Resolving the mystery of the cog
Sifting through some nutsy-boltsy happy snaps recently I came across something I had long forgotten. I’d taken the shot of a 1994 McLaren-Peugeot, one of the largely unloved MP4/9 cars…
Fiery German who won the N24 twice, 10 years apart: in 2000 in a Phoenix Racing Porsche 996, then in 2010 in a Schnitzer BMW. Was still setting lap records as late as 2013. Check out the onboard YouTube videos. Along with brother Jürgen, a true Nürburgring folk-hero.
Took four N24 wins in five years in Manthey Porsches between 2007 and ’11, but it’s the stunning lap record he achieved in the electric-powered Volkswagen ID R that made Dumas a modern king of the ’Ring. 6min 05.336sec? Woosh!
The great Belgian all-rounder is probably more associated with his local circuit (Spa-Francorchamps), but perhaps it was the rally experience that helped Duez also shine at the ’Ring. He won the N24 four times in eight years with BMW in the 1990s.
Showed a Brit could become a Nordschleife specialist. The Scot was a long-time Falken Tyres driver and made 16 N24 starts with a best finish of third in 2015. Also logged countless miles in VLN (now NLS) rounds and set an electric-powered road car record in a NIO EP9.
Born in Adenau, she was destined to become ‘Queen of the Nürburgring’. Scored back-to-back N24 victories in 1996 and ’97 in BMW M3s, but won fame as the Nordschleife ‘taxi driver’. TV career followed only for cancer to claim her in 2021. A corner has been renamed in her honour.
Made his 45th N24 start this year, in beloved ‘Flying Fox’ Opel Manta. The former Opel competitions boss took an overall win in 2003 in an Astra V8 DTM racer and has relieved fellow ’Ring hero Johannes Scheid of the number of class wins record in the NLS.
Mr Zakspeed. Scored first N24 victory with Schmitz and Scheid in 1997, then claimed a hat-trick (in four years) with his team’s Chrysler Viper GTS-Rs. The final one, in 2002, was the last ‘foreign’ car maker win until Frikadelli’s Ferrari 296 GT3 conquered the great race this May.
Portuguese F1 refugee who reinvented himself as one of the best GT endurance drivers of his era. Down officially as a five-time N24 winner, equal with Timo Bernhard and Marcel Tiemann, although in one of those he didn’t actually drive the winning BMW.
Experienced the Nordschleife in the DTM, then returned later in life to win the N24 twice in Black Falcon Mercedes. In 2013, at 49, he won the N24, the Blancpain Nürburgring 1000Kms, the Spa and Dubai 24 Hours, and the Bathurst and Abu Dhabi 12 Hours. Indian summer? Indian season!
One of the most highly decorated sports car drivers of the 21st Century has four N24 victories on his long roster of achievements, all shared with Dumas in Manthey Porsches. Set a time of 6min 57sec in a road-going Porsche 918 Spyder in 2013.