Nürburgring 24hr Online Event Review
April 9, 2012 in Event Organisation
Despite being its debut year, the Wurks.ca Nürburgring 24hr Online Race turned out to be a successfull venue. With 14 teams signed up and many fans watching, the ball was rolling… and it seems to be accelerating.
Febuary 25th 2012. 8 teams enter the wurks.ca lounge for the much anticipated event, and some more prepared than others. Where are the 6 other teams? Who knows. What matters are the teams in it for the full event; the teams that have realized from the start, that there is no such thing as showing up overprepared.
After a quick qualifying session, they get into formation. The feeling of being in formation, and waiting for the start of a collosal 24hrs of racing is almost disturbing. You know your biggest enemy is yourself, in that your constance will make or break your performance.
Suddenly everyone has the pedal down and are carefully passing each other in hopes for a clear track ahead.
At the end of lap 1, drivers are only scratching the surface.
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 1 standings
Position Team Gap
1 Team RE +00:00:00.0
2 Green Hell Heathens +00:00:07.1
3 Shifted Racing Online +00:00:18.2
4 Nitro Militia Motorsports +00:00:23.4
5 Team Enduro +00:00:23.5
6 Team FBI +00:00:24.3
7 Force GT Team +00:00:34.9
8 Ring Bandits +00:00:40.9
A team that has been scratching more than just the surface is Force GT Team. They’ve struggled through practice as well with this narrow German circuit. Unfourtunately, they abandon on lap 5 just in front of Team RE who had electrical failure.
While the Honda S2000 and the Mazda RX-7 got put back on the trailer, a fierce battle has been raging between the 6 teams left. The Green Hell Heathens, who have been breathing down Team RE’s neck before their abandonment, grab 1st place and now have to keep ahead of Ring Bandits and Team Enduro who are only roughly 30 seconds behind.
Yes, you heard right. The Ring Bandits have fought back. Thats as many positions as laps. Here are the standings after lap 5.
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 5 standings
Position Change Team Gap
1 -1 Green Hell Heathens +00:00:00.0
2 -2 Team Enduro +00:00:25.1
3 -5 Ring Bandits +00:00:34.0
4 +1 Shifted Racing Online +00:01:01.8
5 -- Nitro Militia Motorsports +00:01:28.5
6 -- Team FBI +00:03:02.3
7 -- Force GT Team DNF
8 +7 Team RE DNF
Right after these standings, at only 50 minutes into the race, the Green Hell Heathens literally hit a wall. They scramble back to pits, loosing nearly 2 minutes and fall back into 4th place. Repairs are carried out on the Subaru Cusco racecar and an extraordinary effort to straighten the bends is put forward. From lap 7 to lap 20, the Green Hell Heathens go on a frenzy. On lap 11, they squeeze by Team Enduro and on the next lap they blow by Shifted Racing Online to claim back 2nd place. By lap 20, they have tightened the gap by another 4.7 seconds and sit in 2nd place.
In the meantime, the pitting of Shifted Racing Online warrants them loosing a position to Team Enduro. As for Nitro Militia Motorsports, they have a very hard time completing lap 14 and are lapped by Ring Bandits. These Bandits grin through their bandana once more as they lap their 2nd victims, Team FBI, two laps later on lap 16.
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 20 standings
Position Change Team Gap
1 -2 Ring Bandits +00:00:00.0
2 +1 Green Hell Heathens +00:01:30.2
3 +1 Team Enduro +00:04:09.4
4 -- Shifted Racing Online +00:09:12.9
5 -1 Team FBI +00:11:35.7
6 +1 Nitro Militia Motorsports +00:17:24.1
7 -- Force GT Team DNF
8 -- Team RE DNF
The Battle for 4th place
More action on Nitro Militia Motorsports 21st lap. They put down a pretty bad lap time of 13:01.5 minutes. As if it were choreographed, Shifted Racing Online pull a 13:03.5 on their 21st lap as well. This leaves the door open for Team FBI to pass Shifted Racing Online, taking 4th place.
From laps 21 to 41 Team FBI light it up to distance Shifted Racing Online by a good 8 minute margin.
Meanwhile, lap 26 sees Ring Bandits lap Nitro Militia Motorsports for the 3rd time.
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 35 standings
Position Change Team Gap
1 -- Ring Bandits +00:00:00.0
2 -- Green Hell Heathens +00:05:18.3
3 -- Team Enduro +00:10:59.6
4 -1 Team FBI +00:18:36.8
5 +1 Shifted Racing Online +00:26:24.5
6 -- Nitro Militia Motorsports +00:43:59.6
7 -- Force GT Team DNF
8 -- Team RE DNF
With 44 minutes behind pole, in 6th place, on their 36th lap, with 24% of the race complete, Nitro Militia Motorsports throw in the rag. Shame…
Back to 4th place: Shifted Racing Online decide to place their quickest driver back on the battlefield, under the Nürburg Castle. It pays off as they close the gap on Team FBI by 4:24.2 minutes, from laps 44 to 54.
Things get tricky on lap 55 as many cars meet up behind Team FBI. After multiple Blue Flags without letting by the faster cars and several manger-to-manager requests to pass, a 3 minute penalty is called by Race Control and Team FBI perform the Stop-and-Go penalty in an exemplary fashion. This stop obviously cost them time and see their gap melt away to only 27 seconds ahead of Shifted Racing Online.
On the next lap (56), Team FBI (on their 53rd lap) forfeit the race and concede their 4th place to Shifted Racing Online. In the meantime, with a little over 1/3 of the race complete Ring Bandits manage to lap Green Hell Heathens on the 56th lap. That’s an average of 10 seconds per lap faster than Green Hell Heathens.
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 57 standings - 4 Teams Left
Position Change Team Gap
1 -- Ring Bandits +00:00:00.0
2 -- Green Hell Heathens +00:09:31.7
3 -- Team Enduro +00:18:25.8
4 -1 Shifted Racing Online +00:34:18.5
5 +1 Team FBI DNF
6 -- Nitro Militia Motorsports DNF
7 -- Force GT Team DNF
8 -- Team RE DNF
Battle for 2nd place – Green Hell Heathens Vs. Team Enduro
We’ve already covered some of the laps below, but let’s look at them from another angle: the battle for 2nd place.
It’s lap 10 and everyone is alert. Team Enduro (2nd) are only 4.7 seconds ahead of Green Hell Heathens (4th) after just over 1.5 hours of racing. The battle is tight. And incase you haven’t noticed, Shifted Racing Online is somewhere in between in 3rd. The pressure is on.
Team Enduro let it slip on the next lap (11) and run off the track. Shifted Racing Online pass (now 2nd) and so do Green Hell Heathens (now 3rd). Team Enduro are now 4 seconds behind in 4th. Enough action? Not nearly.
The doomed 2nd place strickes again on lap 12 when Shifted Racing Online leaves the grey stuff as well to fall back in 4th behind Green Hell Heathens (2nd) and Team Enduro (3rd). The next 10 laps (13-23) are spent widening the gap between 2nd and 3rd. Green Hell Heathens work it out until 3:06.4 minutes separate them from Team Enduro. Is it lost? Definitely not. From laps 24-30, Team Enduro close the gap by 2.7 seconds. What constance from both teams!!
Green Hell Heathens have it under control. From laps 31-63, they keep the pressure on with a constant gap increase. Unfourtunately Team Enduro mess up the greenery on lap 60 allowing a gap increase up to 11:46.6 minutes by lap 63. Team Enduro have been lapped by Green Hell Heathens. Do they call it quits? Never.
In only 14 laps (64-78), Team Enduro reduce the gap once again by almost half, resulting in a total gap of 6:26.6 minutes. They are now back on the same lap. It seems as though Green Hell Heathens used their slowest driver when Team Enduro’s fastest driver was in place, and vice versa.
There seems to be a problem for Team Enduro on lap 81 as their lap is locked in at 10:36.4 minutes. Time lost to Green Hell Heathens? 1:37.9 minutes.
The sun begins to rise on the famous circuit. Although it is a source of hope and encouragement, it’s a mess of mixed feelings as teams are feeling the weight of what a 24hr race is all about.
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 81 standings
Position Change Team Gap
1 -- Ring Bandits +00:00:00.0
2 -- Green Hell Heathens +00:18:00.1
3 -- Team Enduro +00:26:23.5
4 -- Shifted Racing Online +00:45:26.3
5 -- Team FBI DNF
6 -- Nitro Militia Motorsports DNF
7 -- Force GT Team DNF
8 -- Team RE DNF
As the track begins to warm, Green Hell Heathens continue distancing Team Enduro. By lap 103, they sit ahead by 10:34.8 minutes.
On lap 104, the Yellow Flag is waived because Team Enduro have electrical trouble (1st disconnection). By the time the Green Flag is waived, Team Enduro have fixed the problem and are able to rejoin. They are then able to buy back over 20 seconds to Green Hell Heathens over 4 laps.
Team Enduro’s fast pace is quickly thrown away, with a big crash on lap 112 causing them to loose over 3 minutes to Green Hell Heathens.
And on lap 113, Team Enduro are plagued with electrical problems that will cause their crew to work frantically for just around a hour. Sadly they wind up in 4th place.
From here on in, everybody keeps their pace in check to conserve their positions and bring it home.
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 115 standings
Position Change Team Gap
1 -- Ring Bandits +00:00:00.0
2 -- Green Hell Heathens +00:26:31.2
3 -1 Shifted Racing Online +01:06:01.9
4 +1 Team Enduro +01:39:41.8
5 -- Team FBI DNF
6 -- Nitro Militia Motorsports DNF
7 -- Force GT Team DNF
8 -- Team RE DNF
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 130 standings
Position Change Team Gap
1 -- Ring Bandits +00:00:00.0
2 -- Green Hell Heathens +00:26:46.4
3 -- Shifted Racing Online +01:12:39.9
4 -- Team Enduro +01:41:22.6
5 -- Team FBI DNF
6 -- Nitro Militia Motorsports DNF
7 -- Force GT Team DNF
8 -- Team RE DNF
Nurburgring 24hr 2012 lap 151 Race Results
Position Team Laps Behind
1 Ring Bandits 0
2 Green Hell Heathens +3
3 Shifted Racing Online +8
4 Team Enduro +11
5 Team FBI +99
6 Nitro Militia Motorsports +116
7 Force GT Team +147
8 Team RE +147
