24 HOURS NÜRBURGRING

Toyota launches 11th bid to win 24 Hours of Nürburgring
Smooth-sailing Lexus RC runs into trouble but still captures 2nd place in a close qualifying finish

Toyota Gazoo Racing is competing with one Lexus RC in its 11th bid to win the Nürburgring 24 as it returns to the basics by embracing its goal of “developing our people and cars” from the first time it participated in the historic race in 2007. That RC, now in its third year of competition, boasts a series of improvements extensive enough to merit description as a complete redesign following its retirement from competition last year.

The three drivers for this race were Takuto Iguchi, Takamitsu Matsui, and Naoya Gamo. Alongside the Lexus RC on the SP3T class entry list was the Subaru WRX STI, which did not compete in the VLN but will join the Lexus RC in the lineup for The 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

So far this year, the car competed in the VLN1 Endurance Championship on March 25 and then in qualifying races on April 22 and 23. In both cases, the vehicle performed without major issues and achieved the team’s objectives. To prepare for the Nürburgring 24, new parts were fabricated to address suspension issues and the engine control was changed to address power issues in response to driver feedback citing interference affecting suspension components, a tendency to understeer, and inadequate power coming out of turns.

This year’s free race was held under unusually clear skies and at a warm temperature of 19°C. Competition got underway at 4:15 pm after a 30-minute delay, and the four drivers orchestrated a series of pit stops as they worked their way through a menu of tests, checking the vehicle, measuring fuel economy, and making changes to the engine control software. Space was extremely limited since each pit was shared by six teams, but the mechanics handled the situation with their customary grace.

With 12 entrants that include the Subaru WRX STI, winner of the last three races, as well as the Audi TTRS2, which is seeking to end Subaru’s run, and the Hyundai i30N, the first car from Hyundai’s high-performance brand and one that is being developed at the Nürburgring, making the RC’s SP3T class one of the most competitive. The race also includes the SP9 class, in which GT3 cars will compete for the overall victory, with super-sports cars like the Audi R8 LMS, BMW M6 GT3, and Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3, as well as the SP3 class, in which last year’s RC driver Takayuki Kinoshita will be competing in the Corolla Altis for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Team Thailand.

The first qualifying session was shortened to 2 hours and 55 minutes, running from 8:25 pm to 11:30 pm after a 20-minute delay. Here, the four drivers’ first task was to establish a two-lap time that would give them the right to compete in the main race. The sun was still visible in the sky as the session began but gradually set soon after, leaving the drivers to compete in a night session.

At around 9:30 pm, after the sun had disappeared completely, the RC made an emergency pit stop after driver Takamitsu Matusui radioed in about a loss of engine power. Mechanics quickly identified a problem to the intake system and made repairs. The unexpected issue, which followed a period of smooth sailing that was itself disconcerting, gave team members a chance to mentally readjust to the customary strain of competition.

The repairs took about 30 minutes but the car continued without issues after exiting the pit. As the temperature fell, the team carefully timed a switch to new tires so that driver Takuto Iguchi could launch a time attack, which notched a time of 9:10:902. That time was only 1.465 seconds behind the class-leading Subaru WRX STI, enough to earn a second-place finish.

The team checked the car based on the results of the first qualifying session and prepared for the second session, which gets underway at 9:30 am on May 26.