2011 Nürburgring 24 hour endurance race, 25-26 June

Nürburgring 24 hour race – Interim report after 6:30 hours

Best Porsche in second – problems for the 911 GT3 R Hybrid

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Manthey Racing continues to run amongst the leaders at the Nürburgring 24 hour race. After six hours, Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany), Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) togther with Lucas Luhr (Switzerland) hold second place. Prior to this they had taken over the lead after almost five hours and held on to it for four laps until their pit stop.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid also led at the long distance classic in the Eifel. After around four hours the innovative race car fielded by Porsche Team Manthey with Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria), Marco Holzer (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) took the lead for two laps before losing it after taking a planned pit stop. Possibly due to a nudge with a competitor, a broken flange on the differential forced the 911 GT3 R Hybrid into the pits. Through the repairs it lost six laps to the leader.

The engine was replaced on the Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Peter Dumbreck (Great Britain), Martin Ragginger (Austria) and Sebastian Asch (Germany). As planned, another Porsche 911 GT3 R which was run parallel to the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Manthey Racing was taken out of the race after a trouble free first two hours. Now the team can concentrate on running just one car.

Quotes from the drivers

Martin Ragginger (No. 44, Porsche 911 GT3 R, Falken Motorsports): 'We were doing really well and avoided taking any risks early on in the race. What a shame we've now lost so much time. But we'll keep going and let's see how many places we can make up."

Timo Bernhard (No. 18, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing):
'My stint went smoothly. There were many places that were yellow-flagged, particularly in the mid-section of the circuit and I had to drive slower so as not to incur a penalty."

Lucas Luhr (No. 18, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing):
'During the pit stop one of the Nürburgring's petrol pumps didn't work. The petrol simply didn't come out. So we had to push the car back to another pump and in doing so lost almost one minute."

24h-Rennen Nürburgring Startrunde im Pirelli-Porsche 911 GT3 Cup by Dà¶rr Motorsport

1st lap, note the Yellow - Green Manthey Porsche car that is passed a third of the way around the 1st lap and then the White Orange Hybrid Porsche are both on slicks tyres on a wet Nurburgring!

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR defends its lead during the night

The Porsche teams made it through the night without problems at the Nürburgring 24 hour race. Manthey Racing's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR took over the lead of the long distance classic in the Eifel on Saturday at 23.25 hours, further extended its advantage at the top, and after 15 hours and 96 laps sits 6:32.7 minutes ahead of its rivals. Sharing the cockpit of the front-runner are Marc Lieb (Germany), Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) together with Lucas Luhr (Switzerland).

After suffering a broken differential flange on Saturday night, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid lost over an hour with two pit stops, but is now reliably running without problems in its hunt for better positions. After the race car with its innovative drive concept fell back to 105th place, the Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria), Marco Holzer (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) ploughed through the field during the night to now sit 29th.

Running in eighth is the Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Haribo Team Manthey with drivers Richard Westbrook (Great Britain), Christian Menzel (Germany), Mike Stursberg (Germany) and Hans Guido Riegel (Germany). One other Porsche currently ranks in the top ten: The 911 GT3 R of the Wochenspiegel Team Manthey squad, with the all-German line-up of Georg Weiss, Oliver Kainz, Michael Jakobs and Jochen Krumbach, sits in tenth place.

Quotes from the drivers

Timo Bernhard (No. 18, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing): 'I drove a double stint, that's almost three hours at once. The car ran without any problems. It was huge fun extending our advantage. I hope that we can continue our good streak."

Richard Lietz (No. 9, Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey): 'We'll keep running as we are and see what happens. After our problems we've done well in getting ahead, but of course it always becomes more difficult to make up more positions."

into the next morning

Porsches in positions 1,8,9,10 after 136 laps / ~21hours
:thumbs:

Nürburgring 24 hour race – Interim report after 19:30 hours

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR runs and runs and runs

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with the starting number 18 is well prepared for the final spurt of an enthralling Nürburgring 24 hour race. With consistently quick lap times and thanks to the reliability of their 911, the Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany), Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) together with Lucas Luhr (Switzerland) have established a good position for the final phase of the long distance classic in the Eifel.

With four and a half hours to go to the flag, they sit at the lead with a 4:44.6-minute advantage. The fight at the top, however, remains tense: Trailing the front-runner are three vehicles from three different manufacturers all capable of winning.

The chase through the field of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid - which had to pit twice on Saturday evening with problems and lost over an hour - was interrupted shortly after ten o'clock due to an incident in the Flugplatz section. While attempting to lap a slower competitor, Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA), who shares driving duties in the innovative race car from Weissach with his factory pilot colleagues Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Marco Holzer (Germany), was nudged and spun at high speed.

In the pits no damages to the vehicle were identified and the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, which had moved up through the field to rank 23rd, rejoined the race in position 31.

Still amongst the top ten are the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Porsche customer teams Haribo Team Manthey (8th), Wochenspiegel Team Manthey (9th) and Frikaldelli Racing Team (10th).

Quotes from the drivers

Marc Lieb (No. 18, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing): 'Our RSR is running like the proverbial clockwork. It's got a little understeer under the current track conditions which in an endurance race doesn't make it easy driving at the limit."

Timo Bernhard (No. 18, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing): 'We knew even before the start that we could only run at the front if we all worked together as a team, from the drivers to the mechanics. By now, we've all managed this very well."

Patrick Long (No. 9, Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey): 'After the Flugplatz, I wanted to pass a slower competitor and had almost managed it when he pulled to the right and hit my left rear wheel. At this point of the track we drive in sixth gear – and my spin reflected this. Our goal is unchanged, we want to finish. And I'm sure we'll manage this."

______________________________________________________

Nürburgring 24 hour race – Interim report after 22:30 hours


Porsche 911 GT3 RSR ready for a gripping finale


Stuttgart. In just one and a half hours the Nürburgring 24 hour race will be decided. And Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany), Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) together with Lucas Luhr (Switzerland) still hold the best chances for claiming the prestigious victory. After 146 laps on the Eifel circuit, Manthey Racing's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is in the lead with a 4:37.5-minute advantage over their closest rivals. The signs at the Nordschleife point towards an exciting fight to the flag.

In the meantime, after Porsche works driver Patrick Long's hefty spin on Sunday morning, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid has gained some places to reach position 25. The American, who shares the cockpit of the innovative race car from Weissach with his works driver colleagues Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Marco Holzer (Germany), was nudged while trying to lap a slower competitor on Sunday morning and had to come in to the pits. No damages to the vehicle were found.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R of the Porsche customer teams Frikaldelli Racing (8th place) and Wochenspiegel Team Manthey (9th place) are still running in the top ten.

Quotes from the drivers

Romain Dumas (No. 18, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing): 'As the temperature rises our car's handling improves because the tyres can work better."

Marc Lieb (No. 18, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing): 'All we have to do is hold our course at the front. But it's not so easy keeping calm and maintaining the rhythm with such strong competition breathing down your neck."

Wolf Henzler (No. 4, Porsche 911 GT3 R, Falken Motorsports): 'At the back of the field we're matching the pace of the front-runners and that's somewhat frustrating. Still, the mood in the team with regards to our lap times is good. It gives us motivation and shows that our tyres are well suited. We definitely want to finish the race and gain as much experience as possible."

Start Build Up




Start by Clash Productions

3 way Battle for the first place - Nürburgring 24 Hours

Nurburgring by night

2011 Nurburgring 24 hour won by the #18 Car Manthey Porsche 911 RSR

:thumb:

Pos. Number. Drivers. Laps. Last Lap.
1 18 Lieb/Luhr/Bern/Duma 156 9:50.166
2 1 Mül/Farf/Alze/Lamy 156 9:24.921
3 14 Bass/Fà¤s/Picc/Stip 155 9:37.582
4 15 Stip/Henn/Haas/Wink 154 9:40.398
5 16 Ekst/Sche/Wern/Abt 154 10:37.689
6 22 Heye/Jà¤g/Blee/Seyf 153 9:03.563
7 32 Arno/Marg/Brü/Fran 152 10:34.391
8 2 Farn/Simo/Seef/Melo 152 9:43.708
9 26 Abbe/Schm/Kent/Berg 151 9:15.645
10 12 Weis/Kain/Jaco/Krum 151 10:44.891
11 21 Meht/Bres/Bres/Rà¶s 150 9:33.726
12 17 Ludw/Mies/Jà¶n/Abt 149 11:29.063
13 8 West/Menz/Stur/Rieg 149 9:29.581
14 125 Amme/Biel/Klin/Tomc 148 9:26.303
15 34 Stuc/Stuc/Stuc/Rost 148 9:48.516
16 27 Illb/Lauc/van /Hege 145 11:11.739
18 28 Schm/Boll/Bark/Spei 145 9:43.770
19 55 Bour/Kiki/Forb/Feid 144 9:59.315
20 56 Coop/Spur/Harr/Horn 143 10:51.390
21 155 Yosh/Sasa/Enge/van 142 11:43.273
22 10 Gind/Kohl/Scha/Wlaz 142 9:34.086
23 82 Gutt/Füb/Kies/Keil 140 11:47.156
24 133 Deeg/Wohl/Breu/Haug 140 10:42.975
26 7 Mül/Wern/Ador/Lamy 139 8:58.722
27 117 Sain/AL-A/de V/Nied 139 10:39.792
28 9 Berg/Liet/Holz/Long 139 12:01.436
29 134 Wase/Wase/Là¶h/Là¶h 137 10:02.471
30 81 Plen/Neus/Kapp/Sehe 137 10:36.406

2011 Nurburgring 24 Hours Race Finish

Well done Manthey. :thumb:

Maybe there should be a Manthey Le Mans entry.

Great news porsche winning :worship: great pics and vids thanks for sharing made my day and with the nice weather

Was afasciunating race and a tremendous result against huge oppsition

They've now won 5 of the last 6, only losing out last year when taken out by a backmarker whilst leading.

At a guess Porsche would have preferred the hybrid to win, which looked likely until it needed a new gearbox and was thus out of contention

Not sure they would have beaten the Ferrari without its suspension problem though

Brilliant Porsche triumph on the Nordschleife

It was one of the most exciting and dramatic 24 hour races at the Nürburgring. And it finished with a triumph for Porsche: In front of 220,000 spectators lining the legendary Nordschleife, Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany), Timo Bernhard (Germany), Romain Dumas (France) as well as Lucas Luhr (Switzerland) won the 39th running of the long distance classic in the Eifel with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and relegated their strong opponents from BMW, Mercedes and Audi to finish down the field.

For Porsche and the Porsche Team Manthey, this marked the fifth victory at the traditional race in the last six years – likewise for Timo Bernhard.

With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR - the world's most successful GT race car of the last years - the Porsche quartet snatched the lead on Saturday at 23.25 hours and held on to it to the flag. What followed were 16 hours and 35 minutes at the head of the field, 108 consistently fast and faultless laps under immense pressure on one of the toughest race tracks on earth – this speaks volumes about the reliability of the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and for the skill of the pilots. The new distance record set with a total of 156 laps and 3,958.968 kilometres underlines the superb effort of the winners and their team.

'We already knew before the start that we could only win if we worked together as a team, from the drivers through to the mechanics. And this worked very well for the entire time," Timo Bernhard said. Indeed, aside from the usual tensions on the track, there was just one truly critical situation – strangely enough in the pits. Lucas Luhr: 'During a pit stop the petrol pump didn't work. Fuel simply didn't come out. So we had to push our car back to another pump and in doing so lost almost a minute."

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid also gave an impressive performance, even though its second start at the 24 hour classic did not yield the anticipated top result. Fielded by Porsche Team Manthey with Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria), Marco Holzer (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA), the innovative race car with its ground-breaking drive concept finished an impressive 28th after a breathtaking chase through the field, 17 laps behind the winner.

Showing its true potential, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid moved into the lead on Saturday about four hours after the start. But a broken flange in the differential sent it into the pits for repairs, which cost six laps to the leader. But the trouble wasn't to stop there: After a good seven hours, the same problem struck again necessitating a second unplanned pit stop. This time repairs took 40 minutes. With a ten-lap gap to the front-runners, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid rejoined the race in position 105. Clocking lap times which were sometimes faster than those at the front, it ploughed through the field to rank 23rd. However, on Sunday morning the vehicle's charge was interrupted yet again: While lapping a slower competitor, Patrick Long was nudged and spun at high speed in the Flugplatz passage. In the pits, however, no damages to the vehicle were found.

Manned by Porsche factory pilot Wolf Henzler (Germany) as well as Peter Dumbreck (Great Britain), Martin Ragginger (Austria) and Sebastian Asch (Germany), the Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Falken Motorsports took up the race on intermediate tyres. This proved to be a good decision. Wolf Henzler made up several places before pitting after two laps once the rain had stopped to change to slicks. An engine change in the first quarter of the race robbed the team of all chances for a better result. At the flag, the Falken quartet occupied 49th. The swift lap times that the 911 GT3 R yielded after the long repair phase were, in this case, a poor consolation. 'It was somewhat frustrating to drive such great times and yet be so far down the field," said Wolf Henzler. 'Still, considering these times, the mood in the team is good. It gives us a lot of motivation. Despite everything, we're taking home a wealth of experience from the Nürburgring."

After a trouble-free early phase under difficult conditions, the Porsche 911 GT3 R, which Manthey Racing ran parallel to the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, was taken out of the race after a good two hours. The team wanted to concentrate on just one car. A perfect strategy that was rewarded with victory. And as Timo Bernhard crossed the finish line with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, the Eifel at last showed its true sunny colours.