The tenth and last round of the endurance racing championship at the Nürburgring ended for the PoLe Racing Team of the Porsche Zentrum Lennetal with their first result in the top 30 overall. Johannes Kirchhoff (Iserlohn/ Germany) and Gustav Edelhoff (Menden/ Germany) took the chequered flag after a little more than four hours race time into 27th position overall and in 5th place in their class. “Today’s result is the dot on the i of a brilliant season”, said Johannes Kirchhoff. “Many thanks to everybody, in particular to the technical staff of the Porsche Zentrum Lennetal and of race&event, who have contributed a lot.“
Special strategy at the final
Efficiency is getting more and more significant in modern motor sport. There are partly special classifications for the most efficient race car, such as for example at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Kirchhoff and Edelhoff had therefore worked out a very special strategy for the season finale. The driver duo had scheduled only one pit stop for refuelling during the four hours race time for their close-to-production Porsche 911 GT3-RS. “With only two drivers, we would hence save one stop. We will reduce revs by 500 onto 8,000 rpm. We don’t know if it will work but it is worth trying”, said Edelhoff.
To come right to the point: It should not work. Even though the close-to-production race car consumes less fuel than the genuine race cars from the Zuffenhausen factory, 25 race laps plus one formation lap are simply two laps too much. Despite the reduced speed, the driver duo achieved a considerable fifth place amongst ten starters in the group of Specials up to 4000 cc (SP7). And even more important was that they achieved the best result ever for the PoLe Racing Team with their 27th position overall.
Close-to-production but maximum performances: Third highest number of points
The total of 29 different cars started in 2011 in class SP7. With 45.58 points, the PoLe Racing Team collected the third highest number of points! More points were only scored by the Wochenspiegel-Team-Manthey (50.68) as well as by the Frikadelli Racing Team (50.47). The locals from the Sauerland in Germany are even on top of the list in relation to finishers, they were classified eight times. Only a collision in the fifth race which was not their fault prevented them from having a clean record. Furthermore, they scored their seventh class win at the International ADAC 24 Hour Race in June.
With the fastest lap time of 9:01.459 minutes and the fastest qualifying time of 9:02.645 minutes, they just missed the supposed magical nine minute mark. With nine starts, Johannes Kirschhoff competed in the greatest number of races, followed by Wolfgang Kemper (8), Gustav Edelhoff (6), Lutz Krumnikl (4), Elmar Grimm (3), Sebastian Kemper (2) and Willi Friedrichs (1).
