The First Doubleheader of the Year, the 24h Qualifiers
The first doubleheader of the year, the 24h Qualifiers, is up next. It’s a special weekend for several reasons. With the 24 Hours of Nürburgring approaching, this is the weekend where teams can test for that race. Normally we race the “NLS layout,” but this weekend we’re on the “24h layout,” which is different. In addition, we don’t just have a race on Saturday — we also have one on Sunday. A great opportunity to score big in the championship!
.
The weekend program is as follows: on Friday we start with testing, on Saturday we have qualifying in the morning and a race in the evening. Then on Sunday there’s another qualifying and a race in the afternoon. Since we begin testing on Friday, we arrive early on Thursday so we can set up the caravan and get to bed on time.
Friday:
Friday’s practice starts late, but there’s plenty to do. Because this race falls under a different organization, with different rules and procedures, various checks need to be done — and done a bit differently. Fortunately, we have time for that. Race gear must be re‑checked and several administrative checks are carried out so we can participate. I need to register for Friday’s practice and then prepare for the sessions.
After our win in the previous race, we’re determined to win again and score maximum points. Not only am I very motivated, but our whole team is driven to win. Together with Piet‑Jan and Marius we review some data and footage, and then it’s time for practice.
My teammate Marius starts in practice. He gets to do his laps to find his rhythm. When he comes in, he feels good with the car, and that’s great. Now it’s my turn. Right away in the first few corners I feel an improvement compared to the last race. The car feels more stable and just sits better on the road. And that’s exactly right!
After the previous race, the team made some adjustments to the car’s setup, resulting in quicker lap times. I feel very good and can’t wait for qualifying! Piet‑Jan is also happy with the changes. Even on older tires he’s almost faster than he was last year on this layout. Everyone is excited, this promises something great.
First, we still go to the drivers’ briefing where all the weekend’s details are discussed. This time there’s not much unusual, so we finish up and start preparing for tomorrow.
Saturday:
Just like in previous races, I get to start qualifying for our team. My teammates often need a little time to get into their rhythm, whereas I usually feel comfortable enough to push right away.
With our engineer, we agree to push on the first lap. This is the opposite of what most cars do. We do this so that we get as much clear track as possible, minimizing traffic. So right at the start of qualifying, we head out! As we expected, it works well and I’m very happy with my track position.
I go for it and feel great in the car. The lap feels amazing and I’m very fast. But then, toward the end of the lap, there’s a yellow flag and I have to lift off. Not ideal, but certainly not terrible, knowing it could have been a Code 60. I cross the line satisfied and hear that at that moment I’m P1 with a 12‑second lead. Of course, it’s only the beginning of qualifying, but the team is very happy.
When I come into the pit lane and step out of the car, everyone is super impressed and enthusiastic. It felt like a good lap, but I didn’t know why it was so special. Soon I’m told that I set a new all‑time lap record in the 2‑Liter class on the 24h layout of the Nürburgring‑Nordschleife, that’s really cool and not something that happens every day!
There’s still plenty of time, and Piet‑Jan gets older training tires on the car so he can do two laps to get a feel for it. Then the waiting begins. The car is back on qualifying tires, ready to go out again if needed. Waiting… waiting… time runs down, and at the end of qualifying it gets a bit tense. The gap of 12 seconds shrinks to 8, then to 5, then to 3 seconds, but nobody gets close! I’ve broken the lap record by 3 seconds and P2 is just under 4 seconds behind. A really top qualifying session with great prospects. YESS!
The race:
Where qualifying was dry, the race becomes wet… and not just a little. The whole track is soaked — 25.3 kilometers of corners that are already a challenge in the dry! Since I’ve never driven in the rain at the Ring before, the team still chooses to have me start. I’m starting from pole and this way I can learn to drive in the rain from the top drivers in the field.
The lights go on… and out we race! With an okay start, I keep the lead into the first corner and hold it through the GP circuit, but as we climb onto the Nordschleife I lose the lead and drop to P2. Knowing I won’t be fast enough, it’s extremely important to get back to P1 so they can’t pull away. With a bold move, I go around the outside and take back P1!
The pace of the cars ahead, combined with not being able to see the track through the spray from the cars, is just too fast. I can’t match their speed, but the spray disappears and I can start building confidence on a clearer track. Since rain driving is different on every circuit, it’s difficult to go full push right away with the risk of putting the car in the wall.
So I choose to build confidence slowly and still defend P1. I manage to hold this for three laps until I’m overtaken due to a small mistake. But that happens. Just keep pushing and see where we end up. Again, I intentionally don’t push too hard to avoid another mistake. Just focus on myself. That turns out to be the best strategy because as time goes on, I get faster and faster and the gap to P1 becomes smaller and smaller.
Until the turning point arrives! I’m significantly faster than P1 and start closing the gap quickly. Adrenaline rises and my sharpness in the car increases. I see the gap to P1 shrink until in lap 7 I’m right on his bumper. In lap 6 I was even 20 seconds faster than P1!
Arriving in Sector 1 of the Nordschleife, I line him up and take P1! It’s amazing knowing the race still has a long way to go. Partly a shame because this is my last lap, but we drive comfortably and only extend the gap to P2! At the end of the lap as I enter the pit lane, I’ve built up a 30‑second lead.
It’s time for Piet‑Jan to get in. When he starts, he has a hard time finding pace, but he manages to find a good rhythm. Because of the pit stop, we drop to P2, but Piet‑Jan drives steadily toward P1. Just before he can catch up, something terrible happens. The car loses power and the moment it comes to a stop, the car starts smoking. FIRE!
Not steam from coolant or track water, it’s a fire in the engine compartment. Fortunately, Piet‑Jan can get out and safely behind the barrier, but the car is lost. No points on Saturday and too much damage to race on Sunday.
What starts as a super weekend ends with a car on fire and a weekend where we lose double points… All in all, for me personally, there was an amazing result with a lap record and a super first stint, until the car caught fire… drama!
But well, this is one of the things that can happen in a mechanical sport. Now the 24h Nürburgring is just around the corner where my teammates will participate, but I won’t be racing due to budget reasons. Of course I’ll be there to support the team where I can!
On to the next!
