Reports 2004
To 23.08.2004 the re-opening of the Schleizer Dreieck took place.
The Schleizer Dreieck is one of the oldest German racing courses and on the basis of modern criteria for the future was converted.
With the meeting different automobile running series began. Each series could drive two times 30 minutes of test runs. The distance was slippery at the beginning, due by the new bitumen and to the preceding construction measures very, which changed however in the afternoon, as the Grip improved around a multiple. The meeting was very well visited of spectators, who filled the driver camp and the grandstand in wonderful sun weather.
In the second run, by the good climate heated, I drove showmaessig with Henry Buettner into formula 3000 some Showruns. I tried to out-brake it at the end of the starting and goal straight lines, which failed me however spectacularly, by coming from the ideal line down on the dirty trace and braking me thereby strongly, which whirled up enormous dust and for looks up ensured. To me the overhauling attempt succeeded to two curves later, on the old distance part.
With the meeting 7000 visitors were present according to organizer.
According to my estimate on the nature racing course of the Schleizer Dreieck a racing course with large future potential developed, whatever is drivingtechnically very fastidious.
From 16.-18 July 2004 we had a running with the GroupC/GTP in Brands Hatch England. On the distance new for me I drove two free training runs on Friday.
The formula 1 distance older from the layout, gave up to me some mysteries, so that I tried many rounds to drive, in order to gain sufficient experiences. With second free training I was briefly before end in the Surteeskurve somewhat too fast and slipped in the gravel bed. Fortunately I did not have a contact with the tire pile. However the racing car under the hoods, in the brakes and on the underbody was full gravel. Our team (six men) had to do into the late night inside, in order to divide the Argo to clean and prepare for time training on Saturday. Despite the withdrawal in free training, I was glad that I was from the times on under the first five of the 21 cars.
On Saturday in the Qualifying I drove to the third round to the box to a check UP again on the distance felt the Argo very well, when in the sixth round suddenly after shifting up into the fifth course the clutch shaft fallow and no propulsion was more present. Thus in the Qualifying only the twelfth best time remained for me.
The evening we tried to then accomplish a repair. It should fail because of the fact that we did not have the correct spare part thereby and also apparently procure could not. Many team heads of other teams from the Group C, like Don Law, Derek Hood and Allan of Weylock Race asked me your assistance on. After long talking shop and many suggestions we decided to make themselves and turn then a wave off suitable. This settled Derek Hood of J. D. Classics from Maldon for us.
After we had then assembled the racing car against 1.00 o'clock nearly, the transmission lost oil, since the sealing ring did not fit the changed wave. We divided the Argo immediately completely, in order to make a sealing ring suitable. After we knew that our work promised success, we went at 4.00 o'clock to the night rest.
On Sunday morning assembly we the Argo and prepared everything for running in the afternoon, whereby we set on dry weather. We had luck, it remained drying and I started from place twelve forwards fully occupied spectator's stands.
In closely connected the driver field I collided in the Surteeskurve with Michael Millard, when this pulled inward. The front right wheel housing was strongly damaged. Then a Savety Car phase followed, in which the field was again united. After the restart it succeeded to catch up-hunted still overhaul me in one some and I led a hard fight with Henry Pearman on Jaguar, on that the 4. Place drove. At the end I reserved seat 5 with the fourth fastest time.
International old timer the Festival around January Wellem cup became of 25. - 27. June 2004 on the Grand Prix course of the Nuerburgring delivered.
On Friday we began with dry distance with free training. I missed the time of 2,10 min, aimed at by me, around one second. With the Qualifying in the afternoon I could drive through problem-free 14 rounds and drive out an improvement of five seconds with a 1,57er time. With this time I occupied initial position 3, what made me and my team happy much. It initiated itself an exciting first running on Saturday afternoon with a still more stretching start, since the next three drivers had driven a 1,57er time to me also and thus were nearly fast like I.
On the starting point 1 and 2 was two Kremer Porsche 962, on starting point 4 and 5 a Spice and a Intrepid with 6,2l Chevrolet engines. These four vehicles have in each case 80 HP more than the Argo.
The 1. Run the GroupC/GTP took up I thus from starting point 3. In the Mercedes arena I could do me briefly to the 2. Position after the start set. In the 3. I had round with the out accelerating from the Dunlop turn power eyelid, so that I dropped back to place 4. In further running I supplied myself with a hard fight with the Spice of the American Jim Mullen. We changed the positions over several rounds at the end of the starting and goal straight lines. When Jim braked itself then with a further overhauling attempt and turned before me, I had to take the gas away, so that our next pursuer Bryan DeVries, likewise from the USA, overhauled me. At the end this hard contested running drove I at place 5 by the goal.
Running Sunday began with typical Eifel weather: To rains, drizzle and sunshine, so that it was difficult up to the last minute to say, we select which set UP and drive with which tires we. We decided for Slicks, there the distance began to dry. With drive out of the box stopped itself suddenly an electrical connection problem. In addition it came still that to drive out the green phase from the boxing route to the starting list, not comprehensibly one shortened. The traffic light switched to red, so that I as third last one and 4 other drivers running from the box lane to accept had. Position for position I fought myself by the field. When overhauling Porsche at the end of the starting and goal straight lines pulled to this unexpectedly to the left and collided easily with me. The same happened when overhauling a Jaguar, as this in the curve too made sudden.
Running terminated at place 1 Caspar Elgaard (DK), place 2 Simon Pullan (GB), place 3 Bryan DeVries (USA) and place 4 Michael Schuster (D). Further still eight drivers of that altogether 20 GroupC/GTP came participants into the goal.
Le
Mans 2004. Roaring engines. Breath-robbing acceleration. Full concentration. We
could hardly expect it and placed ourselves to the fascinating challenge to be
in the interlude of the most important long-distance running of the world, the
24 hours of Le Mans.
After
thorough preparation, we, the team East Racing with driver Michael shoemaker
traveled on Wednesday, the 09.Juni 2004 for 24 hours running in Le Mans.
For
the meeting with the English Group C on Thursday a one-hour qualification
training stood and on Saturday, for the 12.Juni a 1 hour Event with following 30
minutes running on the program.
Wednesday,
after the technical acceptance of the vehicle, we issued the racing car for
presentation for the coming days between training and running in the driver
camp.
Before
the Qualifying on Thursday afternoon, began to suddenly rain it after two very
hot days. Thus it was completely unclear which tires were in this moment the
correct ones whether Slicks or rain tires. We decided for Slicks, since the rain
became less and the distance at some parts dried. In the first rounds of
training I knew only with much trouble on 13.6 km am enough for distance the
correct Feeling to compile. To the training end the tires develop somewhat more
Grip, so which I undertook in the next to last round still another attempt to
drive an optimal time out. In the chicanery after start and a goal, I braked and
over-drove myself 2 Begrenzungspoller, whereby the right Flap away-tore racing
cars.
From
37 participants of the Group C, I drove out the 10. starting point for running
on Saturday.
Friday
is always in Le Mans a run-free day, on which the spectators have the
possibility of looking at itself the racing cars in the driver camp.
Running
Saturday began at 9.00 o'clock with a 1 hour presentation of the 35
participating Group C racing car at the before-takeoff.
At
10.00 o'clock went the racing cars then into the introduction round and for
starting list. Point 10.15 o'clock was begun running with a flying start. During
the first round I dropped back by a hook-up error to place 14. Gradually could I
mean performance to improve, so which I became to flag down with the goal intake
being on position 8.
Due
to insufficient experiences with the racing course we had so scarcely computed
the gasoline, which I remained standing in the discharge round. The boss of the
distance posts of the DMSB with its team from Kamenz, which I know personally,
stood for strange way details here.
They
reported to me, which had failed Frank Biela with its AUDI before exactly here
one year because of lack of fuel.
With
the running result my team and I were very content, since we had rausgeholt the
possible, which went out to hollow.
The
racing car we issued up to the end 24 hours running on Sunday afternoon for the
spectators.
The return of the Group C after 14 years after Le Mans was very strongly considered by the media. In many French newspapers numerous reports were located over it. Euro sport transferred the entire Group C running 60 minutes live in the television. Over 300.000 spectators the events and it pursued were for us a fantastisches and singular feeling on this weekend for prestigetraechtigsten running of the world live also thereby to be been on the running days.