No fewer than 280,000 visitors flocked to the 53rd running of the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring over four days. « It was incredibly cool again, a real motorsport festival on the most beautiful circuit in the world, » said Dutch driver Tom Coronel. Together with his teammates and fellow Dutchmen Jan Jaap van Roon, Paul Meijer and Rudy van Buren, he competed in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by Max Kruse Racing. The four were on course for a podium finish in the Porsche Cup class for a long time, but a number of penalties for failing to observe yellow flags and code 60s meant that the team no longer had a chance of a good result. « There’s no point in wasting money and continuing to drive, we’re not there to make up the numbers,’ said Coronel, explaining the decision not to finish the race. ‘It’s always a pity to have to stop the battle, but I certainly had a great time again! »
It was already very busy around the Nürburgring-Nordschleife during the Adenauer Racing Day on Wednesday and the practice sessions on Thursday and Friday. The summery weather also helped to attract many spectators to the Eifel region during the long weekend (Thursday was Corpus Christi, a public holiday in a large part of Germany). « It was a great experience, even during the practice sessions the spectators were sometimes lined up thick and fast along the track. The barbecues were working overtime and a lot of beer was consumed, the atmosphere was fantastic, » said Coronel. « Also at the autograph session on Friday evening in the pit lane, it was crazy how busy it was there! »
In qualifying, Coronel, Van Roon, Meijer and Van Buren secured seventh place in their class in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with start number 927. « We were all able to complete our mandatory laps without any issues. We didn’t take any unnecessary risks, because in a 24-hour race, and especially on the Nordschleife, so much happens that the starting position is not decisive, » said Coronel.
About an hour and a half after the start of the race at 4 p.m. on Saturday, the race was stopped because the power had gone out in and around the pit building. « I’ve never experienced that in 35 years of racing, but there’s always something special at the Nürburgring, » laughed Coronel. After more than two hours, the problem was fixed and the race could resume. The Porsche with the number 927 then began a steady advance, putting the car solidly in the top five from halfway through the race and even regularly in the top three.
However, in the course of Sunday morning, the race officials imposed several time penalties as a result of yellow flag and code 60 violations by one of the team’s drivers. « That meant we had no chance of a podium finish, which was clearly our goal for this race, » explained Coronel. « Continuing to race at that point didn’t make much sense, so we decided to retire the car. Of course, it was a pity, but it was the most sensible decision.
Despite the disappointment of not being able to finish the race, Coronel expressed his appreciation to everyone involved. « First of all, thanks to the team, they gave us a great car that was perfectly prepared. Thanks also to my teammates, who all drove very well. Missing yellow flags is something that happens to other drivers too. Everything is so intense on the Nordschleife, there’s so much going on that it can happen that your focus is elsewhere, » he explained. « It certainly wasn’t intentional, it’s nothing to brag about, it just happened and that’s a pity, but we shouldn’t dwell on it too long. On to the next race! »