#endurance-racing

#endurance-racing

What began as a playful internet prank has evolved into a genuine motorsport project. The racing version of the BMW M3 Touring 24H will compete at the legendary 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2026, turning an April Fools' joke into a unique moment for endurance racing. Built by BMW M Motorsport, the car will take on the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife (often called the "Green Hell"), bringing a wagon body style (rarely seen in modern motorsport) to one of the world's most demanding circuits.

On day five of an eight-day, 500-mile mountain bike race in Africa, Piers Constable found himself sprawled in the dirt for the second time. First he'd crashed on his left side, then on his right, until he was, in his own words, "muddied and bloodied," staring at a bike that was very much broken. He remembered a feed station a couple miles away and realized he had two choices: quit or run. He picked up the bike and ran.

This was his 14th attempt at the French sports car classic and, at 42, he was not expecting to have to honour his pledge. But win he did. He and his co-driver, Richard Attwood, a former Jaguar apprentice, held the lead in their Porsche 917K for the last 12 hours of a race run on a rain-drenched track so treacherous that only seven cars out of 51 starters were able to reach the finish.

Sony and Polyphony Digital are rolling out a huge update for Gran Turismo 7 on December 4 in the form of a paid add-on. The Power Pack DLC for the PlayStation 5 will unlock 50 new races across 20 theme categories, including 24-hour endurance events that Le Mans fans could sink their teeth into. In previous games, the endurance events really took 24 hours to finish, though you could pause and, eventually, save mid-race, allowing you to pick up where you left off.

During an interview on Stripe's "Cheeky Pint" podcast, published Monday, Tobi Lütke said he enjoys trying out the hobbies of people he admires. He said he started racing cars after visiting the track with friends, for example, and "immediately fell in love" with it. The German-born entrepreneur has competed in the Rolex 24, a sports car endurance race held at Daytona in January, among other competitions.

Formula 1 might be riding high these days on a wave of interest not seen since the 1960s, but the Drive to Survive effect has been felt elsewhere in the world of motorsport. Endurance racing like the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the Rolex 24 at Daytona has seen record crowds over the last few years, and a large part of that is down to the sports prototype class, exemplified by cars from the likes of Ferrari and Porsche.

Rod Farvard remarked on his previous experience at the race, emphasizing how competitive the men's field has become, stating, 'I believe my return gives me insights that might just edge out the competition.'

As a world-class production with excellent attention to detail and exciting live coverage, those of us following the race from afar can be prone to forgetting that race organizers are participating in their own impressive endurance event.

Jochen Mass, who passed away aged 78, was a reliable F1 driver known for his support of champions and success in endurance racing.