Cambridgeshire driver competes in maiden twice-around-the-clock race
Oliver Jarvis takes a break from his Audi “factory” Germen Touring Car Masters (DTM) duties to race a “customer” Audi R8 LMS GT3 sportscar in the Nürburgring 24 Hours next weekend (15-16 May).
The 26-year-old from Burwell near Cambridge who is more accustomed to racing an Audi A4 DTM will drive a V10-engined Audi R8 LMS sportscar in the twice-around-the-clock encounter – marking his first 24 Hour race.
“It’ll be the first time I’ve ever competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours and I’m very excited about contesting this race and delighted to be part of the ABT Sportsline line-up,” confirmed Oliver.
“It’s a unique race with well over 200 cars competing around the famous old 14-mile Nordschleife track race located in the Eifel mountains and watched by over 250,000 spectators.”
ABT Sportsline raced the R8 LMS at Nürburgring for the first time last year, winning the GT3 category and finishing second overall. The Allgäu-based team enters two R8 LMS sportscars and will include Jarvis’s fellow Audi "factory” drivers Mattias Ekström (Sweden) Timo Scheider (Germany) plus Marco Werner (Germany).The ABT team will be joined by Black Falcon and Phoenix Racing with seven Audi R8 LMS sportscars lining-up on the grid. Current Audi “factory” driver Mike Rockenfeller (Germany) and Le Mans driver Marcel Fässler (Switzerland) will be part of the Phoenix team along with two of the most successful Audi "factory” drivers of years gone by, 1996 British Touring Car Champion Frank Biela (Germany) and Hans-Joachim Stuck (Germany).
Jarvis continued: “I took part in a VLN Endurance Championship race on the Nordschleife last year so I do have some experience of this track in race situations heading into my first ever 24 hour race.
“I’m very aware how difficult the track is and how much ‘traffic’ we’ll come across during the race. The Nordschleife is one of the most challenging race circuits in the world and one that is steeped in history so to be part of this race is something very special.”
Radlett-based father and son duo, Sean Paul and Sean Patrick Breslin, originally from Belfast, will contest the race in Black Falcon entered R8 LMS sportscars.
The Audi R8 LMS privateer teams at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2010:ABT SportslineAudi R8 LMS #2Christian Abt (D), Emmanuel Collard (F), Lucas Luhr (D), Christopher Mies (D)Audi R8 LMS #100Mattias Ekström (S), Oliver Jarvis (GB), Timo Scheider (D), Marco Werner (D)Black FalconAudi R8 LMS #102Sean Paul Breslin (IRL), Christer Jöns (D), Kenneth Heyer (D), Johannes Stuck (D)Audi R8 LMS #111Sean Patrick Breslin (IRL), Rob Wilson (NZ), Vimal Mehta (EAT), TBA
