The Nurburgring strikes!
Dismal luck ruins Audi’s attempt at victory at the Green Hell
Taking the fight to the all-conquering Porsche 911s has taken its toll on the Audi R8 LMS cars which were running very competitively in the Nurburgring 24-hour race.
First to fall was the Number 98, run by the Nurburgring-based Phoenix Racing team. Driver Marc Basseng ran over a raised kerb, breaking a hose, causing the car to lose its coolant. That happened at 21:31.
Marco Werner’s Team ABT Sportsline car was next to fall after hitting a backmarker at 22:25. Another of the Phoenix cars was leading through the night, but a costly pit stop to change the right rear suspension lost it the lead before the engine mounts broke at 08:30 this morning, after 103 laps, ending the car’s race.
The Number Two ABT car has also succumbed to the high rate of attrition. Having earlier suffered a puncture, the car’s gearbox failed at 10:55 this morning.
It’s not all bad news. With just over an hour to go, the remaining Phoenix car is in third place and leading the SP9 class.
