Race report
24h race report
weather conditions: rain and cold in the middle of june.
1th practice: (Friday 10-12 am)
JGTC NSX do 8 laps and finished at 1th position in class A6 and 14th overall position with 8.54 min.
No problems with the car.
The fans called that car: White Saur
NSX-R do 8 laps and finished at 9 th position and 46th overall position with 9.39 min
Also no problems.
2th practice: (night practice)
JGTC NSX stopped at the end of the pits before doing his first lap.
BBS delivered some incorrect wheels for the rear axle. The center race wheels are fixed as standard with 6 pins at the inside.
These wheels only have had 3 pins and the wheels sheard off the hubs. No transmission. Bummer.
After that repair (2.5 hours) the car do another 5 laps without problems. No time upgrade.
I meet an engineer from Hewland (gearbox) after that practice and he told me, that Hewland have no records of durability for more than 6 hours of racing. That’s the maximum time, that gearbox ever did.
After night practice the GS team worked until 3.50 am at both cars, before we all go to bed for 2 hours to have enough sleep for the 24h race.
NSX-R do only 1 lap. No problems, but also no time upgrade.
Lot of crashes at the track with yellow flags dont allowed a time upgrade.
Race: (Saturday)
That day started with a tragedy. Mr Toda from Toda racing helped to push the cars from the tent into the pits. During that, another car with a lady at the steering wheel tried to drive backwards and overruned Mr. Todas legs.
The helicopter transported Mr Toda to the hospital. Result: 2 broken legs.
The JGTC NSX started with slick tires, a wrong decision, because during the formation lap it started to rain.
The car came in after 1 lap and changed to rain tires. After 2 more laps, the track began to get try again and needed another change for slicks. After 1 more lap it starts to rain again.......and so on....
The car finished the race after 7h 20 min with a broken gearbox differential. (A new record for Hewland)
The team will need 2 days for that repair, a revision will cost 45.000 gbp/ 81.000 USD at Hewland.
Actual position before the give up was 10th place overall.
One of the drivers (Robert Lechner) told me that it was awesome to drive that car. In the rain, he could overtook 2 DTM cars during braking and he could stay in front of them. (The NSX dont have ABS !)
After the race I could speak with the german Honda R&D manager.
It seems that we will see 2 JGTC NSX’s into next year.(and a better gearbox)
NSX-R raced without problems during 19 hours and was placed at 14 th overall position before the accident.
The NSX-R tried to overtook a slower car (Audi A3) at Wippermann/Eschbach, both cars touched and the NSX-R crashed into the crash barriers.
Back into the pits the team tried to repair. But all suspension parts were crooked, the left door completly damaged and the front side was pushed in and from the front fender there was only some small fragments.
The team decided not to repair the car.
I dont believe that this car will start again next year.
My advice
Next year, Honda dont should take box No 13.
All cars, 2 x Porsche, 1x BMW, 4 Hondas = 2x NSX, 1x S2000 and 1x Civic dont finished that race.
The japanese guys departing germany with their lesson that the Nürburgring isnt Suzuka.
More news soon.
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