Why tackling the Nordschleife at night in a fast racer requires balls of steel
We're not sure what's more astonishing about this video - just how terrifying negotiating the night-time parts of the recent Nurburgring 24 hour race seems, or just how calm driver Niklas Kentenich appears throughout this clip.
The incredible closing speed his SP7-class Porsche has over some of the slower cars doesn't seem to faze him, either, even when a backmarker moves right out on him while passing a slower car itself.
It's pretty amazing stuff, really. Herr Kentenich, we salute you - 20th overall and 5th place in class somehow doesn't seem just reward...
Excellent driving skills, nice and relaxed approach, no snatching at gear shift or using lots of arm movements. An example of why smooth is fast and over 24 hours you need this type of driving technique. He even had time to take one hand off wheel at 270 ish klicks. Just under 9 mins with traffic at night is mega.
Very nice driving - although the back marker that moved out to pass someone else was pretty smooth doing it, and never left him enough room to pass (i.e. didn't open a gap and cut it off). The one that changed direction and went from inside to outside at 3-odd minutes was worse.
8:40 BtoG in the daylight is about as fast as I have ever managed, that makes me realise why some get paid to do it and mortals like us should stick with tourist Days.
How on earth does theat class of driving,skill,dedication & balls only end up with a 5th in class?? Except they had mechanical troubles i'd hate to see the in-car for the top 4!!
Don't get it. It's a great race lap, everything it should be, but that wasn't a 10/10ths lap like some of the single shot timed laps we see.
I'm not saying I could do better, I'm not saying he isn't MASSIVELY skilled (he is), but to my eyes that was a very safe race lap, not really exploring the limits of the car in many places.
It was a near perfect lap for what it was meant to be (don't break the car, put in a good time) but there wasn't many places where I thought "fk me, that was close to being in the wall"
Of course I could be talking crap as I so often do.
It doesn't seem that scarey at night. I guess because all you can see is the 100 yds in your headlights all the other stuff just doesn't exist like it does in the day.
Don't get it. It's a great race lap, everything it should be, but that wasn't a 10/10ths lap like some of the single shot timed laps we see.
I'm not saying I could do better, I'm not saying he isn't MASSIVELY skilled (he is), but to my eyes that was a very safe race lap, not really exploring the limits of the car in many places.
It was a near perfect lap for what it was meant to be (don't break the car, put in a good time) but there wasn't many places where I thought "fk me, that was close to being in the wall"
Of course I could be talking crap as I so often do.
It's a 24hr race, no one is going to go flat out all the time in all the places during those races.
k me, that was close to being in the wall"
