The 2015 Motorsports Season is on its last stretch. This year’s theme for the official Gran Turismo “after race” movie is ‘People’; the humans behind the Nürburgring 24 Hours race. Enjoy the beautiful images staged on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, a massive track that is 25km per lap, and often feared as the “Green Hell”.
(ReadMore)

The Nürburgring 24 hour race opened for the 43rd time this year, but there was a major change that may be a turning point in its long history on the Nordschleife; on the track that is often referred to as the most dangerous circuit in the world.

Fully aware of the dangers involved, the organizers of the event investigate and take appropriate safety measures immediately when there is a major accident.

(ReadMore)

There was practically no time to despair.

On the first qualifier, the car’s settings were on the mark. The tires were producing more than adequate grip, and the GT-R GT3 was blazing through the Nordschleife at an excellent pace, with other cars looking as if they were standing still. Halfway through the Nürburgring lap where luck plays a huge role in terms of traffic, the GT-R GT3 had been able to come through at a great pace, weaving through the cars just in time, and coming to the long flat out section towards Klostertal I thought to myself, “This is a good lap, it’ll probably wrap up pretty good.” … and that might of made me a bit too bold.

Rushing out of the high speed left hand corner of Klostertal in 5th gear, a car appeared in front of me.
(ReadMore)

Waking up on the floor of the lounge, I went out to the track at dawn. There were many surprises waiting for me.
“Wait, I don’t see the car from XXX? Is it not on the track?? Oh man…they retired out of the race…”
(ReadMore)

The grid walk before the start is really a huge crowd. “Crowded” is an understatement really. I don’t think there is a grid walk in any other race in the world with such a high population density. But the operation of the organizers is very good, as they swiftly move this many spectators according to schedule.
(ReadMore)

At the Nürburgring 24 hour race, there are supporting events held before the final race, and the ADAC Classic where cars like the famous Opel Manta drives, is one of them. They drive by at speeds that defy their age, and in a sense they’re scarier than GT3 machines!
(ReadMore)

Before the free practice, there was a meeting between Schulze Motorsports, Polyphony Digital, and RS Nakaharu-a legend in Japan’s motorsports world. (ReadMore)

Hi, it’s been a while, but this is EXP again, I’d been busily chasing the car culture back in Japan since my return with a total disregard for the genre of cars, at Formula Drift Japan, Offsetkings, etc.

Though Shichisawa san already concluded his entries, I’m just now restarting my entry on the 24 hours of Nürburgring that I’d been sitting on for a while. (Sort of taking the EXP(ress) out of EXP but oh well…)

The machine was blue way back then… June 18 (Wed.)
(ReadMore)

It’s been 2 weeks since the end of the 24 hour race. In Japan, the steamy monsoon season ends in another 2-3 weeks, to welcome the full-fledged Summer reaching over 30 degrees C every day. Looking at the calendar, I notice that today is Friday, and the time is 2PM. With the time difference to Germany, exactly 2 weeks ago about this time, we were frantically repairing the car to make it into the Top 30 qualifier session.
(ReadMore)

The lodgings from today, is at a long stay cottage: The Lindner Ferienpark Nürburgring

I started writing for the Pit Stop Blog in a very comfy room with its own bathroom. No A/C though.

Yamauchi san asks me “Why are you in short sleeves in this cold weather!?” but I’m fine in the cold. Though Yasukichi san before my flight told me “you need a good goose down jacket” … (ReadMore)