WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Aston Martin have placed a new advertisement in the newspapers (Financial Times, Daily Telegraph, etc) featuring their class winners from the Le Mans and Nuerburgring 24-hour races. Sadly for Matthew's ego the drivers' names are not included in the advert. However last week's Spectator (21st June) carried the following sentence in the Motoring column by Alan Judd: "As demonstrated by Hong Kong-based racer Matthew Marsh (one of the victorious Nuerburgring drivers)... the car is sufficiently tolerant and torquey for you to do almost everything in fifth."

AM IN THE FT

Today's (June 5th) Financial Times carries this advertisement celebrating the class victory at the Nuerburgring 24 hours.

NEW PHOTOS FROM THE 24-HOURS

Photos from the 24-hours have been uploaded and can be viewed by clicking here.

THE FINISH LINE

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE RING

SALUTE TO MATHAI, MARSH & KATSURA

Many congratulations to Oliver Mathai, Matthew Marsh and Shin-Ichi Katsura for winning the SP8 class and finishing eighteenth overall in the provisional classification in the 2008 ADAC Zurich 24h Rennen held at Nurburgring.
Congratulations also to Aston Martin for finishing 1-2-3 in the SP8 class.

THE HOURS RUN OUT - writes Rupert Lloyd Thomas

With less than an hour to go, O/A: #1, #23, #121, #64, #26, #10.
The #1 Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Timo Bernhard/Marc Lieb/Romain Dumas/Marcel Tiemann is headed for the overall win with a three lap advantage on 144 laps. Following is the #23 Manthey Porsche of Hahne/Haarmann/Krumbach/Kaffer. In third is #121, the Porsche 997 of Sabine Schmitz/Klaus Abbelen/Dr Edgar Althoff.
Car #64 is the BMW Z4 M of Marko Hartung, Sterfan Neuberger, Franz Engstler. A Porsche and another BMW round out the top six.
Matthew Marsh is running in 17th place overall and leads the SP8 class in a sweep of the top spots by Aston Martin.
Just thirty minutes left before the celebrations start. My thanks to Colin Marsh for supplying the pictures. Also thanks to those who took the trouble to write.
Overall a fantastic event here in Germany with a run-what-ya-brung ethos and variety of cars to satisfy all tastes. Safe Home.

A GOOD YEAR FOR THE ROSE - writes Rupert Lloyd Thomas

Oliver Mathai's participation in the Nurburgring 24 Hours is coming to an end shortly after one o'clock when he will hand over the yellow #7 Aston Martin, known as Rose, to Matthew Marsh for the final segment. Mathai will have a nervous time while he waits for three o'clock.
A gentle run into the finish is envisaged to claim a place in the top twenty and the class win. No premature rejoicing here as there remains a Grand Prix distance left to run.
Meanwhile Kermit is back in the race and running in 28th place. The white #19 Aston Martin is in 25th place.
We are still waiting for Oliver Mathai on pit road at 13:25 - he has just arrived.
Matthew Marsh on track for the last time in this race with an out lap of 12mins 53.394secs. Matthew now 16th overall with his first flying lap in a time of 10mins 30.422secs [128 laps completed].
RLT.

IT ISN'T EASY BEING GREEN - writes Rupert Lloyd Thomas

Car #7 otherwise known as Kermit is running in 16th place, but a slow out lap has put the #8 car within striking distance on the same lap - lap 116.
Oliver Mathai is caning Rose in an attempt to catch the green frog. It isn't over until it is over - the gap being clocked at 1mins 29 secs - a small margin after nearly 21 hours of racing. One slip by either of the protagonists and the pendulum can rapidly swing in the other direction.
Matthew Marsh reports: "Dr Bez is doing last stint in Kermit..."
So with the two cars trading times in the 9mins 50secs bracket there is everything to play for.
Kermit running slow on Lap 117 with a front wheel askew - the car is limping back to the pits. A cruel blow after getting this far.
12:10: #8 is now running in 16th place and leading the SP8 class. Car #7 has reached the pits where they are working on the car, meanwhile it has dropped down the leader board being shown in 21st place.
L119 and car #7 is in the pits for a scheduled stop. There are still 2hours 40mins of racing left to go and plenty of time for further twists of fate.
Mathai completed his out lap in 12mins 04.746secs.
Matthew Marsh reports: "Kermit came into contact with another car and suffered suspension damage. It's been repaired but has come back in with some other problem." Chris Porritt was at the wheel. The subsequent problem revolved around disconnecting the ABS to get back running and finding the car was difficult to drive.
Mathai is running in 17th position in the Aston Martin Vantage V8 N24, #8, and completed Lap 121 in a time of 9mins 57.823secs.

RLT [Pic by Colin Marsh].

ELEVEN O'CLOCK ROCK

The #1 Manthey Porsche is holding station at the front with a three lap advantage on 124 laps. Following is the Manthey Porsche of Hahne/Haarmann/Krumbach/Kaffer. In third is #121, with #64 in fourth, #26 and #10 rounding out the top six.
Car #8 to the pits at 11:00, roll of the strategy dice to find the best combination to get to the finish. 11:05 car #7 passes the pits as the end game begins.
Matthew Marsh reports: "All being well I'll be in the car shortly after 1pm and take it to the finish."

THREE QUARTER DISTANCE

The battle between cars #7 and #8 for the class victory is turning into a cracker. Chris Porritt brought the #7 car to the pits at 09:05 turning the car over to Richard Meaden. At 09:18 Matthew Marsh arrived in the #8 yellow car to hand over to Shin-Ichi Katsura.
Things are little changed at the front, the top six being #1, #23, #121, #26, #10, #261.

The #19 Aston Martin of Doring/Ketterer/Philipp/Cseeber is running third in the SP8 class, all other class runners being out of contention.
09:45: #7 in 19th position, #8 21st.
10:25: #7 in 16th position, #8 21st.
10:45: #19 is in 29th position.
Greetings to Nelson Pang in Macau.

EIGHT O'CLOCK

Just seven hours to go at the Nurburgring with the #1 Porsche in first place. The Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Timo Bernhard/Marc Lieb/Romain Dumas/Marcel Tiemann now has a three-lap advantage after early misfortune. A semi-works car with a top squad of drivers they are a formidable combination, with sufficient time in hand to think of going into cruise mode to the finish.
The #23 Manthey Racing Porsche of Hahne/Haarmann/Krumbach/Kaffer is in second place. Making it a potential all-Porsche podium is the Porsche 997 of Sabine Schmitz/Klaus Abbelen/Dr Edgar Althoff in third.
08:15: The #7 Aston Martin is leading the class in 18th place, with #8 back in 21st, 2mins 50secs adrift on our stopwatch, ably operated by Matthew's dad.
08:25: The green Aston Martin called Kermit to the pits. Matthew Marsh is in hot pursuit as we wait for the pitstop sequence to unwind.

SEVEN O'CLOCK: TABLES TURNED

Oliver Mathai has reclaimed the SP8 class lead running in 21st position in car #8, as the #7 car dropped to 22nd on the pitstop sequence. The change happened as we approach seven o'clock and 16 hours running. With two-thirds of the race run cars #7 and #8 remain remarkably evenly matched.
07:00 O/A: 1, 23, 121, 25, 26, 10.
Matthew Marsh back in the car at 07:35, resuming in 20th position. The #7 car has taken the class lead once again in the pitstop sequence.

Good to see Henrik Nielsen here at the track from Hong Kong. His Flex-Box logos are to be seen on the helmet of Matthew Marsh.


RLT. [Pic by Colin Marsh.]

MATHAI ON A CHARGE

Oliver Mathai is charging in the yellow #8 Aston Martin and is closing in on the #7 green car. They are now competing for the class lead and the honour of being the first Aston Martin home. Mathai turned a lap of 9mins 48.132secs on the cars 83rd lap. Mathai to pits on lap 85 having closed the gap on the sister car. We should see the battled rejoined in his next stint.
The green Aston Martin has pitted and we are anticipating #8 taking the class lead once more as Mathai cranks out a lap in 9mins 45.476secs.

VANTAGE REVIVED

IT'S A FIVE O'CLOCK WORLD

05:00: #1, 31, 23, 121, 25, 26, 10, 261, 64, 45.

#261 is the BMW 320d of Muller/Farfus/Ekblom/Sorlie.

At just gone 05:30 #7 is 26th, #8 is 27th. Rose is the faster of the two and taking chunks of time from Kermit.



Matthew adjusts his overalls after getting out the car in the rain.

IT'S FOUR IN THE MORNING

The Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Timo Bernhard/Marc Lieb/Romain Dumas/Marcel Tiemann has completed a recovery drive after an early delay to lead the race at the thirteenth hour.
2nd #31, #23, #3, #121, #25.



Matthew Marsh talks to Rupert Lloyd Thomas about driving the Nurburgring at night in the rain.

04:40 - The #7 Aston Martin is now shown in 24th place, with the #8 car in 27th.

ROSE BLOSSOMS AT GREEN HELL

#8 23rd, #7 27th at 02:20.
Last lap for Rose 10mins 26.891secs. #7 is running a faster pace, last lap for Kermit 9mins 55.221secs.
02:35 #7 to pits for fuel, tyres and pads. They started fitting dry tyres, switched to wets as it started to rain more heavily. 02:40 #8 with Matthew Marsh aboard calls at the pits for fuel and wet tyres. Lap times are lengthening dramatically due to the wet weather. We are now past the half way mark of the race. #8 12mins 25.569secs on lap 68, still in the class lead.
O/A 03:15: #3, 1, 31, 23, 121, 25.
#22 is now 12th six laps down.
Matthew Marsh has now completed 70 laps and retains the class lead in tricky wet conditions here at the Ring. Matthew handed the car over to Shin-Ichi Katsura at 03:45 after a spell on a very treacherous track.

TWO O'CLOCK

The lead car at 02:00 is the #3 Land Motorsport Porsche GT3 RSR of Marc Basseng/Johannes Stuck/Patrick Simon.
Followed by #22, #1, #31, #23, #25, Porsches all.

02:20 - #8 now 23rd after turning a lap of 10mins 16.624secs. #7 is 28th and expected to stop shortly.
Now 24th for car #8.

ONE O'CLOCK: TEN HOURS IN

O/A at 01:15: Porsche #22, Porsche #3, Porsche #1, Porsche #31, Porsche #23, Porsche #121.
Car #8 24th, #7 33rd.
A remarkable comeback for Porsche #1 - the top three cars are on the lead lap 63 - the Porsche steamroller is getting started.

Hi to Jo Martin in NZ who says "Good to see that Rose is going well and up to 24th. Hope that Matthew is enjoying the 'Ring in the rain." See video below.

01:35 Matthew Marsh in the car, taking over from Oliver Mathai for a long stint. The car is now 22nd and leading the class SP8, as we head towards 02:00.