"RWS Motorsport" (rwsmotorsport)
05/19/2015 at 08:00 • Filed to: Nurburgring 24h
4
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"RWS Motorsport" (rwsmotorsport)
05/19/2015 at 08:00 • Filed to: Nurburgring 24h | 4
| 8 |
The Nurburgring 24 hours is a race unlike any other. There are so many elements that mean you have to re-adjust your brain to it. 160 cars take the start, well I say take the start, take one of three starts, because all those cars in 1 start would end up in chaos. You see the fastest cars every 9 minutes, the slower ones more like every 11-12 minutes. The fans are a combination of crazy, drunk and engineering masters, and the weather can be sunny at one end, and 3 degrees and raining or foggy at the other.
Thursday was a wet session, with 4 hours of qualifying in the rain, and then the dark as a nice welcome to the ‘ring.
Expect to see lots of pictures of the Manta. Its been racing at the ring since the 90s, and was the car that universally got the largest cheer whenever it came past. Plus, who doesn’t love a foxtail
One of the 4 brand new Audi R8 GT3s. As was pointed out by Radio Le Mans before the start, this time next year this will be the oldest GT3 car by the German marques, with new cars by BMW and Porsche launched at the ring, and the new Merc debuting later this year.
The yellow SCG003, before it met its untimely end touching a white line out on the damp Nordschleife at 190kph.
Murky, damp track, looked very slippery, and this was on the GP loop. I didnt make it out to the Nordschleife during the rain, I wasnt feeling that brave.
One of the 4 Bentleys taking the start,
BMW Sports Trophy Marc VDS Z4 GT3. catchy name for a super professional team.
The works SCG003,
The BMW M235i, one of about 25 racing in the cup class. These things are massively fast and were dicing as a group throughout the entire 24h.
Haribo Racing have swapped to an SLS this year,
Bentley running in a tribute livery to their Le Mans win. Beautiful car.
Billy the Bilstein works Aston Martin. Love this car.
Friday Morning:
The fog came down Friday morning, for the final 2 hours of open qualifying. Again, another feature of the ring. 8 Hours of practise and qualifying before the top 30 shootout.
There was only one works Nissan running this year, and running in black in tribute to the accident back in April. The effort seemed very understated this year, no big media coverage this year.
The WRT Audi, leading one of the 3 Lexus Gazoo Racing machines. They were running an LFA Code X, and IS-F and this.
Team Rotek were back with their TTRS (and Jalopnik stickers on the rear wing).
The other Nissan being run by Schultz Motorsport, with a couple of ex GT academy boys alongside the Schutlz Brothers.
WTCC:
The WTCC was supporting the race with 2, 3 lap races on Saturday.
Ring Expert/Legend Sabine Schmitz was running an All Inkl Chevrolet Lacetti. Slightly different from her usual Porsche GT3 car.
The way the Touring Car boys attacked the circuit was very impressive. Full commitment, as is the order of the day for a sprint race.
SO MUCH BEER being drunk around the sites.
The campsite at Hatzenbach was a mighty impressive sight, tents just dumped wherever there was flat land.
One of the more impressive home built viewing platforms.
Historic Support Race
On Friday afternoon there was a 3 hour support race with a massive array of historic machines.
Kremer Porsche 935 was crazy fast.
Very a nice 2002 BMW.
Porsche 904 GTS. Very rare sight.
BMW M1 in works colours.
935 RSR. This race was basically a display of every Porsche from the 60s to 80s.
BMW 635 with evil looking red lights. I think you would getting out of the way of this pretty fast.
Mark 1 Escort.
Porsche 911 901 in gulf colours.
Top 30 Qualifying.
After the top 30 qualifying session the cars are all brought into this fenced area for the public to view.
The SCG003 had a pretty much constant crowd around it whenever it was in public.
Hooray for Jalopnik Stickers :D
Race Day:
The SCG003 has some lovely details, like the CNC skidblock.
Start of the second WTCC race was slightly chaotic. As you would expect from WTCC. Plenty of support for Norbert Michalisz
Post race they had both podiums one after the other, rather than having them after each of the two races. Odd procedure but otherwise they would have struggled to stay on schedule.
Grid Walk
Before the race, there is an hour long public grid walk. The teams bring the cars out, and then the huge crowd is unleashed onto the grid. Drivers are there to meet and talk, and the cars are there to admire. If you can get near them.
Jim Glickenhaus is just cool. The SCG is not bad either.
Chief Mechanic having the best time...
The 85 is BIG.
either the driver has shrunk... or he has lost his helmet.
The more normal view of the SCG. Crowd.
Woo, team Jalopnik...
The Foxtail. Someone set up a twitter account for the Foxtail during the race, great idea.
The whole Rotek team pre race.
The Race:
Start 1, with the first 65 cars starting. This group included the GT3s most of the Porsche Cup cars, and generally the fastest groups. The Marc VDS BMW started on pole, but got swamped on the run to turn 1. The three BMWs made a big break for freedom for the first few hours though.
Start 2, with the BMW 235i Cup cars, and most of the production based grid.
The final start. Pretty sure they just decide where this grid begins based on where the Manta qualified.
And it was all going so well. For a group of cars this big, it was impressive this was the only turn 1 contact.
Huge cheers as the Manta passes.
Really hard on the brakes into turn 1 for the GT3s.
Kremer were running a new Porsche with this lovely simple livery.
Marc VDS guys giving their BMW a little push start to get it going and protect the clutch.
Big que of cars, and the pitlane was constantly busy.
A huge amount of air at Pflanzgarten for the Wochenspeigel Porsche.
Even the huge bulk of the Bentley was airborne here.
And the SCG getting air too.
More homebuilt greatness
And more beer.
These three guys had a heated hot tub, as you do. Radiator on the fire to heat the water.
Well, that looks pretty safe....
Huge homebuilt grandstand.
Up at the Karussell in the gathering gloom.
inside wheel off the ground as the car drops into the Karussell.
the 006 works supported Aston was having a fairly clean race up until this point.
Outside wheel off the ground on the exit. 4 Wheels on the ground is so overrated.
lots of sparks from most cars. How the survive for 24 hours like this I have no idea.
Everything was getting one wheel of the ground out of this.
Huge amounts of sparks from the Rotek Audi. Sadly this was the last time I saw it, as the engine ate itself 6 hours in.
Mad campsite in the background, mad track in the foreground.
And then it got dark, and madness truly came down.
Where else can spectators climb the fence with flare, and no-one bats an eyelid.
back on the GP loop for some gratuitous light trail shots.
Saxon Motorsports brought their Diesel M135i over from the UK for the race. After some pretty heavy accident damage early in the race the boys got it back together and back out lapping, and it seemed to run pretty faultlessly from then till the flag.
Dirty race cars, early Sunday morning.
Cars sporting lots of battle scars, from the higher and lower classes.
Dirty BMW.
After a big crash early in the race, the Bentley boys got their 85 back out late Saturday night, with no hope of a result. They just sent it out for more testing, and so the crowd could enjoy the livery. Classy guys.
SCG running down to Hatzenbach.
Sunday Morning in the Hatzenbach.
The Rowe Mercedes looks like its been through the wars.
No idea how they managed it, but the LFA was so clean even at the end of the race.
The 007 had a big crash at about 2 am, rolling over the barriers. And yet here it is. The AMR boys know what they are doing.
SCG crossing the line after a hard 24 hours. They certainly had their troubles, but they crossed the line and thats what counts.
Huge gaggle of BMWs crossing the line together.
And the eventual winner. well done to WRT for the win, and the first win, on its 24 hour debut for the new R8.
What I will say, is if you can get to this race, do it. It wont be around like this for long, and it truly has to be experienced to be believed.
Leon711
> RWS Motorsport
05/19/2015 at 09:07 |
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ach, nein Mantas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt010239…
BrainForest
> RWS Motorsport
05/19/2015 at 09:28 |
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Is that the Manta model with three front seats?
Enginerrrrrrrrr
> RWS Motorsport
05/19/2015 at 21:40 |
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amazing amazing shots. Do you happen to have a website where I can peruse more car-porn?
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RWS Motorsport
> Enginerrrrrrrrr
05/20/2015 at 03:20 |
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ha thanks :) my flickr has all my shots ever on it:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rwsmoto…
Matt Urban
> RWS Motorsport
05/20/2015 at 15:05 |
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Excellent captures. If anyone has a line on the full race online I’d be much obliged
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RWS Motorsport
> Matt Urban
05/20/2015 at 16:14 |
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Radio le mans have the whole thing as audio only. Not sure about video sadly sorry
Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
> RWS Motorsport
05/20/2015 at 16:23 |
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So. Many. Good. Wallpapers...
I think I’ll need to slideshow them all.
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RWS Motorsport
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
05/21/2015 at 05:58 |
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Haha thanks very much. My Flickr has them all at much higher resolution, if I upload them here at full size it Kinjas the post ha.