Rotek Racing’s 2014 Nürburgring 24 Hours came to a premature end during the dead of night after the Audi TTRS suffered engine issues and was unable to rejoin the race (22 June).
After losing several laps due to fuel pump issues as the sun began to set over the iconic German circuit, Rotek Racing were on a recovery charge as the drivers began to settle down for the night.
2012 World Touring Car Champion, Rob Huff, was first to pilot the Audi TTRS for the opening night stint and was quick to close the gap to class leaders, Besaplast Racing Team.
The Newmarket-domiciled driver continued to lap nearly ten seconds quicker than much of the field, which was made even more impressive due to running on scrubbed tyres and avoiding debris littering the track from earlier incidents.
At the close of his double stint, Rotek Racing were up to 45th overall and reduced the deficient to class leaders to under a lap.
The team were en route to securing a monumental podium finish when Daryl O’Young climbed the leader board and positioned the Rotek Racing team 40th overall, before an unfortunate engine issue during the night brought an end to the team’s race.
Just before 5am, the Audi TTRS lost power and pulled over to the side of the track and awaited recovery.
The car was quickly recovered and towed back to the pits, where the Rotek team inspected said engine, but were unable to repair the 2.5lite turbocharged five-cylinder power unit and deemed their weekend over.
There are many positives to take away from the weekend as both drivers and car showed they have the pace needed to not only battle for class wins, but also challenge the likes of the higher powered machinery in the field.
For more information on Rotek Racing, visit the official www.rotekracing.comwebsite, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page or follow @rotekracing on Twitter.