersdorf · 4 Jun 2002, 12:54 (Ref:304392)

Quote:

Originally posted by hgb
...I've been there for 7 years or so and in that time the number of spectators increased from around 20.000 to now 151.000.

Actually, it has gone back to 150 000 spectators; it used to be this popular in the years before the organisers went from "all comers" to "FIA only" cars. Now that they have dropped that concept again, andworked out what seems to be a useful set of rules, the entries and the fans are back.

hgb · 4 Jun 2002, 13:30 (Ref:304428)

You're right Cyber but that was before my time.

Don Basins · 4 Jun 2002, 15:09 (Ref:304508)

A group of 18 British Marshals just returned from Marshaling this year's race. We had excellent weather and support from our German Hosts. We had a fair bit of action from the support races and the main race and cheered on all the British Drivers and entrants.

One concern about the event is that Drivers when they come up to the yellow flags (stationary, single yellow & double yellow do not appear to slow down appreciably. (BE PREPARED TO STOP) i.e.

Early Saturday evening we had a chunk of concrete lift out of the lower lever of the Karussell. Oil flag out at the entrance to the corner (to indicate change of surface) and we pointed for the drivers to take the higher level of the corner. Many drivers ignored this friendly advice. One to his detriment lost his sump and oil when he took the lower level and drove over a rather large piece of concrete which had come out of the previous patch.

We now had two problems: 1. a hole in the track and 2. Oil on the surface of the track exiting the Karusell.

Single yellow shown at post 138 well before the incident; Waved single yellow at Post 139 (bottom of the hill) Double waved yellow at Post 141 (half way up the hill) at Post 142 (entrance to the Karussell) an Intervention car blocked the L/H side of the track to force drivers to slow down. Did they? H!!! No. A minority did but More did not. Those that did not raced right through the flags right up to the intervention car.

The Yellow Flags were out for over two hours until the repair team arrived and the quick drying cement had set. Not one driver could claim that they did not know the flags were out.

A suitable written report was made to the Clerk of the Course. Don't know what the outcome was.

Are there any drivers out there who made have had a chat and a cup of coffee with the Clerk of the Course over this matter? What do you think?

As a result of this type of failure to acknowledge the yellow flags, Marshals are not allowed to go onto the track and do any clean-ups or dressing of oil spills until an intervention car arrives. This takes time and reduces the good racing.

nuff said

cybersdorf · 4 Jun 2002, 18:27 (Ref:304663)

Thanks for this insider's view, Don; the marshals are always the unsung heroes of such races, and on the Nordschleife are needed perhaps more than on other tracks to keep the race going.

The 'Ring 24 has many inexperienced drivers in it; maybe this inexperience accounts for some of those mistakes? Having said that, Roland Asch lost vital time in the pits after running over some pieces of concrete and damaging the Skyline...

Don Basins · 4 Jun 2002, 19:29 (Ref:304716)

Thanks for the recognition. Our group has marshaled the Karussell for the past 6 years.

All I can say is that if Roland Asch hit the concrete is our area, He was warned. Probably didn't see the Oil Flag.

hgb · 4 Jun 2002, 19:45 (Ref:304729)

Cyber, as far as I know the damage to the Skyline was due to a collision while overtaking a BMW. The BMW (I don't know who it was) wasn't able to continue the race. That happens because of the variety of cars in different classes and the length of the race. The Skyline lost some time in the pits but not a position in the race. The rear axle was bent, though. So the car wasn't that drivable any more. Still it managed to keep it’s position which was up to the driver, very well done. Also much respect to the marshalls as also I see their job vital to motorsport, especially at the Ring. I'll be at the Karussell next year and I hope to see you there.

cybersdorf · 4 Jun 2002, 19:50 (Ref:304735)

Quote:

Originally posted by hgb
Cyber, as far as I know the damage to the Skyline was due to a collision while overtaking a BMW.

That was a different incident, later in the race

Earlier on, the Skyline had to have its front suspension fixed. They attributed the damage to debris from the Karussell.

hgb · 4 Jun 2002, 19:58 (Ref:304744)

Ah, I see. I didn't get that one. The Ring is simply too long and if you're stuck in a traffic jam while trying to get from A to B you miss a lot, obviously. Thanks to DSF on sunday I only know of the one in the late stages of the race. DSF did also a great job, btw.

cybersdorf · 4 Jun 2002, 20:05 (Ref:304751)

The only car that didn't have any trouble was the Viper.

hgb · 4 Jun 2002, 20:10 (Ref:304760)

Bernd Zakovsky said that the only one clear lap was the first. Then, the overtaking began. It must have been pure luck that the Viper didn't run into another car. It seem that all the others did at some point.

cybersdorf · 4 Jun 2002, 20:45 (Ref:304785)

Quote:

Originally posted by Shawn
I went along with Rod Birley and the rest of the team as we were racing in the Youngtimer Trophy Race on Friday with Dave Thomas and his Mk1 Capri.

Is this it?

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