In front of 210.000 visitors the bioethanol powered Volvo S40 from HEICO SPORTIV reached the finishing line at 35th ADAC 24h-race Nürburgring.
Already in the time training session the drivers trio Patrick Brenndörfer (30, Darmstadt), Frank Eickholt (35, Bottrop) and Martin Mülller (38, Griesheim) convinced by their 10:09.136 minutes for a lap around the 25,378 kilometers Grand Prix course plus Nordschleife. That was the pole position within the strong occupied class “S2″ for alternative fuels.
Caused by a thunderstorm the 220 cars have been sent on the trip with a delay of 112 minutes. Race manager Hans Schnock (Golzheim) has started the race at 16:52 after two formation laps. Brenndörfer could improve his total position from 68 to 41 during heavy rain period. That was the first job for the new prototype rain tires PROXES RR1 from TOYO TIRES. After this successful turn, the car was handed over to HEICO colleague Martin Müller, who was on the track now with slicks.
But the forward drive was stopped abrupt, Müller came into the pits after four rounds with overheated engine. A not perfect working water pump than was the reason for a precautionary change of the 5-cylinder turbo engine.
After this change in record time the car number 272 went back into the “18h race” clearly behind all others. Position after position the dull blue HEICO HS4 ODIN came forward – until the race management was forced for safety reasons, to stop the race at 3:54 with the red flagg. Heavy tight fog was covering the “Green Hell” at some sections leaving not enough sight to continue the race safely.
Only after nearly 6 hours enforced break, the race was re-started for the last “7,5h sprint”. The 340hp powerful Volvo with BioFormula85 fuel from Brüggemann Alcohol has proved its potential by lap-times within the 40 fastes cars, but the race was too short, to reach the aimed top place.
Shortly before 17:00 a.m. the final driver Brenndörfer crossed the finishing line. For the team it was the end of the most curious 24h races ever and was bringing the Volvo for the fourth time in series undamaged over the finish-line. In spite of the early loss of time – the race can be booked under success, because by the pole position and constantly fast laps HEICO SPORTIV has demonstrated that todays racing cars are competitive at the worlds hardest long distance race, also with alternative fuels.