BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS banked excellent mileage at VLN3 as part of their preparation for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Markus Palttala, Henri Moser and Richard Göransson finished in 12th and Andrea Piccini, Dominik Schwager, Max Martin and Yelmer Buurman 16th in the SP9 class. After the cancellation of VLN10 in 2012, and both the first round and first test in 2013 had left the team short of track time, it was very important to get as many laps as possible. With only one car available for Friday’s running, Saturday saw a packed schedule for the team in preparation for next month’s 24 Hours. In the 90 minute qualifying session all the drivers from the three cars saw running. Times were far from a priority at this point, with heavy rain, fog and extremely cold temperatures making for treacherous conditions. As well as this, getting a feel for some new parts and new tyres was going to be crucial with just a single day’s full running on the Nordschleife. The four hour race started under the safety car in abysmal weather and the conditions made progress extremely hard for all three cars. The cold was causing problems with tyre temperatures, meaning that there was very little grip at the beginning and starting drivers Piccini, Göransson and Buurman had to show extreme caution. Towards the end of the stint improvements were seen in grip levels, which gave some confidence. As time wore on so a dry line appeared, and for the final part of the race the team were able to try slick tyres as well. Running all the tyres Michelin had to offer was a strong bonus, especially as conditions for the 24 Hours often changes very quickly. Being prepared for this and having knowledge of different conditions is vital for a strong result. All the drivers had some chance to drive a number of laps, especially Buurman. The Dutch driver drove the track in a racing car for the first time in Friday practice and in the race ran three hours in #27 before switching to #25 at the end in the dry; a total of around three hours 40 minutes. A small issue with an exhaust, which broke a damper and also punctured a tyre, ended the race for #27 just before the race finish, while running strongly. Top ten running and some strong pace set the team in good stead for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, where the team aim for a podium result – one better than the fourth place achieved in 2012.
