The Nürburgring and in particular the Nordschleife has not lost anything of its appeal up to now, the 82nd year after its official opening ceremony in the year 1927 and the BFGoodrich Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring of course benefits from this reputation, too. The participants have regularly been coming from the neighbouring European countries, the Baltic states and Russia, from far east and Australia – all of which have become inherent part of this most popular racing series in Europe – but now the South and Central Americans more and more start to enjoy the Eifel circuit.
On the traces of the two famous Formula 1 drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and Carlos Reutemenn from Argentina, Javier Quiros from Costa Rica’s capital of San Jose last came to race in the “Green Hell”. And he was quite successful as he achieved a class victory in the class of VLN Specials up to 6.22 cc cylinder capacity together with the Gazoo-Racing-Team in a Lexus LF-A. Further drivers from the Central American country, the name of which means ‘rich coast’, will follow Quiros for the second race of the championship. Mariano Ramirez Streller, GT2 Champion of Central America, and Marco Castro Martinez, GT3-Champion of Central America, will compete together in a Honda S2000 entered by Cardiff-Motorsport for the 34th DMV 4-Hour-Race which is organised by the Renngemeinschaft Düren. “Many of my colleagues in Central and South America are just crazy about the Nordschleife”, says Martinez. “I am now looking forward to my first race there and I am convinced that this will be a totally new experience.”
It will for sure be a very special experience for the two drivers from Costa Rica. Although there is a multifaceted and colourful sports car scenery in Central America, you won’t find a race track as the Nürburgring there, nor a series as the endurance racing championship. Streller and Martinez will thus experience the same fascination at the second championship race as the one which attracts the regular participants in the BFGoodrich Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring and its fans ten times a year. And nobody would be surprised to see them back at the Eifel circuit one day …
