Kiwi Team Nurburgring's Blog

2 Second Places

ktn24hours — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:24:39 +0000

Prizegiving this evening was a great start to a great night. The Audi RS4 team, although pitting for an engine refit managed to hold on to and secure 2nd place in their class. The Honda team of Brent Greer, Rod Hicks, Dean Cockerton and Mark Corbett also picked up 2nd place in the group class. The evening was a brilliant end to a great event and no doubt we’re already planning for next year. HUGE thanks from all of the supporters both in Germany and back home in New Zealand.

The Finish Line

ktn24hours — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:10:04 +0000

It was a very eventful day this 25th of May 2009 where Kiwi Team Nurburgring completed our fourth entry in to this great race. Our final few hours with the Audi engine rebuilt proved to have been a wise decision as the crew could keep on racing and maintain their times and presence on the leaderboard. As the final minutes counted down, The Manthey Race Porsches were comfortably in the lead as expected, and to our surprise, on the final slower lap of gratitude, Alistair Taylor managed to cleverly position the Honda only a few metres behind the race champs. A brilliant 24 hour race complete, with only a wee bit of damage, and MANY happy faces.

Audi Problems

ktn24hours — Sun, 24 May 2009 09:35:36 +0000

The Audi RS4 threw a leg out of bed and blew out the engine on one of the straights this morning on the Nurburgring course. We’ve frantically worked to replace the engine with a spare we had and the Audi is about to go back out on the track. Worried faces all around when news spread the campaign was over for the Audi drivers, but we’re all glad to be back and keep the race going.

Halfway …

ktn24hours — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:31:05 +0000

The middle hour has come and gone and a great milestone it was as everything is going perfectly to plan. All three vehicles are just humming along sweetly with little problems whatsoever. One of the Honda’s has a radio hiccup at various places and the RS4 has a bent grill as a result of a leading car throwing on the anchors and Mr Big Ben Booth gave him a nudge from behind…. or possibly was asleep at the wheel.

At time of writing The RS4 team of Andy Booth, Timmy Martin, Stu Owers and Lewis Scott have pulled up to 38th place overall and 4th place in their class. The two Civics are 2nd and 2rd in their class and hanging on comfortably. Weather is great, not cold, a bit breezy and dry.

As the night falls…

ktn24hours — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:15:32 +0000

Darkness and cold temperatures have finally arrived. The teams are well in to their second rotation of drivers now with a few choosing to take a few quick z’s in the tent and container. All three cars are still holding up well and incident free which is the key to success at these endurance events. The RS4 team has come up in the placings and managed to reach up to third spot in their class which is a brilliant effort, and 47th overall. The 2 civics will be placed very well in their class also, probably top 3 at this stage. The track is dry and the rain has stayed away.

834pm and we’re in to our groove

ktn24hours — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:55:47 +0000

Almost all of our drivers have now had a drive with our 3rd position drivers on the road. The only drivers left to drive in the first rotation are Alistair Taylor, Lewis Scott, and Rod Hicks and all have sat through the first few hours of nerves but are encouraged with the beaming smiles from all drivers arriving back at base with happy faces. All mechanics are happy with the state of the vehicles and the durability of all of our gear is showing through. Timmy Martin lead off the pack in the RS4 with Brian McGovern and Dean Cockerton all braved the first lap madness

The opening moments

ktn24hours — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:29:43 +0000

The event began in festival style today with the pit lane open to the public and the starting drivers making their way to the track to take their positions. Every man and his dog was out surrounding the teams and soaking up the electric atmosphere. Bands rolled on to the track and it was a very special occasion. The parade slowly got dispursed after about half an hour and the engines started to fire up. All people were removed from the track and the pace car moved off with the lead group behind. Ten minutes later the top vehicles were flying past the pits in excess of 200kph lead by the Ford GT40 and followed closely by the Manthey Racing porsche’s. The scream engines and air displacement from so many speeding vehicles was amazing and as they sped past the crowd erupted with noise. The Kiwi Team pits were all standing watching Timmy Martin lead the team off in the Audi RS4, and further down the track Brian McGovern and Dean Cockerton were easing the 2 Honda Civics in to the long event.

First practice laps in the race cars

ktn24hours — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:51:41 +0000

Today we enter the first laps of the practice!!! The butterflies are flying an the excitement is pumping. There’s a nervous hum of energy around the track as the track is opened for offical practice laps, and tonight qualifying laps also. All three teams have been briefed on our tactics and the preparation on the vehicles is ready to go. First practice laps consist of only one full lap, which includes a half lap either side to start and finish.

All drivers came back smiling and happy with the performance of the vehicles and can’t wait for the next round which is qualifying.

As of the time of writing the rain is coming down and the darkness is starting to fall. Qualifying will run for about 3 hours and in this time we’re hoping we can get enough laps in to not have to go out tomorrow as tomorrow the bigger class vehicles will be pumping some fast laps gunning for pole position.

Parade Lap Madness

ktn24hours — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:17:55 +0000

Wednesday night was the offical parade lap for all teams. The track is opened up to teams to drive around and “mingle” with the fans. The entire track basically gets turned in to a walking pace parade with race cars on trailers, teams wandering around handing out merchandise, and then of course… the fans. The german diehard motorsport fans who absolutely give it heaps! The track is covered in drunk bogans just having the time of their lives. Directing traffic, ordering people around in booming german announcements which are muffled by loud pumping music coming from the canvas communities pitched up alongside the track and in the forest. The aray of weird and wonderful sights is huge. From home made hammocks, spa pools, two storied houses, to noise machines consisting of big block V8′s sitting on a table with a dieseled up German on the throttle.

Driver training course

ktn24hours — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:03:43 +0000

TO be fully prepared for the 24 hours race, drivers are required to be certified by thr track officials… or “locals” as we’ve named them. These are the men and women who have grown up on the track. A few of us were lucky to meet Andy who was quite the character. He provided us with some great footage for the documentary we’re filming and a lot of laughs. I was in his VW R36 car doing some track footage being thrown around the track with him and around the 180kph mark his cell phone rang to which he casually answered and had a minute long conversation on it. Driving here is second nature.