Every year, May has some of the greatest events in racing in store: Not only are the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 held every May, the Nürburgring 24 Hours are part of the schedule as well - and this weekend, the virtual version of the endurance classic at the Green Hell is due. We have assembled the key facts.
Image Credit: iRacing
Thousands of sim racers are going to try their hand at what has to be one of the toughest races on the iRacing Special Event Calendar. Four classes, more than 25 kilometers of race track per lap, a full day of battling the undulations of the legendary Eifel circuit - the Nürburgring 24 Hours are a unique challenge.
Image Credit: racingcircuits.info
The configuration of track used in the 24 hour race bypasses what would be the first sector of the Grand Prix Circuit in the Mercedes Arena, instead using a tight right-left chicane to start the lap. Between the GP Circuit and the Nordschleife itself, characteristics could hardly be more different, as the modern track and generous run-off areas give way to a tight ARMCO barrier-lined rollercoaster.
Grids are limited to 55 cars per split.
GT3
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Image Credit: iRacing
Thousands of sim racers are going to try their hand at what has to be one of the toughest races on the iRacing Special Event Calendar. Four classes, more than 25 kilometers of race track per lap, a full day of battling the undulations of the legendary Eifel circuit - the Nürburgring 24 Hours are a unique challenge.
The Track
There are not many sim racers who need an introduction to the Nürburgring: Opened in 1927, the Nordschleife is the last of its kind and is considered to be one of the most challenging circuits in the world. Lap times in excess of eight minutes even in a GT3 car mean that the concentration level has to be enormously high, as hitting one of the many treacherous bumps or kerbs the wrong way can end your race in an instant.Image Credit: racingcircuits.info
The configuration of track used in the 24 hour race bypasses what would be the first sector of the Grand Prix Circuit in the Mercedes Arena, instead using a tight right-left chicane to start the lap. Between the GP Circuit and the Nordschleife itself, characteristics could hardly be more different, as the modern track and generous run-off areas give way to a tight ARMCO barrier-lined rollercoaster.
The Cars
Unfortunately, the iRacing edition of the race can not match the variety of vehicles on track in the real event: As the simulation is limited to a maximum of eight different car models, the five different classes are not filled with many choices each, which is especially evident in all but two classes - the Porsche Cup and Spec classes normally only use one vehicle each as well.Grids are limited to 55 cars per split.
GT3
- BMW M4 GT3
- Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020
- Porsche 911 GT3 R
- Aston Martin Vantage GT4
- Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
- Porsche 992 GT3
- Audi RS3 LMS
- Toyota GR86
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Race Specs & Time SlotsFull Article
Race Specs & Time Slots
Image Credit: iRacing
A race as long as this one on a track as challenging as the Nürburgring-Nordschleife calls for special race specs, of course. As a result, teams are allowed 100 incident points before being penalized, every 20 after this will result in another penalty, however.
A race as long as this one on a track as challenging as the Nürburgring-Nordschleife calls for special race specs, of course. As a result, teams are allowed 100 incident points before being penalized, every 20 after this will result in another penalty, however.
Race Specs
- License: D 4.0 Road
- Sim Date (Time of Day Setting): May 20, 2023
- Session Start Time (Time of Day Setting): 3:13 PM
- Warmup: 20 Minutes
- Qualifying: Attached & Solo, 25 Minutes for 2 Laps
- Race: 24 Hours
- Weather: Dynamic
- Splits By: iRating
- Team Event: Yes (minimum 2 drivers and maximum 16)
- Stop and Go Limit: 100 incs and every 20 after
- DQ Limit: None
- Field Size: 55
Balance of Performance
Just like in the real event, cars are subject to balance of performance adjustments. iRacing has released the final specifications for this on May 10th - find out what BoP the vehicles are going to run below. If a car is not listed, it will not see any adjustments.- BMW M4 GT3: -0.75% power
- Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020: -1.25% power, +10 kg, -2% fuel capacity
- Porsche 911 GT3 R: +7kg, -2% fuel capacity
- Aston Martin Vantage GT4: -2% power
Time Slots
To ensure that anyone who wishes to participate in the Special Event can do so, it is run in multiple time slots. This means that there are a total of four starting times so teams can pick what fits their schedule best - or give it another try should they crash out early on.- Timeslot #1 - Friday 22:00 GMT
- Timeslot #2 - Saturday 7:00 GMT
- Timeslot #3 - Saturday 12:00 GMT
- Timeslot #4 - Saturday 16:00 GMT