TPP presents: NLS 24 hours!

June 5th, the ADAC TOTAL 24H RACE will start at the Legendary Nordschleife for its 49th edition of the NLS 24 hours (formerly known as VLN 24 hours). Held since 1970, the 24-hour race promises to be a race of superlatives as always. For one day and one night, it pushes both men and machines to the limit. Where else can you experience a field of entrants with over 160 vehicles driving at full speed for 24 hours around the longest racetrack in the world?

As a prelude to all the fun, The Privateer’s Pitbox will run its own event inspired by the official race. Using Assetto Corsa, drivers will face three hours of gruelling terror as we simulate 24 hours of racing. Sign-up is free, and open as of now. Below, you can find all the details. Click on any subject in the table of contents to jump to that section.

Main event details

  • Date: Friday, June 4th (2021)
  • Qualifying start: 20:00CET (19:00UTC), duration 60 minutes / 1 hour
  • Race start: 21:00CET (20:00UTC), duration 180 minutes / 3 hours
  • Max. participants: 62, divided over 3 classes (see: car selection)

Registration

Registering is done through the SIMRACING.GP-platform, which (at the time of writing) is still in a closed beta. Don’t have a SIMRACING.GP account or stuck on the waiting list? Don’t worry! Hop in our Discord and ask for a direct manual invite. If you don’t have or use Discord, send me an email at contact@felixdicit.com.

To register, please see the links in the section ‘Event dates and times’.

Content needed

In order to participate in this event, you need Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition, because the event will use cars from many different DLC packs. Purchasing the Ultimate Edition is cheaper than buying the game and each pack individually.

Furthermore, a number of mods are required in order to get the server running, listed below:

Mod namePriceDownload
Nordschleife 108 Grid SpotsFreeDownload here (RaceDepartment)
Content ManagerFreeDownload here (own page)
SOLFreeDownload here (RaceDepartment)
Custom Shader PatchFreeDownload here (Github)

Remember to check whether you have the latest versions of these mods installed in order to be able to join the servers.

Car selection

For this race, we have selected three car classes to reflect the multi-class nature of the official event.

  • Class A: GT3, consisting of:
    • Audi R8 LMS 2016, Audi R8 LMS Ultra, BMW Z4 GT3, Ferrari 488 GT3, Lamborghini Huracan GT3, Lamborghini Huracan ST, McLaren 650S GT3, McLaren MP4-12C GT3, Mercedes AMG GT3, Mercedes SLS AMG GT3, Nissan GT-R GT3, Porsche 911 GT3 R 2016, SCG 003C, SCG P4/5 Competizione.
  • Class B: Classic DTM, consisting of:
    • Alfa Romeo 155 TI V6, BMW M3 E30 Gr.A 92, Mercedes-Benz 190E EVO II.
  • Class C: M235i, consisting of:
    • BMW M235i Racing
The BMW class starting their race. Picture credit: Jan Brucke

Qualifying guidelines

The qualifying window is one hour. All classes will attempt their fast laps simultaneously. This means you need to use the length of the track to time your lap wisely in order to minimize the impact traffic will have on your lap. If you do encounter traffic, we offer a few guidelines:

  • If you are on a flying lap and see a faster car approaching, make way for the faster car in a predictable manner. The sooner the faster car passes you, the better you can focus on your fast lap.
  • If you are on a flying lap and see a slower car coming up, plan your overtake wisely. It is up to you to get past the slower car safely. Keep in mind that there’s not only a difference in speed, but also in cornering ability. Remember: an accident will result in a new outlap of approximately 8 minutes!
  • If you are on your outlap or on an invalidated lap, let others pass in the least intrusive way possible. Don’t risk overtaking slower cars near corners.

Racing guidelines

The race is a three hour event set to a time multiplier of 8x, mimicking a 24-hour race. The track will be dry, but the night time (~30% of the event) will offer enough of a challenge in itself.

You are free to strategize your pitstops, there is no mandatory amount you need to do. Since this is a multiclass race, we expect our drivers to respect the blue flags and let approaching cars pass whenever possible. As in qualifying, faster cars are responsible for passing safely. Failure to do so can result in disqualification from the event.

The start of the GT3 class. Picture credit: Nuerburgring.de

Practice events

In order to prepare you for this festival of multiclass madness, The Privateer’s Pitbox is organizing multiple (3) test events each dedicated to one of the participating classes. Participation for these events is not mandatory, but highly encouraged to get yourself accustomed to the track, the cars, and racing etiquette.

Two weeks prior to the 24H-event, there is an hour long multiclass practice race. If you choose to participate in this event, please select the class you will use for the main event. This race’ settings are equal to the main event, but restricted to a one hour race duration (at 8x time multiplier).

Event dates and times

Below, you can see all the details to the events as well as a link to the event page on SIMRACING.GP where you can register your participation.

DateTime (CET)EventClassesRace DurationRegistration
April 8th20:00 – 22:00Practice Race DTMB60 minutesRegister here
April 22nd20:00 – 22:00Practice Race M235iC60 minutesRegister here
May 6th20:00 – 22:00Practice Race GT3A60 minutesRegister here
May 20th20:00 – 22:00Multiclass PracticeAll60 minutesRegister here
June 4th20:00 – 0:00TPP’s NLS 24H All180 minutesRegister here

General tips

If this is your first endurance event, please remember to:

  • Go to the toilet before the race starts. Three hours is a long ride.
  • Keep hydrated during the race. Prepare multiple bottles or glasses of water and put them within reach.
  • Bind buttons on your wheel for your headlights, flash lights, traction control, ABS and brake bias to be able to use or adjust those during the race.
  • Do some test with pitstops and make sure you have created the right strategy before entering the race. Running out of fuel after 99% of the race would be cruel.
  • Drive safely. The race is three hours long and can’t be won in lap one. So, relax, be consistent and predictable for your fellow racers!

We hope to welcome you the 4th of June to the TPP Presents NLS 24 hours and/or any of the practice races. GL, HF!

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