Hyundai Motor triumphs at Nürburgring 24 hour race with Veloster Turbo
- Hyundai Motor’s Veloster Turbo takes its class victory in gruelling 24 hour race
- Veloster Turbo driver team included Hyundai Motor Deutschland Managing Director, Markus Schrick
June 25, 2014 -
Hyundai Motor achieved a dominant class victory at the 2014 Nürburgring 24 Hour in Germany. Competing in the SP2T class, the Veloster Turbo successfully completed 128 laps of the demanding 20,8-kilometre Eifel circuit. The number 131 car finished an impressive six laps ahead of its nearest class rival, underlining the pace and durability of the Veloster Turbo.
Competing against a field of 168 cars, Markus Schrick, Managing Director of Hyundai Motor Deutschland, was partnered with Michael Bohrer, Guido Naumann and Rory Penttinen. The team qualified the Veloster Turbo in 123rd position overall, and managed to pass 52 cars before the chequered flag fell on Sunday afternoon. Schrick, who only made his competitive racing debut at the same event in 2013, put in an impressive performance during his elected stints behind the wheel.
Class SP2T mandates that vehicles are closely related to their road-going production counterparts, and have an engine capacity no greater than 1,6-litres. The Veloster Turbo race car which ranked 71st place overall in the race is based closely on the production version of the popular sports coupe. With specially tuned front and rear suspension and engine characteristics, the production Veloster Turbo delivers competitive performance and driving pleasure.
The Veloster Turbo race car was tested alongside several road-going models at the iconic Nürburgring circuit, where Hyundai Motor operates its European testing facility. The purpose-built development centre allows Hyundai Motor to effectively evaluate and develop the durability and driving dynamics of its vehicles. Each car undertakes 480 test laps of the Nürburgring in both dry and wet conditions, simulating up to 180.000 km of all weather driving in less than six weeks.
Markus Schrick, commented: "It was a hard fight over 24 hours, but crossing the finish line was a great moment with incredible emotions for everyone at Hyundai Motor. We set ourselves an ambitious goal and have achieved it - the car ran faultlessly and everyone involved with the project performed fantastically well."
Team manager, Peter Schuhmann, commented, “Hyundai Veloster Turbo is so closely based on a production model, the drivability and speed of the car was simply amazing. All four drivers did a very good job and performed perfectly.”
Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO at Hyundai Motor Europe, commented: “The Nürburgring is central to Hyundai Motor’s European testing programme, so participating in an official FIA event here is a special experience. This achievement highlights the quality and durability of Hyundai Motor’s latest vehicles, which perform even under the extreme pressure of a highly-competitive endurance race.”
Now in its 42nd year, competitors from around the globe took part in the 2014 edition of the 24-hour endurance race. Nürburgring is one of the world’s most famous circuits, nicknamed ‘The Green Hell’, with the Eifel lap configuration spanning 20,8-kilometres and incorporating both the Grand Prix and Nordschleife tracks, featuring 73 corners (33 left and 40 right).
Germany is not only the location for the annual endurance race, but is also home to Hyundai Motor’s motorsport activities, which includes its World Rally Championship (WRC) team, based in nearby Alzenau. Hyundai Shell World Rally Team is currently participating in its first season in the championship and has already enjoyed one podium and three stage wins to date.
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About Hyundai Motor
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company, which leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars, offers top-quality best-sellers such as Elantra, Sonata and Genesis. Hyundai Motor has seven manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centers outside of South Korea and in 2013, sold 4.73 million vehicles globally. With almost 100,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell.
More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at:
http://worldwide.hyundai.com
or
http://www.hyundaiglobalnews.com
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