This weekend marks one of the most grueling endurance races on the planet, the 2024 ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring–and we’ll be there to capture the action.
Our own J.G. Pasterjak is on the ground at the (in)famous Nürburgring, and he’ll be providing live updates throughout the race weekend: The highs, the lows and–perhaps most importantly–all the wonderful trackside eats.
The green …
Yesssssssss!
One of my favorite races to watch! I'm excited to spend the weekend there n the garage wrenching and watching!
Rooting for the YouTube crew! Bilstein #150 Jimmy Briadbent, SuperGT, Micha Charudin, Manuel Metzger!
Have fun JG! This is a bucket list race to visit one day!
Hoppps said:Yesssssssss!
Have fun JG! This is a bucket list race to visit one day!
Same here. Yeah, it's a bummer I can't make it out there myself, but I'm glad that I can live vicariously through J.G.
Hoppps said:Yesssssssss!
One of my favorite races to watch! I'm excited to spend the weekend there n the garage wrenching and watching!
Rooting for the YouTube crew! Bilstein #150 Jimmy Briadbent, SuperGT, Micha Charudin, Manuel Metzger!
Have fun JG! This is a bucket list race to visit one day!
Those guys are running out of the Black Falcon stables, and sharing a garage with this other Black falcon BMW GT4
That one is being piloted by Mike Skeen and Charles Espenlaub, so it's nice to see some familiar faces on the grid. We didn't hook up today because they were busy with tech and prep, but I'll be catching up with them tomorrow.
There's another American on the grid, Zack Moore, who has some AER history. Feels like a guy I should know but I don't think I do. Gonna try and look him up tomorrow, too.
Mostly I spent the day wandering the garages and the historic paddock. The vintage scene here is epic.
The forecast also looks wet. This dude is way ahead of it.
I'm also eager to see how Bulldog Racing's MINI John Cooper Works PRO does.
I'm going to make it out there one year. Looks like a blast and more fun than Le Mans. Have fun!
Cool detail on this E30 M3: Little protecto-guards over the hood pins.
Hyundai just pulled the cover off this thing and I'm pretty on board.
I can't get my pass in to the Hyundai compound yet because the American media babysitter hasn't arrived and security is so tight even I can't weasel my way in. I'll certainly follow up as soon as I'm able, though.
Clearly I approve
I think I've found the ultimate ride mooch to flex my Nurburgring license.
JG Pasterjak said:Hyundai just pulled the cover off this thing and I'm pretty on board.
I can't get my pass in to the Hyundai compound yet because the American media babysitter hasn't arrived and security is so tight even I can't weasel my way in. I'll certainly follow up as soon as I'm able, though.
Dear Hyundai,
YES, please...whatever that is.
So I'm sitting here at my desk watching the qualifying session for the classic race thinking, I think I need to experience this in person.
How does someone without connections/media passes/industry contacts go there on a budget and take it all in. Is it as simple as getting whatever tickets needed for the event, flying to somewhere closish in Europe, rent a little car and hit up their equivalent to Walmart for a tent and basic camping supplies and try not to piss off a local when you setup in "their spot"? Something to think about.
JG Pasterjak said:Hyundai just pulled the cover off this thing and I'm pretty on board.
I can't get my pass in to the Hyundai compound yet because the American media babysitter hasn't arrived and security is so tight even I can't weasel my way in. I'll certainly follow up as soon as I'm able, though.
As the sign behind it says, that's the 2025 Vision Gran Turismo. Looking through Hyundai's press website, it was originally debuted back in 2015.
From the press release:
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2015 – Today, Hyundai débuted its N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Concept for the North American market at the Los Angeles Auto Show. This concept demonstrates the Hyundai brand’s unique perspective on future performance characteristics and was developed as one of the latest additions to the Vision Gran Turismo. The Vision Gran Turismo project invites automakers, design houses and leading brands to design special concept vehicles that showcase the future of automotive design, exclusively for Gran Turismo®, one of the most popular video game franchises. The N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo boasts a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain capable of generating an impressive 884 PS (872 HP), using an additional super capacitor system.
adam525i said:So I'm sitting here at my desk watching the qualifying session for the classic race thinking, I think I need to experience this in person.
How does someone without connections/media passes/industry contacts go there on a budget and take it all in. Is it as simple as getting whatever tickets needed for the event, flying to somewhere closish in Europe, rent a little car and hit up their equivalent to Walmart for a tent and basic camping supplies and try not to piss off a local when you setup in "their spot"? Something to think about.
Yeah pretty much. We've done some guides before—maybe one of my colleagues can post one—but this is a pretty simple, if intense, fan experience. Tickets are about $100 give or take, which gets you full paddock access and full "infield" access to all the spectator areas. Not sure what a parking/camping pass costs but I'll find out. The one thing I do know is if you're going to camp, you need to plan to be there like Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. You're talking about a land rush of nearly a quarter million people, so stuff gets out of control fast. I normally stay in a village about half an hour away, and I get a really nice little apartment for like $80/night. You could have a perfectly amazing time here without a media pass. Honestly the food in the media center sucks, so you aren't missing much (the WiFi is good, though, so there's that).
One of the first cars that caught my eye on load-in day in the historic paddock: Jason and Louise Kennedy made the tow all the way from the UK with their R32 Skyline to contend the Nurburgring 24hr Historic contest (which is actually three hours, but takes place during the 24hr weekend, hence the name). The Kennedys are regular competitors in the historic scene in the UK, in older Alfas and, as of the last few years, this Skyline that puts around 500hp to all four wheels from its twin turbocharged six.
"It's just us." says Louise "Which makes things simple but also a little nerve-wracking. We have to pump our own gas during driver changes, and we don't have much more than a tire gauge and a roll of tape in the pits, but the goal is having a great time at a legandary track."
The Kennedys bought their car as a non-race-prepped tribute car—it had the livery, some of the go-fast chassis bits and a prepared powerplant—but it still sported a full interior and all its street equipment. Although it's still street legal in the UK, retaining such luxurious road equipment as power windows, turn indicators and windshield wipers, the interior now sports an FiA-approved cage, a race seat and little else.
Jason describes the Skyline as relatively easy on consumables, despite the prodigious power and all-wheel-drive. "Plenty of folks campaign these cars with 700-plus horsepower—it's not that hard to make that with these engines. But they tend to be hard on driveline parts" Jason says. "With our 500, we don't constantly break axles or transmissions, or completely melt the tires. The AWD at least keeps wear even across all four." The tires in question are a set of 265mm wide Yokohama A052s. The Kennedys report trying 275ss, but the additional width and diameter caused some rubbing that would have needed modifications to address that they felt might affect the presentation of the car. That's right, many historic series in the UK and EU require cars to be presented in as-raced-back-in-the-day condition. In the case of "tribute" car possibly built as race cars later in life, liveries and overall look must occasionally be approved in advance by the series, especially if the livery will be a tribute to an existing vehicle. So maybe hold off on those eBay fender flares and Sawzall party you had planned for UK historic race car build day.
What do you do when your car is on fire?
— Girls Like Racing (@GirlsLikeRacing) May 30, 2024
Only at the #24hNBR... 🤭😂
(Watch till the end to see something you probably didn't expect)#IGTC pic.twitter.com/WGjVWPOdEt
Wild to see the A052 being used as an endurance tire. At least it'll be awesome in the wet.
dr_strangeland said:Wild to see the A052 being used as an endurance tire. At least it'll be awesome in the wet.
So I had the same conversation with them and asked how they manage overheating with the A052s and Louise's response was "by racing in Britain."
I have it on good authority there may or may not be an interesting video here
A few tasty nuggs from today
That beetle is excellent. I've never said those words before, either.
Couldn't find the race on YouTube, but go here and click "live"
The official test track of Grassroots Motorsports, right?
Pit box porn
JG Pasterjak said:The official test track of Grassroots Motorsports, right?
Looks just like the FIRM to me!
Alec Udell is in the W&S Motorsport 962 Cayman GT4. He has been on a roll and hope it continues. Love seeing Americans making there.
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