Third Year’s the Charm
The 24 Hours of Nürburgring is one of the most challenging motorsports races in the entire world. The track itself is a fabled place for motorsports fans and the proving ground for manufacturers of sports cars and race cars alike. The 24-hour race that is held every year is the ultimate test of engineering, teamwork, and racing skill.
Automakers aren’t the only manufacturers who use the Nürburgring as a proving ground. Tire companies also do. One company that will take their product to the extreme at the upcoming race is Giti Tire. This will be the third year that the company has competed in the race, and it hopes this to be the most exciting year yet.
The Cars Racing
The company has four cars set to compete in the race. The first is an Audi R8 LMS Ultra that comes with a 5.2-liter V10 engine that makes 570 hp. The car will be driven by Henzel Bernhard, P. Lefterov, and F. Schickler. The second is another Audi R8, this one a GT4 car, that has a 5.2-liter V10 engine tuned to 495 hp. It will be driven by Rainey He, Sunny Wong, Andy Yan, and Li Fei.
In the past, the company has used the Lamborghini Huracán for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. This time around, the company thought it would be better to utilize the Audi R8 instead. “The Audi R8 offers a great combination of power, reliability, and technology that goes together very well with how Giti positions its tires,” said a representative of Giti Tire. These are the two cars that many racing fans, spectators, and others in the industry will be focused on.
The VW Golfs will also run the race. One of the golfs will be an all-female team, including the drivers and crew. According to Giti Tire, this is the first time in the race’s history that this has happened.
“The 24 Hours Nürburgring race is a great natural choice for [us],” said a Giti Tire representative. “From one vehicle in 2017 to two in 2018 and four this year, Giti is truly committed to making an impact on the race and further utilizing the results and lessons to continue making both our racing and everyday driving tires the best they can be.”
The Tires to be Used
Speaking of the tires used, the company plans to use its GitiCompete GTR1 tires for the race. Those tires are a track-only variant that have proved to be very popular among a wide variety of racers. The GitiCompete GTR1 tires have been used at a wide variety of well-known motorsports events and races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring race, as well as Formula 3 Asian series, and Pikes Peak Hill Climb among others.
The latest iteration of the GTR1 tires come after years of research and development. The top grade compound has been designed for racetracks. It should help the Audi R8s compete well in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race this year. While race is an important test for Giti Tire, the company isn’t just concerned with racing. The lessons it learns on the track will trickle down to road-legal variations of its tires, ensuring the best performance for all kinds of vehicles.
It will be exciting to see how the Audi R8s and the VW Golfs put out on the racetrack by Giti Tire perform at the race. The race will occur this weekend in Germany.
