24h Vespa Race in Zuera

The 24-hour race in Zuera, organized by Team Vespa Barcelona (TVB):
As the two years before the GSF / SCOOTER CENTER Racing team with some of the best Euro Scooter Challenge (ESC) drivers arrived at the hardest Vespa race of the year.

In light of the victory of the previous year, in parallel with the fastest lap of the class win and the overall victory could be won in the, the bar was very high. To meet this requirement, the preparations started very early. As the 2012 racing scooter died in a crash in long distance races at Magny Cours in October just as a sheet metal balls to Germany, was started in November with the rebuilding. Here, the scooter has been built taking into account the lessons learned from the previous year according to the principle of form follows function, because proper preparation Prevents poor performance. Or something like that.

Brief Features Overview of the scooter:

• Reinforced frame to vulnerable areas and fitted with crash pads
• 25 liter tank in the hatch with quick-tank system
• Endurance brake system setup with radial brake pump for fatigue-free braking
• Xenon headlights
• Electrics with four separate circuits for lighting, position lights, boxes and communication instruments on board with redundant components
• Laptimer

The engine setup was designed for absolute durability:

• Parmakit SP09 60mm
• Quattrini Engine Casing
• Hartz4 Clutch
• DRT Runner Christmastree
• DRT Gear selector
• Vespatronic

Friday: after setting up the scooter to the climate conditions in Zuera and the suspension was tuned to a compromise of the various requirements of the pilots.

Saturday morning: qualifying.
Since the start position for a 24-hour race is of subordinate importance and the scooter should be a maximum spared, the scooter was after reaching the second place prematurely brought back to the pits for the final inspection before the race. Here is a slight leak at the brake caliper piston was found, prompting a precaution the prepared replacement brake system (brake pump, brake caliper incl line pre-deaerated) was installed.

By 12 clock started the race on Saturday, with the GSF / SCOOTER CENTER racing team was in the first two hours on court. Defended in the first place this time, the „Laranja Team Racing“ very successful, which was traveling with a 24hp Yamaha RD80 100cm cylinder with water cooling and perceived permanent 13000 rev / min. Maximum Respect at this point for this engine concept!
With the driver change to Andreas Putz came in the early afternoon and the first place that this already was able to expand to two laps to the end of his stint. During the afternoon was set up by Andreas Putz and Maik Perschmann twice a lap record, which had to be given back to John but tile (brother of Team Germany member Christian tile) of Team Heives the evening. Nonetheless, the leadership was not given from the hand even after a maintenance stop at 19 clock, even if the projection at this time due to the strong competition was only one round (two Laranja place, third place Heives).

By 23 clock there was a big turning point in the race: A scooter had distributed its entire stock of gear oil on the track, which led to a mass departure in the fast right-hander after the start / finish straight. Maik Persch, who was at that time on the track, the GSF / SCOOTER CENTER scooter racing could just hold still on the track through the years of racing routine. As a result, there was a one-hour break from racing, in which the track was cleaned from oil. The team used this time to get back to the scooter equipped with the now repaired main brake system and put on fresh tires.
The guide has been expanded under the guidance of Jens Wolters after restart at midnight continuously so that you could have well over 30 laps, not least by the continued strong performance of tile and Jens Christian Fischer on the beginning of the last stint at 11 clock.

At 11:20 clock the race and thus the class and overall victory already won by this projection was unaufholbar … but the fastest lap of the race was still in the hands of team Heives. Around this time, got driver Michael Betz, like in previous years, drove the final stint of team manager Jens Wolters a pit board with the inscription „P1, PUSH“ to see. The order was clear, as it should again be the complete package as the year before brought home: classes, total victory ….. and also set the fastest race lap. In the comfortable position to win not to jeopardize the hunt was opened in the coming laps in the fastest lap time … and successfully. The counter was a little later in 1:21:74, half a second as a team Heives that underpowered due to engine failure were traveling faster and no longer able to parry.

TRIPLE WON!

1. Fastest Lap
2. class victory
3. total victory

The GSF / SCOOTER CENTER racing scooter had the race without a single defect survived 920 laps and 1564 kilometers so that in race trim.

By 12 clock noon, the race was flagged as planned, final rankings overall are:
1st place: Team Germany – powered by GSF / SCK
2nd place: Laranja Team Racing
3rd place: Rolando Motoroledo Racing

Team Germany like to say THANK YOU to
– his team manager Jens Wolters for 28 hours of continuous top performance,
– the other German teams (Heives, Darts Racing, pussy power) for the best cooperation and nice atmosphere! It was like getting a hard to drive with you!

Big Thanks to the local Spanish / Catalan, Portuguese and French teams who have so kindly received us in their midst! Rarely such hospitality and honest sympathetic joy seen.
And of course last but not least, the incredible team of TVB Team Vespa Barcelona who unselfishly worked tirelessly organizing the race and pull through with an insane professionalism!

Without exaggeration, this race is THE highlight of every season … we’ll see you back next year again!