BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS 24 Hours of N端rburgring 2015
Race Guide
RHONE GT WINES
@marcvdsracing fb.com/marcvdsgt marcvds.com
Marc VDS are entering their fourth consecutive N24 this season, and it’s been a story of highs, lows, and copious amounts of luck - of both the positive and negative variety. Take 2012; the first appearance of the cougar in this race, and the team snatched fourth place as a competitor ran out of fuel on the final lap. Then, take 2014, where both cars were elminated in clashes with other cars on track. It’s that kind of race. Every lap presents a similar challenge, in theory; 190 other cars, all vying for the same narrow ribbon of black asphalt. However, they’re of varying capablity, both in their performance and the performance of their pilots. Around every corner, anything could happen; practically the only thing that would be a complete surprise would be an alien invasion. The weather here is a haphazard and unpredictable mistress too. 2013 saw the 24 hours become 16 hours, as the race was halted overnight in the kind of conditions that had 21st century Noah types on stand by and one particular Belgian in his element. Rain, bright sunshine, gale force winds, snow, hail, clouds... In the four years the team has been coming to the Nordschleife, we’’ve quickly learned that true preparation means having your suncream in one pocket, and your gloves in the other. 2015 is the last year of the BMW Z4 GT3, one of the most brutal and wonderful machines this circuit has ever seen, and the only focus is to give such a fantastic machine the send off it deserves. Luck permitting, of course.
Everyone at Marc VDS is ready to race. You can feel that it’s not the first time we’ve been here, everyone feels at home. You can feel the team is prepared, and relaxed, and we know how everything works. That’s no guarantee for success, but we’re as prepared as it’s possible to be and we just want to get on with the racing. I’m really proud to see the position of Marc VDS Racing Team in the motorsport world now. I think it’s exceptional to see a team that only started racing in 2009 compete at the highest level. In GTE, in GT3, and on two wheels too, as the reigning Moto2 World Champions and running at a high level in MotoGP. It’s great. This is the last year we’ll race the BMW Z4 GT3. We love it. It’s a great car – in our first race with it, we had pole and in the second we won. The only thing missing now is a win in a 24-hour race. Let’s hope we can take one this year, before we say our tearful goodbyes! It’s the only aim. We’ve been so busy, preparing this year that it feels pretty natural and I’ve barely even missed the driving! It would have been nice to be in the car, but there’s so much at stake that it’s really not possible to focus on driving and managing the team. I had to prioritise the team management. Everybody needs to do their job at 100%. Let’s hope that this weekend, while we’re racing in four series at once, we get some great results! Bas Leinders, Team Principal
THE TEAM The Marc VDS Racing Team is a Belgian outfit, hailing from Gosselies. Despite only being formed in 2008, they already have a rich history of success in GT racing, and motorcylce competition. The team is the brainchild of Marc van der Straten, a huge motorsport fan and a popular and colourful figure in Belgian and world motorsport. The team’s first year of competition, 2009, took in the FIA GT Championship, where they ran a Ford GT GT1. They then took this project a step further, running the cars in the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2010 and 2011. They raced in the Blancpain Endurance Series from its inception in 2011, first with the Ford GT GT3 and then making the step to the BMW Z4 GT3 at the 2011 24 Hours of Spa, qualifying on pole position. Victories were just around the corner, with several in succession over the 20112012 seasons. In 2013, Marc VDS were the benchmark in the Blancpain Endurance Series, winning the Teams’ title. They took in just one round of the 2014 Blancpain series – the 24 Hours of Spa – finishing in second place. Marc VDS’ Nordschleife adventures began in 2012, where they took on the 24-hour race for the first time. Finishing fourth, and first BMW, whet their appetite and they’ve raced here ever since. 2013 was a grand year, with a second place in one of the most dramatic races in Nordschleife history. 2014 saw great promise, but bad luck saw both cars involved in race-ending accidents in the night. 2015 has seen the team expand into the European Le Mans Series, debuting the BMW Z4 GTE in Europe. The team also have a motorcycling arm, competing in the Moto2 and MotoGP World Championshps. Team Estrella Gallicia 0,0 Marc VDS. are the reigning Moto2 World Champions.
A BUSY WEEKEND The Marc VDS Racing Team will take on its biggest ever weekend on May 16-17, with four races, four different categories, and three different venues. It adds up to 47 hours and five minutes of combined action over the course of the weekend! While BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS attack the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, BMW Team Marc VDS will take on the European Le Mans Series 4 Hours of Imola, and Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS the MotoGP and Moto2 races at Le Mans. In Germany, Marc VDS will be hoping to return to the podium as they aim for overall victory in the 24-hour race. The squad narrowly missed out on victory in 2013, before being denied once more in 2014. They are back with renewed vigour and hunger this season, with one of the strongest line-ups in the field, ready for the demanding challenge of the Nordschleife. Two BMW Z4 GT3s are entered – #25 for Lucas Luhr, Maxime Martin, Markus Palttala and Richard Westbrook, and #26 for Dirk Adorf, Nick Catsburg, Augusto Farfus and Jörg Müller. The Italian challenge is taken up by the team’s new-for-2015 BMW Z4 GTE. Henry Hassid, Jesse Krohn and Andy Priaulx showed pace and some promise in the car on its race debut in Silverstone, and they’ll be looking to stand on the podium together for the first time at Imola. At Le Mans, Scott Redding will be looking to rise up the points as he continues his MotoGP challenge on the Honda RC213V. The #45 bike recently completed a fruitful test at Jerez, and the British rider will take this knowledge and confidence into the fifth race of the MotoGP World Championship. Joining Redding in France are reigning world champions Tito Rabat – Moto2 – and Alex Marquez – Moto3 – on the Kalex Moto2 machines. Rabat scored his first rostrum of the season at Jerez and will be looking to continue
his progress upward in the Moto2 World Championship. Marquez will be aiming to score further points in his debut Moto2 season. Bas Leinders, BMW SportsTrophyTeam MarcVDSTeam Principal “To see this team challenging for victory in four different races in one weekend is absolutely fantastic, and testament to the commitment of Marc van der Straten. We go into the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with a simple aim – to win the race. We’ve got unfinished business there. In Imola, I’m sure that we can build on the solid foundations laid at Silverstone, and aim for the podium. We’ll be very busy with two races at once, but I’m absolutely certain we’re prepared for it. We’ve got great strength in depth, and I’m excited to see that in action.” Michael Bartholemy, Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Team Principal “It’s been a tough start to the season, but the podium for Tito in Jerez and Scott’s performance in the Jerez test immediately after the Spanish Grand Prix shows we’re back on track and ready to compete at the front once again. Le Mans is a track that all our riders like, and one at which we won in 2013 with Redding and in 2014 with Kallio, so we’re expecting a strong showing in France this weekend. There aren’t many motorsport teams with the capability of racing across four championships in three different countries on the same weekend, but the team aren’t heading to France, Germany and Italy just to race; we’re going there to fight for podium finishes. Now that is pretty unique, and a testament to Marc van der Straten’s passion and commitment to motorsport at the very highest levels.” Marc van der Straten, Marc VDS Racing Team Owner “It’s a fantastic feeling to see the Marc VDS Racing Team so strong, and taking on all these races at once. Obviously, I’m very proud of the achievements of my team so far. This weekend presents an opportunity for us to go even further, and I’m really looking forward to it. My only problem was deciding which to attend… So in the end I’ll take some time in both Germany and France. It’s going to be an exciting few days!”
history
Marc VDS at the N24
4th: BMW Z4 GT3 #29
Bas Leinders, Maxime Martin, Markus Palttala
2nd: BMW Z4 GT3 #25
Yelmer Buurman, Richard Goransson, Maxime Martin, Andrea Piccini
DNF: BMW Z4 GT3 #26
Richard Goransson, Bas Leinders, Henri Moser, Markus Palttala
DNF: BMW Z4 GT3 #25
Uwe Alzen, Maxime Martin, Jörg Müller, Marco Wittmann
DNF: BMW Z4 GT3 #26
Dirk Adorf, Nick Catsburg, Bas Leinders, Markus Palttala
BMW Z4 GT3 #26
Dirk Adorf, Nick Catsburg, Augusto Farfus, Jörg Müller
BMW Z4 GT3 #25
Lucas Luhr, Maxime Martin, Markus Palttla, Richard Westbrook
BMW Z4 GT3 Tech specs
Length: Width: Height: Wheelbase: Fuel tank: Engine: Power: Revs:
4387mm 2012mm 1210mm (depending on set up) 2509mm 115 litres 4.4 litre V8, aluminium block 535bhp (approx, with restrictor) 8750rpm
Yellow mirrors, windscreen band
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#25 Lucas Luhr Maxime Martin Markus Palttala Richard Westbrook Christian Deltombe Thomas Matton 1054
Drivers
Race Engineer Number One Mechanic Chassis No.
BMW Z4 GT3
Lucas Luhr ‘Lux’
Factfile Lucas Luhr
Date of Birth: Height: Weight: Born: Lives:
22/071979 185cm 74kg Koblenz, Germany Ermatingen, Switzerland
Best N24 Finish: Winner 2006, 2011 N24 Starts: 14 Facebook: Instagram: Twitter: Website:
/lucasluhrofficial @lucasluhr @lucasluhr lucas-luhr.com
Lucas Luhr is one of the most successful drivers at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. He’s won here twice, and has plenty of experience to offer the Marc VDS squad. With that experience in mind, what does it take to win here? “It takes very good car preparation – obviously – good team mates, and you have to make the right decisions at the right times, especially when the weather is changing,” says the German. “Sometimes you may say ‘I want to go out on rain tyres’ but you gamble on slicks and it pays off, or vice versa. That’s a key factor. “Of course, you’ve also got to stay out of trouble, too. Don’t crash, don’t get caught up in traffic on the track. I personally don’t really believe in luck, good or bad, it’s just that sometimes it’s meant to be, or not.” He made his debut with Marc VDS at the 24 Hours of Spa last season, where he narrowly missed out on the win alongside Markus Palttala and Dirk Werner. “I think we did a very, very good race at Spa last year. Again, it comes down to what some people might call ‘bad luck’, some would just say it wasn’t our day. Obviously it was still a good result. Second isn’t what we came for, for me and for the whole team.” For Luhr, though, that race is now behind him this race is what matters. “What happened last year is last year, now we focus on 2015. I think we have a very good team, two very strong cars for this race, and we have to concentrate on our job and make the best of this job.” It’s a special place for him, with strong emotional connections - not just from racing. “I love this race track. It’s very unique, it’s one of a kind in the whole world, wherever I go. I’ve driven all over the world, and there’s not a track like the Nürburgring Nordschleife. This is what fascinates me. I was born in Koblenz, not so far from here, and I remember as a kid when I was six or seven years old, coming here to watch the races with my dad and my grandfather. That’s why I have always had a strong connection with the Nordschleife.”
BMW Z4 GT3
Maxime Martin ‘papy’
Factfile
Maxime Martin Date of Birth: Height: Weight: Born: Lives:
20/03/1986 185cm 73kg Brussels, Belgium Brussels, Belgium
Best N24 Finish: P2, 2013 N24 Starts: 3 Facebook: Instagram: Twitter: Website:
/markuspalttala @maxmartin86 @maxrtin1992 pushpapy.com
Maxime Martin needs no introduction to fans of Marc VDS, or of the Nordschleife. The Belgian made a name for himself racing here and in other races with Marc VDS’ BMW Z4 GT3, and is now a full-time BMW DTM driver. That doesn’t mean he’s finished with racing in the GT3-spec machine, though. Far from it. “It would mean a lot to win this race,” says the Belgian. “The team has put in a huge effort in the last three years, and we’ve been quite unlucky. I think it would be really great for the team to win it. That’s our goal this year, as it is at every race we take part in.” Two years ago, he announced himself to the fans here with a drive that will go down in history. The Marc VDS BMW eventually finished on the podium, the first 24-hour race rostrum for the team. Few who were watching will forget the sight of the Marc VDS BMW disappearing into torrential conditions, pulling away at more than 30 seconds per lap. How did he do it? “I honestly don’t know. I felt easy in the car, it was working properly, but I don’t know. In the morning I could see that I was so much quicker because I was pulling away, but at night I had no idea what the pace was like compared to everyone else. Even though the weather was bad, I wasn’t scared – if I’m ever scared, I’ll stop!” And what about this special place? “This track is a real challenge,” he smiles. “You don’t have any track like this, anywhere in the world. It’s the longest, the most challenging track you can have. As a driver, this is a place where your ability can show, where it can make a difference. The traffic, the weather, the track… It’s difficult. When you are fighting, in traffic, with other GT3 cars, it’s something else.” He’s also got no issues with the new regulations, with the new speed restrictions that have been implemented on the Nordschleife. “I don’t think the slow zones have taken too much away. We have to keep the safety and the security here, and I think the new rules do that, but with pretty much the same level of fun for the drivers.”
BMW Z4 GT3
Markus Palttala ‘Captain’
Factfile
Markus Palttala Date of Birth: Height: Weight: Born: Lives:
16/08/77 178cm 79kg Nakkila, Finland Eupen, Belgium
Best N24 Finish: P4, 2012 N24 Starts: 4 Facebook: Instagram: Twitter: Website:
/markuspalttala @mpatalla @markuspalttala markuspalttala.com
2015 will be Markus Palttala’s fifth attempt at this world famous race, and his fourth in succession. His relationship with Marc VDS is strong, having worked with the team since 2010, achieving two Blancpain Endurance Series vice-champion slots and several race victories. The Finn, who won the BMW Sports Trophy in 2014, has a very high opinion of this race in particular. “This is one of the biggest races out there, full stop,” he opines. “This race is considered one of the world’s best, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Spa. The number of cars, the demanding challenge of the track, the importance to BMW Motorsport and to Marc VDS, it all adds up. It’s one of the biggest races you could win. It sounds great if you say you’ve won Le Mans, but at least amongst the drivers if you’re a 24 Hours of Nürburgring winner, that’s something you’re remembered for. “For me, personally, it would mean a lot to win it. I live an hour from the track, and I’ve done three years of working full seasons in the VLN. I’ve finished fourth in the 24 Hours twice, once in a small class on my debut, and also overall with Marc VDS, so it’d be pretty great to step on the podium. Let’s be honest, though, we are here to win this race.” What’s the key to doing well here? “You need to have a calm head. The moment you start pushing your limits, something happens. Your fault, or weather, or traffic, or whatever. You need to be prepared for anything, even things you shouldn’t normally expect to face on a race track. Some really surprising stuff can happen here! To keep the full 100% focus here is critical, and more difficult than at ‘normal’ races. It’s challenging for the mind.” Of course, having a strong driving team is useful, and Markus has no worries on that side. “I raced with Lucas for the first time last year, we had a great race and finished second. I’ve known Maxime for ages, we raced together for six years. He’s a DTM star now. Richard is new to us, but he needs no introduction. They’re all top quality, and we all get on really well.”
BMW Z4 GT3
Richard Westbrook ‘Westy’
Factfile
Richard Westbrook
Date of Birth: Height: Weight: Born: Lives:
10/07/1975 180cm 74kg Chelmsford, UK Bath, UK
Best N24 Finish: P4, 2012 N24 Starts: 6 Facebook: Instagram: Twitter: Website:
‘Richard Westbrook Racing’ @rikwestbrook @rwestbrook1 richardwestbrook.co.uk
It might be his first season with Marc VDS, and his first racing under the BMW Motorsport flag, but Richard Westbrook is far from a sportscar racing novice. He’s got a CV that most racing drivers would be envious of, including standing on the podium at Le Mans and several championship titles, but now this race is firmly in his sights. “This is a fantastic opportunity to go for overall victory,” reckons Westbrook. “It’s arguably the toughest 24-hour race in the world, and the only way you can go into battle is with three strong team mates, a strong team, and support from a major manufacturer. I’d say I’ve got all those ingredients, for the first time. It’s definitely a chance to set my sights on something big.” He only sat in the BMW Z4 GT3 for the first time in March, but his impressions of BMW Motorsport’s weapon are positive so far. “The car is really nice to drive. It’s comfortable, which you need on this track. You don’t want a car that’s on the edge, and the Z4 GT3 can be driven hard within its limits. It’s very strong in all conditions, which is obviously a help here!” His experience in endurance racing has taken in the classics, at Le Mans, Daytona and Spa, but he believes nothing is comparable to this crazy event. “This race is totally different to Daytona,” he muses. “At Daytona you’re in a bowl, essentially, that’s floodlit all the way around. In some respects, it doesn’t even feel like a night race. Le Mans is very dark, and it can get very lonely – there’re only 55 cars on the track. Here, it’s just different to anything else. It’s unique. It can be chucking it down on the start/finish straight, and beautiful sun on the other side of the track. You can’t compare it with any other race.” Like most drivers, he’s in love with the unique nature of the Nordschleife, reckoning that the job is never finished here. “It’s strangely addictive, this track, for a driver. You come away, and you never feel like you’ve quite nailed it. Very few people can say ‘I got the perfect lap at the Nordschleife’; you can get close to it, but you always feel like there’s a little bit more. That draws you back.”
Green mirrors, windscreen band
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#26 Dirk Adorf Nick Catsburg Augusto Farfus Jörg Müller Edward Turner Rene Grunewald 1049
Drivers
Race Engineer Number One Mechanic Chassis No.
BMW Z4 GT3
Dirk Adorf
Factfile
Dirk Adorf
Date of Birth: Height: Weight: Born: Lives:
10/07/1969 187cm 83kg Altenkirchen, Germany Michelbach, Germany
Best N24 Finish: P3, 2007 N24 Starts: 23
There are few in these parts with more experience than Dirk Adorf. The German describes this track as his ‘living room’ and he’s pretty much correct; he lives just a few minutes from the circuit. “I started my career here,” says Adorf, who has more than 25 years experience on the Nordschleife. “For a few years, this was the only place I raced – so when I tried other tracks, they were all really simple! I learned everything I know on this amazing, difficult track. So when I race here, it’s like coming home.” But he’s far from being a veteran just of the Nordschleife - he’s a man in demand! “I’m head of sports in the BMW Junior Programme,” he says. “My role is to find fast young drivers from all over the world and give them a chance with a manufacturer – BMW. The first champion of the new programme was Jesse [Krohn, racing in the ELMS with Marc VDS], and we have four really strong participants this season. I can give them all my experience, much more than just driving. It’s about how to talk to the engineers, be a good brand ambassador, and stay cool all the time. Cooling young drivers can be a difficult challenge!” He’s also a key figure behind the scenes in German motorsport. “I have a good relationship with the DMSB [German motor racing federation]. With the recent safety concerns at the Nürburgring, BMW called me and asked me to help them with their discussions and progress toward a solution. If we hadn’t found that solution, we would have lost the fastest cars from this track and this race, which would have been a real shame. I think we found the best way in that short time frame – it’s simple and easy, and you don’t have to brake hard into the slowzones. Now, we have to look at ways to eliminate them in 2016.” He’s racing with guys he knows well, and respects, at this years 24 Hours of Nürburgring. “I’m really proud to drive with these guys. I know them really well – I’ve known Jörg forever, and Augusto since 2010. Obviously, I drove last year with Nick and we won together. I’m ready to get started!”
BMW Z4 GT3
Nick Catsburg ‘easy flat’
Factfile
Nick Catsburg Date of Birth: Height: Weight: Born: Lives:
15/02/1988 185cm 73kg Amersfoort, Netherlands Voorthuizen, Netherlands
Best N24 Finish: N/A N24 Starts: 1 Twitter: @nickcatsburg Website: nickcatsburg.nl
Nick Catsburg will drive with Marc VDS for the first time in 2015 at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, but the Dutch ace is far from a stranger to the team. He made his debut with the Belgian BMW Z4 GT3 at the Zolder 24 Hours in 2012, and this will be his fourth 24-hour race with the team, and second N24. Though he missed out on racing in the VLN races in the build up to this year’s race, Catsburg isn’t worried. “I know the car very well, the team very well, and I did a lot of miles on the Nordschleife last year,” he explains. “Most of it is totally known to me, I just have to get used to the speed zones and the system in the car to limit the speed. I don’t know Jörg and Augusto as well as I know Dirk – we raced and won together on the Nordschleife last year – but they’re easy to work with and I’m not afraid. “It’s great to be in the car with the experienced guys. I have quite a lot of laps here but nothing like what they have. For example, in the wet I’ve done very few kilometres here, and they could help me greatly with all their experience.” Like the majority of racing drivers, he’s always drawn back to the Nordschleife – the appeal is simple. “This is an old school track, it’s so demanding, you compare to Spa, you can try going flat out on Eau Rouge but if you don’t make it, you just go straight on. At that point, you’ve found the limit. At the Nordschleife if you make a small mistake, that could be the end of your race. There’s not much run off space. That’s what makes it a real driver track.” This race is a key part of what is already a busy schedule, as he will be missing a key race in America to take part. “This race clashes with one of the key races in my American season, and I’m here instead of there. That tells you how important this race is to me, that I am sacrificing a good chance of doing well in that championship to race here. One of the main draws for me is the team set up. It’s such a strong team in terms of drivers, the technical side, the car, and of course the manufacturer support.”
BMW Z4 GT3
Augusto Farfus ‘CHA CHA’
Factfile
Augusto Farfus
Date of Birth: Height: Weight: Born: Lives:
03/09/83 176cm 69kg Curitiba, Brazil Monaco
Best N24 Finish: P1, 2010 N24 Starts: 4 Facebook: Instagram: Twitter: Website:
/AugustoFarfusOfficial @augusto_farfus @augustofarfus farfus.com
Augusto Farfus might be used to the sunny beaches of Brazil, but he’s got a deep rooted love of this track and racing here. It’s why he finds time around his DTM schedule to race at the Nordschleife. “This track...” he takes a long pause for thought. “It has something. Of course as a race car driver, in Europe, I’d heard of the Nordschleife. But to me it was always ‘ah yeah, great, Nordschleife’. Then I joined BMW, and they got me to do a lap here, and then you fall in love. There is something on this track, in these corners, that makes you addicted to it. That’s why you see people come from all over the world to race. I am one of those maniacs who drive a quick race car on the Nordschleife.” He’s not been successful here for nothing. There’s a rule he sticks by to stay on top of his game. “You have to respect the circuit. There is no room on this track for mistakes. You have to respect the circuit, that’s the key.” And successful is certainly what’s been, winning the race overall in 2010. What does it feel like? “It’s awesome, looking down on the fans, the team, celebrating below the podium. This is potentially the hardest 24-hour race in the world, considering the track, considering the speed, the cars around, the weather – which is always crazy here… To win here was a unique feeling. I shared the car with Jörg ‘President’ and now we’re back again.” If you ask him about his situation in 2015, he’s quick to reply. “It’s great. Marc VDS is a top team – you can see everywhere they go they’re successful. The DNA in this team is a winning DNA. And the driver line up we have here is one of the strongest in the field, so on paper we have everything to win. A good car, potentially one that has good performance over the endurance race. We have all the right ingredients to repeat the feeling of winning here. And if he wasn’t racing? “Potentially, I’d have a restaurant. My family has restaurants in Brazil, and if I wasn’t in motorsport I’d be working in the family business.”
BMW Z4 GT3
Jörg Müller ‘President’
Factfile
Jörg Müller
Date of Birth: Height: Weight: Born: Lives:
03/09/1969 180cm 80kg Kerkrade, Netherlands Tagerwilen, Switzerland
Best N24 Finish: P1, 2004, 2010 N24 Starts: 20 Twitter: @jorgmueller
Ask Jörg Müller how many times he’s started the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and he cannot even remember; that’s the level of experience that he has at this famous track. That’s not to say, however, that he’s lost his hunger for the race... “I’ve won this race twice, in 2004 and 2010, and it’s time that BMW won it again,” he says. “We always have the biggest amount of cars in the field, and it’s very important for the factory, and myself. “This is definitely the best circuit any 24-hour race is held on. That’s why it’s my favourite. What I really love about the Nürburgring is to have all these different types of cars. When you see a factory team working in the box with these lower end teams, with smaller cars, it’s a really nice atmosphere. You don’t get that anywhere else. The German is BMW Motorsport’s longest serving works driver and knows the key to winning here. “The most important thing is consistency,” he explains. “Everyone says ‘to finish first, first you have to finish’, but you need to have a comfortable, consistent speed. Then the race comes to you. The most important thing is to have no accidents, no contact on the track, and if you have a car in one piece at the end you’re pretty likely to be on the podium. That’s what we’ve seen here in the past.” He’s under no illisions about this race, though – the current field is one of the best ever seen here. “Right now, there are a huge number of cars that could win the race.The level of competition here is very high, and it has been for a long time. Perhaps we haven’t had this quantity in the past, but there was always a high quality.” And if the racing career comes to an end, he could still find himself useful at Marc VDS... “I am a bike mechanic – that’s what I learned. I learned it in my daddy’s shop, right from when I was a kid. I was growing up around motorbikes, taking engines apart, even as a kid. That would be my dream job! I have my own toolbox with all the nice stuff in it…”
CLASS STRUCTURE SP3-SP8: Purpose-built race cars, divided by CC of the engine. Turbo engines have ‘T’ added to their classification. SP9: Only GT3 cars - where the BMW Z4 GT3 cars are entered. SP10: Only GT4 cars. SPX + SP Pro: Purpose-built race cars, similar to GT3 or GTE but without homoglation. V2-V6: V2-V6: Road legal cars, modified with safety equipment and slick tyres. Only modifications available from the OEM are allowed. Turbo engines have ‘T’ added to their classification.
Timetable Thursday May 14 15:45-17:45 Free Practice 19:25 -23:25 First Qualifying Friday May 15 09:30-11:30 Second Qualifying 17:10-17:50 Top-30 Qualifying Saturday May 16 13:45 Starting Grid 15:40 Formation Lap 16:00 Race Start Sunday May 17 16:00 Race Finish
16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00
One lap around the Nordschleife is hard. Now do it for 24 Hours.
@marcvdsracing fb.com/marcvdsgt marcvds.com