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Nürburgring GP: 2:30 PM
30 minutes before the 24 Hour Race
Luigi eyed the ADAC official waving the massive yellow flag through the starting grid, and soon enough, the roaring engines with their respective racing counterparts began to move. One by one, the cars began to accelerate and fall in line. The pace car, a Volkswagen Golf GTI, started its path to lead the cars through their formation lap.
The pole position Black Falcon SLS AMG basically led the pack, save for the pace car.
Eventually, Luigi saw the sister Z4 and the Team Marc VDS Z4 begin to move too. Finally, he stepped down on the gas to follow the Z4, and the Z4 GT3 began its part to flow with the grid.
Luigi knew that he had to concentrate, as he began to make the tight 180 degree turn to enter the Grand Prix circuit. Although this was barely the beginning of the race, Luigi felt like the twenty-four hours were going to be somewhat excruciatingly long.
BMW Team Schubert: 2:31 PM
"It will take, at their current pace, about three minutes for them to finish running through the Grand Prix track before they enter the Nordschleife," a BMW Motorsport engineer reported. "In the meantime, we just have to keep waiting, unless someone wants to do something else right now. We still have half an hour before the green flag comes down."
Outside, the pit crew for the first shift were busy looking outside at more cars who were lining up for the second starting grid. Audi A4s, Mercedes CLKs, BMW M3s, Nissan GT-Rs, and many more supercars were lining up on their positions on the grid. Naturally, these wouldn't be the star private factory teams, but simply private racing teams who would line up on this grid.
"They will leave the grid when everyone has lined up," the same engineer said. "…in spite that we still have half an hour."
Daisy, Rosalina, and Yoshi were still watching the televised monitor that showed an aerial view of the first grid. Just behind the first grid, the second grid was lining up.
Focus! Daisy thought. The BMW Z4 GT3 comes first.
To every pit garage out on the Nürburgring, time seemed to have drastically slowed down. At this point, the first grid was still in the process of passing through the Grand Prix circuit and had yet to approach the Michael Schumacher S-exit. Daisy rejoined the rest of BMW Team Schubert, who were watching the TV monitor.
"I've a question," Daisy said, directing to Michael. "If we drivers ever get tired, should we head back to the lounge?"
"I thought we talked about this before…" Michael murmured, but he was patient. "It's your call. If it's not your stint, then it would be better if you get some rest. However, you've got to make sure you're well-rested to some point that you won't become lazy. Otherwise, that would be detrimental to your efforts, and it would jeopardize our chances for a podium finish."
Daisy looked frightened, but Michael relaxed.
"Don't worry. I guess someone could just shake you awake when your stint's coming up."
Hatzenbach: 2:36 PM
Incredibly, like the BMW Motorsport engineer's prediction, it took exactly three minutes to exit the Grand Prix circuit. Since there was a schedule to keep, that the pace car had to leave the track at exactly three o'clock, there was twenty-five minutes to use to complete a full lap of the Nürburgring.
Luigi slowed the BMW Z4 GT3 to avoid hitting the Marc VDS Z4 in front. Using the technique the BMW works drivers told him, he swerved the car left and right and several cars behind him followed this action.
In reality, as Jörg Müller and Dirk Müller had decided to properly tell the drivers what the swerving method was about, the technique was indeed supposed to slow the car down, but it also saved the brakes from receiving wear and damage. After all, podium finishes could come down to minutes or even seconds, so prolonging the brakes' use was important.
Right as he did this, the track descended into a downward-sloped left curve. He drove the car in the respective direction where the track flattened a little to provide some means of straight. The other cars behind him, some serving left to right to avoid collision, were driving at their normal speed too.
Not long would the track turn into the dangerous turns of Hatzenbach. In Luigi's opinion, if the race were start at this moment, he could only imagine the amount of cars that would be colliding with each other right now.
At the same time, Bowser also did his best to avoid collisions in his Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. Personally, he would have loved to damage other cars but…
"YOU CAN'T BUMP INTO OTHER CARS LET ALONE DAMAGE THEM!" King Boo's voice roared in his head. "YOU'LL DAMAGE THE CAR ITSELF! IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM THAT YOU DON'T COLLIDE!"
Flugplatz: 2:37 PM
Normally, at this part of the track, Luigi would have seen multiple cars attempting their top speed at this section of track, where the change in elevation would dramatically rise a few metres vertical. By the time Luigi could start trekking the car upward, he suddenly felt the heavy feeling of inertia pushing his entire body back into his seat.
The Black Falcon SLS on pole position seemed to maintain its pace just perfectly, mainly most part due to the fact it was leading the pack of race cars without much pressure from hitting the pace car in front.
After the rise up, the pace car drove on a straight for at least ten seconds before making a slight turn right, where Flugplatz would slowly slip into Swendenkreuz, and ultimately Aremberg.
BMW Team Schubert: 2:40 PM
Meanwhile, the participants of the second grid had left for following the second pace car. Soon enough, after the last car of the second grid had left and the yellow flags were waving non-stop, a third pace car had lined up near the finish line and the remaining cars of the third grid began to line up.
"When they depart," a Schubert engineer reported. "That will be the last of the participants in the race. In exactly twenty minutes, the race will begin."
Lineup seemed to take forever, as the cars slowly took their respective positions on the grid.
The Schubert Motorsport team of BMW Motorsport tediously watched the TV cameras, outside, or even the equipment inside the pit garage. Engineers like Toadsworth and Skolar, Schubert, or BMW Motorsport, were keeping a close eye on many duties: weather, data on the BMW Z4 GT3, conditions of tires, and many more.
Meanwhile, Mario, along with Stefan Wendl, silently watched the monitor as the first grid made their way through Kallenhard and Wehrseifen.
Einfahrt Breidscheid: 2:41 PM
As the BMW Z4 GT3 with start number 18 driven by Luigi assed the most densely populated area of the Nordschleife (that is, the largest campsite), Luigi could smell the distinct odour of a typical fired-up barbeque. It appeared either some people had been eager to make dinner early, or they had forgotten about lunch.
It was fortunate that Luigi had a decent enough breakfast to keep him going, as the scent of bratwurst literally filled the car.
Luigi struggled not to hit the car in front of him, in spite that it was the Marc VDS Z4. However, the point was that the grid was moving at an incredibly low speed (at least for a race car).
Nürburgring GP: 2:43 PM
Outside, when the yellow flag went down and the third and final grid had departed, it felt like the world had come to a standstill.
It was moderately quiet, and spectators in the stands or in the observation buildings had their eyes glued to the massive screen that kept watch on the first grid. However, the most part due to the quietness was from the massive wide-open space available by the complex.
After all, at least an eighth of the spectators who had initially been at the starting grid had now returned to their campsites in the Nordschleife. Nevertheless, there were still plenty of people in the stands watching and cheering on the drivers and teams on the track.
Only a few minutes later did the final grid depart. The pit crew of BMW Team Schubert (that is, the first shift of Birdo, two Toads, a Koopa, and two of Koops' friends stood watching. Meanwhile, the drivers were also still watching the monitor, although they tried to distract themselves with a little wandering outside.
"I can't believe we're going to stay like this for twenty-four hours…" Daisy complained.
"When I was at the Observatory, I had to stay at that same building for millennia," Rosalina said, amused. "Don't forget that all I saw were stars and just the building."
Which in that case you never get bored, Daisy secretly thought.
Carraciola-Karussell: 2:44 PM
Now, the Volkswagen pace car began the descent into the Karussell at the slow and steady pace it had maintained for most of the time. The Black Falcon Mercedes on pole position followed the car, and the rest of the pack followed.
Luigi, in the BMW Z4 GT3, also began the descent into the famous hairpin turn shortly after. The banking of the hairpin corner was such that there was reason to enter it at a slow speed. The trembling and shaking of the steering wheel, and the car, was proof that the banking was not to be taken lightly. If that wasn't enough, the force of gravity pulled his body slightly down in the bank's direction, while the feeling of inertia was all the same uncomfortable when turning left, as it pulled him in the direction opposite to where he was steering and where force of gravity was acting on.
Ironically, this has to be the part of track where everyone enjoys, Luigi thought. It's neat, and there are plenty of people camping near this place too.
Eschbach: 2:46 PM
At this point, the massive lineup of cars from the first grid bypassed the second massive campground where tents and campers, and not to mention spectator stands, were set up.
Schwalbenschwanz: 2:48 PM
As the grid began to enter the vicinity of the last large-scale campsite and section resembling Karussell before it, the grid cars swerved constantly left to right.
The section of track and corner was yet again another of the famous turns of the Nürburgring. The track on this corner was gentle and wide (in Luigi's opinion), and this made it ample to provide many overtaking opportunities when the twenty-four hour race would begin. The crux of the problem would lie in using the inside line (that is, the curb) while attempting to avoid a collision.
Yet the corner provided a very wide section of road, which was essential. Of course, Luigi had likely noticed that during qualifying.
Not even two minutes later, the turn was finished with the miniature Karussell. The grid, lined up in twos, did their best to stay in formation as they entered the other banked turn (unlike Karussell, this banked turn was not a hairpin).
Döttinger Höhe: 2:52 PM
The pace car began to make its way towards the final straight of the Nürburgring. Since there were eight minutes left, the car had to reduce its speed so that the cars would relatively cross the start and finish line by three o'clock.
In doing so, the cars behind starting from the Black Falcon SLS AMG GT3 on pole position, swerved left and right and left and right to maintain their speed.
BMW Team Schubert, with Luigi and Jörg Müller operating the wheel in their respective cars, followed the lead and did their best to avoid unnecessary collisions. For Luigi, it was a breathtaking yet tense view that the slow-moving grid would eventually yield an intense blaze of speed later. That being said, it made the situation tedious.
For the Bowser Motorsport Racing Bugatti, Bowser once or twice glanced ahead to keep an eye on the Team Schubert Z4s. However, this wasn't relevant to him at the moment for the grid had to keep swerving left and right. Forget BMW Team Schubert for now, and focus on taking care of car he was driving right now. Even though he had the incredibly-powered engine resting in the heart of his car, Bowser doubted that would prevent him from making any possible collisions.
As the cars drew nearer to Antoniusbuche, in spite of the incredibly slow speed they were going at, every driver could literally feel the tension rising in their heads, and in their blood. Döttinger Höhe was the section of the Nürburgring most notable for being the longest straight road for the remainder of the loop.
BMW Team Schubert: 2:55 PM
(Mario's headset)
"It's almost time, everyone," Mario said through his headphones. "Mechanics and engineers are to remain on permanent standby like we practised."
Torque and the mechanics glanced once or twice at the clock and what was going on outside. There were only five minutes left, but these five minutes felt like the longest five minutes in their lives.
"Mechanics standing by," Torque reported. "Replacement parts, hoods, spoilers, and such are all accounted for. This will go great, and I know it."
"Our Schubert engineers and I have laptops, computers, and monitors all connected to the two BMW Z4 GT3s. Things should go flawlessly, and the car has just been fuelled up," Skolar reported. "The weather forecast is updating to include rainfall in half an hour."
"Wonderful…" Mario muttered, and turned his attention to the TV monitor. "It seems like my prediction for rain was right after all. It's a good thing we're using intermediate tyres."
The three drivers of the number 18 car were also still outside looking for the grid to appear. As they were all in BMW Motorsport sports caps, it also gave them some power to glance outside. Also, it was their first time ever at the Nürburgring. How could they not miss it?
Nürburgring Broadcasting: 2:57 PM
"It's almost three o'clock," the English broadcaster said. "All of the grids have left for their formation lap, and the third grid is quite a ways away. The first grid will be approaching the Tiergarten very quickly, and when the pace car splits off from the track at the Grand Prix, the race will begin!"
Broadcasting screens flashed in front of their eyes, and each of the English, French, and German broadcasters reported the essentials of what was going on in their own words. But all of them kept the same topic in mind: the start of the twenty-four hour race.
Tiergarten: 2:58 PM
The Volkswagen pace car, knowing how much time was left, maintained its steady pace as it brought the first grid through the last stretches and into the Hohenrain section. After bringing and leading the grid through Tiergarten, and now was in process on going through Hohenrain, the race was about to begin…
The pole position AMG Black Falcon SLS, Manthey Racing Porsches, a Lamborghini Gallardo, and multiple Audi R8 LMS Ultras, and of course BMW, made their way in.
BMW Team Schubert: 2:59 PM
Intensity, and nervousness, was what defined the moments in the garage of BMW Team Schubert. Indeed, Daisy, Rosalina, and Yoshi had to go outside to peek in the distance where they could see the Volkswagen Golf GTI leading the first grid towards the start line.
This is it… everyone thought.
At this point, it was clear the Volkswagen was starting to angle right in the direction of the pit lane, and Daisy had just enough time to glance across the other side of the track where an ADAC official stood on the stand directly perpendicular to the start line, with a massive green flag in his hands.
The start of the race... happens in the next minute!