24H Series: Premiere at Hockenheim 🎥

Due to the increased number of Corona cases in Spain and the associated Europe-wide quarantine regulations, the Dutch organizers of the 24H Series have canceled this year's 24-hour race in Barcelona. Instead, the race will be held in Germany for the first time this weekend.

Memories of 1985
The 16 Hours of Hockenheim are also a premiere for the Baden Motodrom. Never before has such a long race taken place.

On July 14, 1985, there was a 1000-kilometer race as a round of the World Sports Car Championship that went down in history as a heat race under sometimes chaotic conditions in the pit lane. Several sports cars started to burn during the fuel stops.

But things got even worse in the World Championship rounds that followed, with German stars Manfred Winkelhock having a fatal accident at Mosport on August 11 and Stefan Bellof at Spa-Francorchamps on September 1.

The English-language summary of the race. It shows how several cars burst into flames during the pit stops.

After that, neither Group C nor any other racing formula returned to the Badisches Motodrom for such an endurance race. In contrast, motorcycle racers have held a 1000-kilometer race for many years.

TCR duel of the Swiss teams
This distance will easily be surpassed by the fastest GT3 sports cars from the 24H Series in the two-part race on Saturday and Sunday - eight hours each from 12 noon to 8 pm. For some teams, it will be a welcome home race with less travel, including the few from Switzerland.

They include Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing and TOPCAR sport with their touring cars from the TCR category. The team from Wetzikon, which is supported by the people of Schwyz, is fielding two VW Golf GTI TCRs, while the team from Bern is in the mix with its proven Cupra TCR.

Return of Jasmin Preisig
Autorama will start at Hockenheim with the same driver pairings with which they would have raced in Barcelona. Although the distance is one-third shorter, all ten scheduled drivers will be used by arrangement and for reasons of fairness.

In the process, Jasmin Preisig, who made her debut at the re-start in Portimão in mid-June, returns to the championship team. In the meantime, she has her first two VLN victories at the Nürburgring in the bag and is suitably motivated.

Their partners in the VW Golf #1 are defending champion Yannick Mettler, Christoph Lenz, Austrian Constantin Kletzer and newcomer Rhys Lloyds from Wales. Preisig and Lloyd are scheduled for further races after Hockenheim.

In the #112 car, 2020 championship leaders Miklas Born and Roberto Ferri (I) alternate with Alberto Vescovi (I) and Germans Benjamin Leuchter and Marek Schaller. The latter is a sophomore of VW factory driver Leuchter.

TOPCAR sport entrusts its car to Young Driver Karen Gaillard and Fabian Danz, as it did last time in Monza. The experienced German Kai Jordan will be the third driver for the first time.

Manageable field of participants
With barely 20 entries, participation is somewhat meager, especially on the part of the GT cars. This has less to do with the new venue than with an unfortunate clash of dates. Next weekend, the 6 Hours of Nürburgring will count as the second round of the GT World Challenge Endurance. In addition, the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (September 26/27) is coming up.

As with all 24H Series races after the lockdown, no spectators are allowed. In addition, all teams are still subject to strict Covid 19 measures.

A livetiming is available at this Link. The magazine for the 16H Hockenheim with the provisional starting list and the Coppa Florio in Enna-Pergusa, which follows on 10/11 October, is available as a download at this Link.

24hseries.com