As the light fades and the rain starts falling, chaos indeed reigns on-track. That doesn’t seem to dent the enthusiasm of these diehard fans though, who continue to line the fences cheering on the teams battling into the night. Much as I would have enjoyed being swept up in this euphoria, I decided instead to head to back to pitroad, partly to escape the rain and partly to watch the frantic pitstops and driver changes as the cars came in for wets.
The look in the drivers eyes as they await their teammates is remarkably evocative, even for me: you can see the concentration in their eyes, and it’s a a universal sign to leave them alone. It doesn’t disappear even when the car screeches to a halt in front of the garage and mechanics and pitcrews descend en-masse. It’s all in vein though, since the rain is bucketing down and the track is becoming undriveable. Soon the fog rolls in, and with visibility at zero, the organisers have no choice but to fly the red flags.
There’s a flurry of activity as drivers and cars return to pitroad, but as the hours tick by, there’s soon nothing to do but wait for the restart and get any rest possible. It is in the pits where you get to see the joy of endurance racing. Everyone works together, sharing stories and tips while drinking stewed coffee and Red Bull to help them stay awake, and keep them focused on the job ahead. Eventually the race gets underway again and it’s time to get back to work.
Its an artist transformation seeing an endurance car change through a 24 hour race. Starting off clean and ending up looking like its been pulled out of a dirty lake. It tells a story: a story of endurance, speed and teamwork
I have been fortunate in my life to experience racing all around the world, but there is nothing I’ve ever experienced quite like the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
It is a total sensory overload. You come home tired and usually soaked to the bone, but every minute you are there and every minute after you leave, you can’t help but think what it must be like to pilot one of these stunning GT machines around this incredible track for 24 hours. It makes you want more in a place that is all about more. It’s this sort of energy that keeps fans and myself going back year after year.
Well, that and what beverages they could potentially find buried in the ground.
– FULL GALLERY OF SHOTS AVAILABLE HERE – CLICK – Shots courtesy of Jonathan Sczczupak.
