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Nürburgring 24 hours

Nürburgring Nordschleife, BRD

Date: 23/6/1973 to: 24/6/1973
Track length: 22.835 m
Attendance: unknown
Entries accepted: unknown
Starters: 105
Finishers: unknown

Pole position: unknown
Fastest lap: Lauda in 8.39,6

Distance: 2 x 8 hours, with a pause of 8 hours in between
Average speed: unknown
Weather: drizzle, rain
Ruleset: Group 2 and Group 4
Car info: 1973 Cars

Pictures

The seventh edition (and fourth as a race) of the Nürburgring 24 hour race was an experiment; it consisted of two heats of eight hours each with a pause of another eight hours in between. This was for safety reasons, most accidents happened in the early morning, but also to reduce the noise level for the inhabitants close to the ring. The entry was lead by the works Capri of Heyer/Fritzinger and two Alpina BMW CSLs, the orange Jägermeister car for Lauda/Joisten and Muirs’ BTCC car, after he had more or less damaged other Alpina cars in the past months at the Ring. He shared his car with Han Akersloot, an experienced Dutch touring car driver normally associated with Ford.

At five o’clock in the afternoon the flag dropped, Heyer leading, then Lauda, Faltz and Odenthal, but Lauda took over soon. Muir started as last after a change of plugs and managed to overtake 72 cars in the first lap - without damaging his own car.

First prominent retirement: Zweibäumer/Bonefeld with engine problems. After two hours the order is Lauda, Heyer, Faltz and Muir - only these cars are in the same lap. But now the drizzle changes into rain, none withstanding this the lead cars are still on slicks. Muir comes in with ignition problems and changes to intermediates. Then, a BMW driver becomes nervous when Heyer closes in. He spins, and Heyer crashes into the barriers trying to avoid him.
The damage is considerable, and two repairs move the car down the order, at eleven the car is listed in position 64 - but is still in the race.
Faltz/Kuhl drop out at Breidscheid; and 10 o’clock in the evening, the rain starts to cease. The Alpina cars were still in the lead at “half time”:
1. Lauda/Joisten 47 laps
2. Muir/Akersloot 47 laps
3. Odenthal/Richarz 46 laps
38. Heyer/Fritzinger

The cars could be repaired for 1,5 hours now; and Sunday morning 9:00 the remaining 77 cars started the next 8 hours. Muir again has ignition troubles but can continue. Fritzinger/Heyer take the lead in part two and never looked back - but the problems in part one would not allow an overall victory. Odenthal/Richard crash and retire; Klonz/Schuh, third in the meantime, do the same.
At the finish, the Alpina 1-2 is complete, BMW’s third victory at the Nürburgring 24h. The works Capri still manages to come in third.


Division 1, 2, and GT
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine
Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)
Engine
Type
Group Distance,
time
Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out
1 1 29 Alpina
BMW 3.0 CSL
Niki Lauda, A
Hans-Peter Joisten, D
3303 L6 Div. 2 2159 km in 16:04.21,1        
2 2 30 Alpina
BMW 3.0 CSL
Brian Muir, AUS
Han Akersloot, NL
3303 L6 Div. 2 2132 km        
3 3   Ford Köln
Ford Capri RS 2600
Hans Heyer, D
Klaus Fritzinger, D
2999 V6 Div. 2 2012 km        
4 1    
BMW 2002
Richard Peitz, D
Thomas Betzler, D
1990 L4 Div. 1 2002 km        
5 1    
BMW 1602
Helmut Lenz, D
Helmut Döring, D
1600 L4 Div. 1/1600 2001 km        
6 2    
BMW 2002
Heinrich Hirth, D
Günther Mohrs, D
1990 L4 Div. 1 1991 km        
7 2    
BMW 1602
Walter Prüser, D
? Friedhelm Theissen, D
1600 L4 Div. 1/1600 1990 km        
8 3    
BMW 2002
Manfred Verkühlen, D
Lenz
1990 L4 Div. 1 1971 km        
9 1    
Porsche 911 E
Wolfgang Kauwertz, D
2400? B6 GT 1963 km        
10 4    
Ford Capri 3000 GXL
Gordon Spice, GB
John Hine, GB
2993 V6 Div. 2 1948 km        
  1    
Fiat 128 coupé 1300
Friedhelm Croes, D
Rainer Orbach, D
1290 L4 Div. 1/1300 1877 km        
  1    
Autobianchi A112
Gerd Bauer, D
Frank Lampe, D
  L4 Div. 1/1000 1717 km        
       
BMW 2002
Richard Bremmekamp, D
Hans-Jürgen Möhle, D
1990 L4 Div. 1          
       
BMW 3.0 CSL
Walter Czadek, D
? Werner Scheid, D
3003? L6 Div. 2          
       
BMW 2800 CS
Sigmund Ogrodowcyk, D
Siegfried Müller Sr, D
2996 L6 Div. 2          
    99  
Simca Rallye 2
Unknown
1294 L4 Div. 1/1300          
      DNRT Marlboro Team
Simca Rallye
Jim Vermeulen, NL
Arthur van Dedem, NL
1294? L4 Div. 1/1300          
    100  
Fiat 128 coupé
Unknown
  L4            
    134  
NSU TT(S?)
Unknown
  L4            
       
Ford Capri RS 2600
Klaus Ludwig, D
Claude Lobo, F
2940? V6 Div. 2          
       
unknown
Ottmar Ickenroth, D
Willi Weyer, D
               
       
BMW 2002
Boz Jr
Wolfgang Stiller, D
1990 L4 Div. 1          
DNF      
Ford Capri RS 2600
Waltraud Odenthal, D
Hubert Richarz, D
2999? V6 Div. 2         Accident
DNF     Faltz-Alpina Essen
BMW ?3.0 CSL
Rüdiger Faltz, D
Helmut Kuhl, D
3003? L6 Div. 2          
DNF      
Porsche 911 S
Klonz
Werner Schuh, D
2500? B6 GT         Accident
DNF     GS tuning?
BMW 2002
Gerhard Schneider, D
Ernst-Dieter Klotzeck, D
1990 L4 Div. 1         Accident?
DNF     Reppekus
BMW 2002
Rainer Zweibäumer, D
Horst Bonefeld, D
1990 L4 Div. 1         Accident