Last weekend, the HANKOOK 24H Dubai was the first international event to be held in 2017. Team Car Collection Motorsport from Walluf entered two Audi R8 LMS.
The Audi R8 LMS with the #33 piloted by Dimitri Parhofer, the three Spaniards, Daniel Díaz-Varela, Toni Forné and Isaac Tutumlu-Lopez, as well as team owner Peter Schmidt. The Kirchhoff-Audi R8 LMS was shared by Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff, Gustav and Max Edelhoff, Elmar Grimm and Ingo Vogler. Both cars started in the class for gentlemen drivers, the class A6-AM.
Good starting position
In Class A6-AM you can choose between two different strategies. Either one does not run faster than 2:05 minutes in the qualifying and in the race, then at each pitstop 120 liters can be refilled, or you don’t go under the time of 2:03 minutes, but only 100 liters can be refilled. With the #33 they decided for the 2:03 minutes tactic, the Kirchhoff-Audi R8 LMS #34 went with the 2:05 minutes strategy into the race. Toni Forné drove the second fastest time in qualifying, the number 33, Elmar Grimm placed the car with number 34 on grid 7 in class A6-AM.
Dominance in the first hours of the race
The Quintet of Parhofer, Díaz-Varela, Forné, Tutumlu-Lopez and Schmidt dominated the class A6-AM in the first hours of the race, thanks to fast and constant lap times and a clever strategy. Until after the end of the eighth hour, the team not only led the field, they also were 2 laps ahead. In the case of a pit stop, the clutch was broken due to too aggressive start-up. The Audi R8 LMS still drove to the fuel station, here the car didn’t start anymore. It had to be pushed by mechanics. The drivers lost three laps, but resumed the race. At this time, the Audi R8 LMS #34 driven by Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff, Gustav and Max Edelhoff, Elmar Grimm and Ingo Vogler were already in fifth position.
Incident at the start of the second race third means the off for the Audi R8 LMS #33
While the Kirchhoff-Audi R8 LMS continued to catch up and were already in the podium position, another car touched the Audi R8 LMS #33 during an overlapping. In the incident, the tie rod bent, Toni Forné was forced into a turn. The defective clutch finally prevented a further journey and the car had to be dragged into the box. After a short repair break, Daniel Díaz-Varela went back into the race on position 40. A few laps later, the Audi R8 LMS was finally decided to retire from the race. The defective clutch cost more time at each pit stop, a repair or the replacement of the transmission would have thrown back the vehicle without prospect at this time of the race.
Exciting fight for the podium places
In the further course of the race, Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff, Gustav and Max Edelhoff, Elmar Grimm and Ingo Vogler continued to pick up more positions. Thus the places 2 to 4 were mixed again, depending on the pit box window. Between the 17th and 19th race hour the second position could be maintained and also a lead of two laps. But also the Kirchhoff-Audi R8 LMS # 34 was not spared by a touch. A competitor drove to the right rear wheel. With a broken tie rod, Elmar Grimm dragged back to the pits. The incident occurred directly in turn 1, so the team lost 1.5 minutes by the slow way back to the pits. In wind ropes the defective tie rod was exchanged and so they lost only 4 minutes in the repair break. At 4th place in class A6-AM, Ingo Vogler continued the race.
Sprint race to the finish flag
The quintet did not give up. They wanted to go back in the fight for the podium. With fast lap times and cleverly placed pit stops, they managed to get back into the allocation of the podium places. The Renault RS01 FGT3 from the French Equipe GP Extreme, the SLS AMG GT3 from Gravity Racing International and the Kirchhoff-Audi R8 LMS were fighting for the final positions. Then an accident triggered a Code-60-phase. Tire piles were repaired, the vehicles had to avoid the accident and thus leave the track. When the race was resumed, all three cars were on the same lap. Max Edelhoff, at this time on position 4, picked up several seconds every lap. The better initial position had the quintet by Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff, Gustav and Max Edelhoff, Elmar Grimm and Ingo Vogler. Both opponents should still have to complete one more pit stop.
Joy and suffering are closely linked
A few laps later Max Edelhoff radioed a creeping flatfoot. This was forced to insert an unscheduled pit stop to change the damaged tire. While trying to catch up, the time was too short. Thus Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff, Gustav and Max Edelhoff, Elmar Grimm and Ingo Vogler finished third in the class A6-AM as well as the 10th place in the overall ranking.
