A Gleichmäßigkeitsprüfung
(abbrev. GLP, German for regularity test) is a motorsport event
where precise timing is winning, not outright speed.
Mainly Classic
cars events like the modern Mille Miglia are held as GLPs.
A special
GLP series is held at the Nürburgring,
on the 20.832 km long Nordschleife. On seven Saturday mornings,
between 9:30 and 13:00, about 100 regular road legal cars take part,
each carrying a driver and a co-driver, both fitted with helmets.
They have to do 12 laps (250 km in total), with lap times in the
range of 10 minutes to 15 minutes, or average speeds between 125
km/h and 83 km/h.
Each team can
set its own target times twice, which has to be repeated three times
each, for a total of 8 laps counting towards the results. The remaining
four laps are in-lap, two pitstop
laps, and out-lap. Time is measured in 1/100 seconds, and results
are given in 1/10 seconds. Winners typically accumulate about 4
points, or 0.4 seconds, which means they cross the start/finish
line with a precision of about 5/100 of a second for each of eight
laps. Top-10-finishers manage about 1/10 sec, midfield-finishers
about 1/2 to 1 second or more per lap.
Stopping or
very slow driving is not permitted within 1 km of the start/finish
line, but there is a "waiting zone" on the very long and wide straight
called "Döttinger Höhe". Thus, competitors can drive for about 20
km as they like, enjoying the famous Green Hell of the Nordschleife
while track marshalls provide similar security as in races (unlike
in the public access hours).
Co-drivers
are a vital part of the success, as they usually do the timing,
guiding the driver to the finish line with 1/10 sec precision or
better. Some co-drivers get sick during the 2 or 3 hours of driving,
though.
The entry fee
including the one-event competition license is about 200 Euro. Due
to insurance issues and the event being designated as National,
the cars have to be registered in Germany, and the competitors need
an address in Germany, too. Occasionally, foreign race drivers are
allowed to take part, mainly to prepare for the 24 Hours Nürburgring,
e.g. actor Robert Carradine in 2001, or Italian lady racer Tamara
Vidali.
A related event,
with race cars and emphasis on outright speed, is the Rundstrecken
Challenge Nürburgring (Castrol-Haugg-Cup, CHC), which is usually
run by the same organizers in the afternoon following a GLP, but
also on separate occasions on different race tracks.
In
case of there is nothing other noted all terms are copyright Wikipedia
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