Who needs brakes on a race track ? Definitely not the #157 car…
After a well deserved summer break, and an even more deserved brake service (which happened to take place in the wilderness of Nurburgring 24h camping site), our drivers and the precious E46 316i came back to the Nurburgring for another regularity challenge on the combined VLN layout.
Confidence was high, both for technical and document checks (where H2R team’s administrative readiness was celebrated by the organisers) and for the event itself.
Car #157 was not only given a premium brake change, it also received intimate scrubbing ahead of the event to shine in its brightest colors.
After receiving the honorary “Technik” sticker for the 4th consecutive time, it was time to hit the road under perfect sunny conditions.
Accuracy in the regularity of confirmation laps was dramatically improved with the help of a more precise GPS/time delta application, but also with the help of hours of simulator training (half of which were spent reversing to the start point in order to practice the ultimate kilometer from the waiting spot on Döttinger Höhe until the finish line).
As per tradition, driver #1 took the start and drove to perfection while navigating through traffic, using his experience of Dutch highways to overtake Rookie drivers as if they were caravans on their way to the South of France…
What followed was an exemplary drive and regularity, despite the GPS device sometimes misbehaving as the car approached the finish line. Driver #1 set a lap time of 15:17.220 which was confirmed with gaps of 0.2, 0.7 and 0.9 seconds in the next laps, a performance worthy of the “Advanced” class!
<insert smug face here>
After a quick glance at the fuel gauge our drivers decided not to add any fuel in the pits, once again proving the ecological prowess of the 316i having barely used half its fuel despite being pushed to the limit for 6 consecutive 25km laps.
As driver #2 took the wheel most participants were stuck at the fuel pump, allowing for an out lap with barely any other car in sight.
Internal competition between the drivers of the #157 car meant driver #2 was yet again under pressure to keep his seat for the following season, and after setting a 15:10.360 lap time, driver #2 confirmed it with a 0.1s gap
<insert even more smug face here>
Yet driver #2 still had 2 confirmation laps to deliver, and although investigations did not uncover any evidence of tampering from driver #1, problems started… Some say the mighty 316i decided that a bit of extra challenge was required.
Upon arrival in the waiting zone ahead of the 2nd confirmation lap, drivers heard a slightly unusual noise, similar to the delicate roar of Godzilla. This later turned out to come from the rear brakes, or what was left of them despite being brand new at the start of the event.
This meant that driver #2 had to carry on, hoping that track marshals would not wave the meatball flag of death, all of this while avoiding to hit the brakes as much as possible.
… There is no feeling like driving over Schwedenkreuz at 160km/h, and hoping the car will slow down in the next corner 150m further!
This slight hiccup seemed to have taken a toll on driver #2’s concentration as he obliterated any chances at a top 5 in class with gaps of 1.1 and 1.2 seconds on his next confirmation laps
<insert sad face here>
Nevertheless car #157 ended up 9th in class out of 49 participants, and while a 7th place was initially announced in preliminary results, a decision from the organisation committee to dismiss the 45mns pitstop-time rule meant that 2 teams that were initially disqualified pushed H2R down to 9th.
A net improvement on past results in spite of everything, and a bright smile on both driver’s faces as they collected their trophy.
On to the next event with even better preparation, and a sophisticated NASA GPS tracker to reach top 5 in class!
H2R is grateful to all its sponsors and the people that support the team throughout this journey