Race lines: is the Nürburgring the toughest 24 hours of racing? Car News

A total of 125 cars make up the entry this year, an increase from 96 in 2020, broken down into 24 subclasses. Falken’s two Porsches are part of the premium 34 GT3s, which also include factory-backed teams representing Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Bragging about victory at the Nürburgring really matters for Germany’s Big Four.

“It’s amazing,” says Bachler. “When you haven’t raced there even for a few weeks you can really feel how fast the corners are in your first few laps. The track is very narrow, and although we don’t have the top speed we had before, due to rule changes to slow cars down in recent years the cornering speeds are still amazing.

Anyone who has tasted the Nordschleife knows that the weather is a big factor in the place Sir Jackie Stewart has dubbed The Green Hell. “You can go from 30 degrees and sun to rain like hell in one day,” Bachler confirms. “It’s already demanding in the dry and it demands a lot of you. Also, it can rain in one area and not at all in another. Rain at night at the Nürburgring, especially with a bit of fog, is the most difficult combination you can get. That’s why it’s the hardest in the world.

Huff returns to WTCR

Ahead of the start of the Nürburgring 24 Hours on Saturday afternoon, the first two rounds of the 2021 Touring Car World Cup (WTCR) will be played on the Nordschleife in what has become an annual highlight of the hard-fought series. And this time, an old favorite will return after a year of absence to offer a welcome dose of British interest.

Rob Huff, who was world touring car champion with Chevrolet in 2012, lost his drive last year when Volkswagen pulled out of its factory-blessed motorsport interests for anything other than electric. But after a season in which he conquered the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC), the 41-year-old driver is now back in his place, driving a Cupra Leon for the Hungarian team Zengö.

“Volkswagen’s withdrawal has made it very difficult to find attractive, feasible and sustainable driving for 2020,” says Huff. “It was the toughest year to stay in the World Series, and I did envision that that was it. We had a few difficult years, and I realized that it could all be over and I should focus on other things.