Events Coverage
2009 24 Hours of Nürburgring: Audi Perspective, Factory and Privateer
By by: George Achorn, photos by Audi Sport and ADAC 24 Hours of Nürburgring
May 25, 2009, 18:49

With major placement in the Gran Turismo video game series and manufacturers lining up to test production mules or set production records here on any normal day, the 14+ mile-long Nurburgring may be one of the best-known tracks in the world. As the backdrop for a 24-hour endurance race though, “The Green Hell” doesn’t quite get the notoriety of its counterpart held next month in Le Mans. Maybe it should though, since the course is nearly four times as long and boasts a starting grid of 180 vehicles. If you think the ACO’s four-class system is good for creating on-track traffic, the Ring’s 20-some classes makes you wonder why track designers haven’t yet considered HOV lanes.

Factory DTM teams like Abt Sportsline are returning veterans and countless numbers of privateers fielding four-ring entries have competed here for years, but the 24 Hours of Nurburgring held an extra level of prominence for Audi this year. That's because of a bit of history involved.


The fabled Auto Union ‘Silver Arrows’ raced here from 1934-1939 – not in a 24-Hour enduro, but in the German Grand Prix and the Eifel Grand Prix of their era. This history is most significant, especially when you consider that it was 75 years ago this year that Hans Stuck scored Auto Union’s first major track victory at the Nurburgring during the German Grand Prix in an Auto Union Type A.

This year, his son Hans-Joachim Stuck (age 58) contested the event at the wheel of the #98 Team Phoenix Audi R8 LMS, while the Auto Union star's grandson Johannes also participated in the #26 BMW Alpina B6 GT3.


Other notable drivers also took part in the race. Signed as drivers for Audi Sport for the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, Porsche factory drivers Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas made up two of the three-man team that took first place this year in a Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3. Aston Martin chairman Dr. Ulrich Bez also returned to the race, trading his executive hat for a racing helmet as he helped pilot a #8 Aston Martin V12 Vantage to class factory.

Organizers of the race also boasted direct or indirect factory participation in the double digits for 2009. In addition to Audi and their R8 LMS program fielded by DTM regulars Abt Sportsline (#97 and #100) and Team Phoenix (#98 and #99), other manufacturers included Porsche, Alpina-BMW, Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Nissan Germany, Lexus (with two preproduction LF-A supercars,) Subaru Great Britain, Honda and Volkswagen.


Not surprisingly, there are many different supporting events held on race weekend – from vintage competitions to showcases of speed. One staple, the Adenauer Racing Day held on Thursday, offered the Audi squads an opportunity to show off their new racecars and blow off a little steam… or tire smoke.

As with the historic start and finish times at Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Nurburgring began at 4 PM on Saturday with 180 vehicles racing across the starting line and ended at 4 PM on Sunday. During that time, a crowd numbering 200,000 strong watched, camped, partied and more in the spectator areas and woods around the legendary German circuit.


In addition to the four factory Audi R8s in the SP 9 (GT3) Class, there was no shortage of privateer teams contesting the event in other Audi models. Most of the private Audis ran in the SP 3T Class for turbocharged cars under two liters and each was either an A3 or some form of TT. A B7 A4 3.0 TDI entered the burgeoning D 3T Class for diesels under three liters, while an RS 4 and even a D1 Audi V8 (each with a 4.2-liter V8 engine) contested SP 8 Class for cars ranging four liters to 6.2 liters.

TEAMS FIELDING AUDIS, SORTED BY CLASS:

Class Summary To be eligible for SP 9 (FIA GT3), cars must have gone through FIA Balance of Performance of the current year and be homologated in group GT3. Vehicles Competing in Class Audi R8 LMS, BMW Alpina B6 GT3, Dodge Viper GT3, Ford GT, Porsche 911 (997) GT3 Class Race Summary In its first year with the V10-powered R8 LMS, Audi Sport admits they didn’t expect to win against much more experienced competition like Porsche. When the #97 Abt Sportsline R8 LMS driven by Abt, Hemroulle, Kaffer and Luhr took second place outright and first place in its class, the Ingolstadt contingent was most decidedly pleased. Podium finishes aside, bragging rights should also go to the #99 Team Phoenix car of Basseng, Rockenfeller and Stippler. It led the race for almost 17 hours before experiencing technical problems at the Karussell sector at 11:21 AM – problems that eventually left them in 5th position overall. The going was harder for the #98 of Biela, Fassler, Pirro and Stuck. The mostly veteran quartet was subject to a three minute stop-and-go penalty early in the race, a leaking power steering cooler during the night and a gearbox change with four hours left. These setbacks relegated the team to 12th overall. The most afflicted of the factory Audis must certainly have been the #100 R8 LMS of Scheider, Ekstrom and Werner. A hit to the rear early on in the race was likely to blame for several mechanical problems for the car. Through the 24 hours, the R8’s engine died twice while the team fell to 166th place. Admirably, they returned to the track, fighting back tooth and nail to reclaim a position of 23rd overall and effectively locking BMW out of the top class rankings. Audi and Porsche comprised the first 14 positions in the SP9 GT3 class. The most dominant Alpina BMW B6 GT3 finished 15th. #97 Abt Sportsline Audi R8 LMS Engine: 10 cyl. / 5.200 ccm Weight: k.A. Drivers Abt, Christian Hemroulle, Jean Francois Kaffer, Pierre Luhr, Lucas Results Overall Position: 2 Class Position: 1 Laps Completed: 154 #100 Abt Sportsline Audi R8 LMS Engine: 10 cyl. / 5.200 ccm Weight: k.A. Drivers Scheider, Timo Werner, Marco Ekström, Matthias Results Overall Position: 23 Class Position: 13 Laps Completed: 137 #98 Team Phoenix Audi R8 LMS Engine: 10 cyl. / 5.200 ccm Weight: k.A. Drivers Stuck, Hans-Joachim Biela, Frank Pirro, Emanuele Fässler, Marcel Results Overall Position: 12 Class Position: 7 Laps Completed: 144 #99 Team Phoenix Audi R8 LMS Engine: 10 cyl. / 5.200 ccm Weight: k.A. Drivers Basseng, Marc Rockenfeller, Mike Stippler, Frank Results Overall Position: 5 Class Position: 4 Laps Completed: 149 Class Summary: To be eligible for SP 8 4000-6200, cars must have a normally-aspirated engine with displacement between 4,000 and 6,200 cc. Vehicles Competing in Class: Audi V8 D1, Audi RS 4, Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24, Aston Martin V12 Vantage, BMW E46, Chevrolet Corvette C6 SP, Holden Commodore, Lexus LF-A, Lexus IS-F Class Race Summary: SP 8 was a small class, with only eight vehicles on the grid. The class was won by Aston Martin’s Chairman Ulrich Bez and his teammates in the #7 Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Impressively, the #11 KTN Audi RS 4 nabbed second, ahead of a Lexus IS-F (finished 3rd in class) and a factory-backed Lexus LF-A coupe (finished 4th in class). The aim of the Erichs Rennwagen squad was simply ‘to finish’. By running a D1-generation Audi V8 sedan, you have to give the crew credit for simply starting on the grid amongst such stiff competition. However, the team gets even more bragging rights for finishing as it intended, fifth in class and 110th overall. DNF’s (did not finish) included one of the Lexus LF-As, a Chevrolet Corvette C6 and a Holden Commodore. #45 Derichs Rennwagen e.V. Audi V8 D1 Engine: 8 cyl. / 4.200 ccm Weight: 1380 kg Drivers Ahlers, Keith Bock, Christian Derichs, Erwin Results Overall Position: 95 Class Position: 5 Laps Completed: 110 #11 KTN Audi RS 4 Engine: 8 cyl. / 4.200 ccm Weight: k.A. Drivers Booth, Andy Martin, Timothy Owers, Stuart Scott, Lewis Results Overall Position: 80 Class Position: 2 Laps Completed: 118 Class Details: To be eligible for SP 3T 1750-2000, cars must have a turbocharged engine with displacement between 1,750 and 2,000 cc. Vehicles Competing in Class: Audi TTS, Audi TT Mk 1, Audi TT Mk 2, Audi A3, MINI Cooper, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, SEAT Leon, Subaru Impreza STi, Volkswagen Scirocco GT24 Class Race Summary: With any number of factory-backed or factory-associated programs in the SP 3T class, favorite-to-win status went to marques like Subaru or Volkswagen. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that VW Sciroccos were two out of the top three finishers in 3T. More surprising is the second place finish in-class for the #107 Raeder Automotive GmbH Audi A3. Beating out stiff factory competition from VW and Subaru Great Britain wasn’t its only bragging right either. This dominant little Audi also finished 19th overall, beating cars like the Dr. Ulrich Bez’ class-winning Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Aston Martin N24s, Porsche 911 GT3s Cup cars, an Alpina BMW B6 GT3, the only remaining Lexus LF-A and even the trailing #100 Audi R8 LMS. Perhaps it was the Audi A3’s day too, because the other #83 Konig Komfort A3 also placed well at sixth in class and 46th overall. The day was not as bright for those fielding an Audi TT. Variations of the car ranged widely – a first-generation run by Pro Sport Racing, two second-generation TT entries from ROWE Motorsport and Team Haakon Schjaerin, as well as a TTS campaigned by Team ADAC Norbaden. Unfortunately, none of the four TTs entering the race were able to complete the 24 hours. #84 ADAC Norbaden Audi TTS Engine: 4 cyl. / 1.984 ccm Weight: 1200 kg Drivers Brandl, Rudolf Kratz, Torsten Molnar, Bela Ihle, Wolf-Dieter Results Overall Position: DNF Class Position: DNF Laps Completed: N/A #88 Haakon Schjaerin Audi TT 2.0T Engine: 4 cyl. / 1.984 ccm Weight: 1101 kg Drivers Schjaerin, Haakon Gulbrandsen, Atle Oberndorfer, Pete Results Overall Position: DNF Class Position: DNF Laps Completed: N/A #83 König Komfort- u. Rennsitze GmbH Audi A3 1.8T Engine: 4 cyl. / 1.764 ccm Weight: 1140 kg Drivers Waschkau, Roland Speich, Rudi Hormes, Klaus Results Overall Position: 46 Class Position: 6 Laps Completed: 129 #90 Pro Sport Racing Audi TT 1.8T Engine: 4 cyl. / 1.798 ccm Weight: 1050 kg Drivers Koll, Thomas Bölck, Bora Michels, Stefan Jäger, Mike Results Overall Position: DNF Class Position: DNF Laps Completed: N/A #107 Raeder Automotive GmbH Audi A3 2.0T Engine: 4 cyl. / 1.984 ccm Weight: 1100 kg Drivers Deegener, Elmar Wohlfahrt, Jürgen Breuer, Christoph Gass, Hans Martin Results Overall Position: 19 Class Position: 2 Laps Completed: 139 #85 ROWE Motorsport Audi TT 2.0T Engine: 4 cyl. / 1.984 ccm Weight: 1100 kg Drivers Rohr, Franz-Xaver Zehe, Michael Results Overall Position: DNF Class Position: DNF Laps Completed: N/A Class Details: To be eligible for D 3T 3500-3000, cars must have a turbocharged diesel engine with displacement between 2,500 and 3,000 cc. Vehicles Competing in Class: Audi A4 3.0 TDI, BMW 335d GTR, BMW 330D, BMW 135d Coupe Class Race Summary: By simply finishing the grueling 24-hour enduro at the Nurburgring, chances were strong that any car in the D3T class would get a podium finish. Only five cars were on the grid at the start of the race, though even more impressive was that only one car retired before race’s end. A B7 A4 3.0 TDI was the only Audi in a class field of BMWs. The RWTH Aachen University A4 finished admirably, taking 3rd place in-class behind a BMW 330d and 335d GTR, respectively. Nearly 20 laps separated the Audi from the two BMWs fighting for first and second, though the A4 beat the remaining D3T entry (the sole BMW 135d) by nearly 15 laps. Had there been more rain and the A4 had a chance to make use of its quattro drivetrain, the Aachen squad may have finished higher on the podium. #146 RWTH Aachen University Audi A4 3.0 TDI quattro Engine: 6 cyl. / 2.967 ccm Weight: 1580 kg Drivers Hanisch, Thomas Gies, Stefan Leinfelder, Klaus Keutmann, Hanl Results Overall Position: 96 Class Position: Laps Completed: 109

QUOTES:

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport) "For the Audi R8 LMS, this race was a final test under extreme conditions on the world’s longest race track. We were able to show that our new GT3 sports car is absolutely competitive for customer sport. And the number 97 Audi R8 LMS ran without the slightest problems despite the incredibly high speed. We’re going to analyze the problems that occurred on the other three vehicles and feed the findings into the final version of the R8 LMS to be delivered to customers starting this fall. We know that we’ve got a very good base.” Christian Abt (Audi R8 LMS #97/Team ABT Sportsline) "I’m very proud because I’ve been involved in the GT3 vehicle development from the outset. Being one of the drivers standing on the podium at the 24-hour race is really special. I’m totally happy. We’ve said from the beginning that we’d opt for a strategy. That’s exactly what we did and always remained within a striking distance nevertheless. We’re totally happy with second place.” Jean-François Hemroulle (Audi R8 LMS #97/Team ABT Sportsline) "We maintained a constant pace throughout the race. I think that was the right decision. The car was always in perfect condition. Clinching podium here at the first run of the R8 LMS is a perfect start for Audi.” Pierre Kaffer (Audi R8 LMS #97/Team ABT Sportsline) "We’re very happy. Audi created a very good base for the R8. The ABT Sportsline team converted it into action in a superb way. I can only thank Audi and ABT for letting me take part in this project at this fantastic race. It was a tremendous experience driving the same car with such great teammates. The entire crew did a great job. I thank everyone very much for this.” Lucas Luhr (Audi R8 LMS #97/Team ABT Sportsline) "I’m overwhelmed, totally happy and really have goose bumps. This is really a great result for us. It’s too bad that the other cars had problems. I think that second place is a great achievement by Audi, the ABT team and my driver colleagues. It’s really wonderful being a part of this squad. Now, I’m looking forward to the next 24-hour race with Audi at Le Mans.” Marc Basseng (Audi R8 LMS #99/Phoenix Racing) "Today we showed that Audi is a serious contender on the Nordschleife. I’m pleased that I had the chance to contribute my endurance experience from the Nürburgring. The way I was welcomed to this family was sensational. I’m happy for ABT to have clinched podium. Of course there’s also a feeling of disappointment because our car was so powerful in the end that we’d definitely have had our say in the fight for victory as well.” Mike Rockenfeller (Audi R8 LMS #99/Phoenix Racing) "We had a great weekend. Qualifying was already very good and the race was great as well. We were able to keep the pace of the front runners at all times and also led the race for many hours. Unfortunately, we then had a problem with the drive shaft and only finished fifth. That’s too bad because I think we were the fastest Audi in the race. For me, this was my debut on the Phoenix team and it was a lot of fun. My thanks go to the whole squad.” Frank Stippler (Audi R8 LMS #99/Phoenix Racing) "I think we did a decent job. Due to poor weather conditions the car did not have the chance to run as much on the Nordschleife before the race as we’d wanted it to so the race turned into a real test. Considering this, we delivered a good showing and led the field for a long time. In second place, the Abt car is close to the optimum. We know what we need to do to improve for next year. The race was planned as a test and on the whole we can be happy with the way things went.” Frank Biela (Audi R8 LMS #98/Phoenix Racing) "The result is completely okay. I think we can be very happy with our performance. The number 99 car was able to keep the pace for a long time and even set it as the leading vehicle. That was very important for us. Alright, so we had a couple of problems with our new cars, but let’s face it, it’s a 24-hour race. We all know how hard the Nordschleife is on the cars. Second place at such a race is a fantastic achievement. That’s something you can definitely build on.” Marcel Fässler (Audi R8 LMS #98/Phoenix Racing) "Unfortunately, we had a stop-and-go penalty early on that set us back. During the night we had a cooling problem and then we had to change the transmission as well. That was probably not the best situation. But the base exists in any event. Audi’s got a very good and very fast car. I hope they’ll be here again next year.” Emanuele Pirro (Audi R8 LMS #98/Phoenix Racing) "This was a very nice weekend for me. I returned to the Nordschleife after 18 years. It was a lot of fun. I had to learn the track again from scratch. But during the race I felt very comfortable in this car. The positive aspect of the race is that the car proved its speed and competitiveness from the get-go. Of course a few minor problems still need to be resolved but for us it was a development race. We’ve always said that. We’re taking a task list with us from this race and loads of information. In the end, all four cars finished. On the whole, we can be happy.” Hans-Joachim Stuck (Audi R8 LMS #98/Phoenix Racing) "Audi deserves a compliment for a car that made it possible to fight for overall victory right from the start. That this didn’t work out completely is nothing to be ashamed of. Coming to the ‘Green Hell’ – which everyone knows is the toughest test for a new car - with a new car and finishing as the runner-up almost equates to victory. The important thing was the experiences we gained, which Audi Sport can now feed into the customer cars. The whole project was a customer sport run in keeping with the motto ‘100 years of Audi – Vorsprung durch Technik.’" Mattias Ekström (Audi R8 LMS #100/Team ABT Sportsline) "Driving the R8 on this track is fantastic. Of course there are always a few minor things that can be improved but, basically, the R8 already represents ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in an impressive way. Of course I had different expectations of the race than getting stranded right on the first lap. More importantly, though, I’m happy about the podium result of our "sister car” because I know exactly how much work and passion has been invested in this project.” Timo Scheider (Audi R8 LMS #100/Team ABT Sportsline) "We saw that it’s possible to clinch a podium place with the Audi R8 LMS right away. At such a high racing speed, this is a sensational result for us. I want to thank Audi for enabling us to fight for podium as early as at this debut race because that was not to be expected. I’m overjoyed that our "sister car” made it on the podium as the runner-up. We’re going to analyze the information and data so that next year we’ll come back even stronger.” Marco Werner (Audi R8 LMS #100/Team ABT Sportsline) "We were incredibly happy to come back to the Nordschleife. Driving here is fun, especially if you’ve got a car like the R8 LMS. It showed its potential. Unfortunately, we had a little too much bad luck. But you also need to be honest about it: the car has never run across such a distance in one go. As is often the case with Audi, it was probably a very good test run.” Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Team ABT Sportsline) "I think this is a sensational result for Audi as well as for us. We knew that we’d be competing with very tough rivals. For 24 hours, it was an incredibly close race. Achieving such a result with the R8, the new vehicle, on the Nordschleife at the world’s toughest race as it’s called, is a feat on which you can only congratulate everyone who was involved in developing this car.” Ernst Moser (Teamchef Phoenix Racing) "We didn’t dominate the race but experienced a duel. But most of the time we were in front. It was tremendously exciting and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the ‘defect devil’ struck once. But now that’s water down the river. We need to learn from our mistakes and then we’ll be at the very top. The car can do it, the team can do it, and the brand can do it. So we’ll be able to do it too.” Timo Bernhard (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #1/ Manthey Racing GmbH) “It really was a 24 hour sprint race, because there were many cars at the same level. Initially, every one of us had to push until the final lap. Only when the Audi had trouble, we could back off a little bit. I particularly liked the fact that there were nice wheel-to-wheel battles this time. Thanks to Olaf for the great car. I know that this victory is something very special for him, because he loves this race.” Romain Dumas (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #1/ Manthey Racing GmbH) “For me, it was a great weekend, especially because I received a special award as well. In Germany, the Nürburgring 24 Hours have the same standing as the Le Mans 24 Hours in France. Therefore, I am very happy that the organisers of these two big races are now working together and that spectators can buy a combined ticket for both events.”

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