Thursday 24th May 2012

Time for Tea? Night riding at the 'ring

Why tackling the Nordschleife at night in a fast racer requires balls of steel

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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...

 

[LouD86]

That, was impressive! Sorry to sound thick, but whats the blue flashing light for??

[Boonster]

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.

[jimbro1000]

LouD86 said:

That, was impressive! Sorry to sound thick, but whats the blue flashing light for??

I was just going to ask the same thing - I'm guessing he wasn't doing an ambulance/police impression

[YorkshirePudding]

LouD86 said:

That, was impressive! Sorry to sound thick, but whats the blue flashing light for??

To let the slower cars know there is a car in the top 20 behind them.

[suffolk009]

Wow.

And much better than the McLaren clip that was previously posted. Going to watch it again now.

[Krikkit]

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.

Edited by Krikkit on Thursday 24th May 16:36

[simplygod]

That was ace! Especially liked the interior lighting up from the gear change warning.

[cliffie]

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.

[vescaegg]

LouD86 said:

That, was impressive! Sorry to sound thick, but whats the blue flashing light for??

Like blue flags in F1 etc

[Mad for tar]

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!!

[jon-]

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.

[mybrainhurts]

One simply has to say...

Yeeeee and, indeed, Haaaaa.....

[anonymous-user]

Frankly the most amazing thing is that the gearbox lasts 24hrs of that !!


(i know i know, it's a dog box, but still, you can see why gearbox durability, or rather the lack of, has been the undoing of many a 24hr hope ;-)

[Charlie Foxtrot]

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.

[PascalBuyens]

jon- said:

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.

[spiritof'76]

I want to go sequential............ NOW !!

[Puddenchucker]

Where can I get some headlights like that for my car

[CK_N4S]

Puddenchucker said:

Where can I get some headlights like that for my car

I'd just like the relay that makes his high beems do those seven rapid blinks

CK

[Ding Dong]

LouD86 said:

That, was impressive! Sorry to sound thick, but whats the blue flashing light for??

To say to drivers you are faster, get out of the way. That simple

[JayPee]

A heroic driving/engineering challenge, if you have been to the LM24 before, then I really recommend you go and see this.