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Where did the Subaru WRX finish in the 2023 Nurburgring 24-hour race? Subaru and Subaru Tecnica International (STI) entered the 51st Nurburgring 24-hour race expecting to win again. The 51st Nurburgring 24-hour race attracted 235,000 spectators, and the Subaru WRX NBR Challenge car finished in second place.
The 2023 WRX NBR received upgrades to the newly-tuned STI 2.4-liter direct injection turbocharged Boxer engine along with its new next-gen body. Previously, the WRX STI NBR performance car was powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The 2.0-liter engine produced 335 horsepower and 340 ft-lbs of torque. However, Subaru did not reveal the specs of the new 2.4-liter engine.
Takuto Iguchi started the grueling 24-hour race in the WRX and the SP4T class. But it was downhill from there. Tim Schlick, Hideki Yamauchi, and Carlos Van Damme, the other three drivers, experienced mechanical difficulties that took a long time for repairs due to trouble along the way. The new WRX completed 114 laps in 24 hours (distance traveled: approximately 1,797 miles), placing 77th overall. The WRX finished the race in 2nd place in the SP4T class. It was better than last year when they did not finish the race.
Subaru experienced a problem before the race with the engine cooling water route from qualifying on Thursday, the 18th. As a result, Subaru says it was challenging to make a bold time attack and run continuously in the qualifying.
However, in the Q3 final qualifying session, measures we implemented and worked out, and the WRX was able to run trouble-free. As a result, the best time recorded in qualifying was 8 minutes 56 seconds 622, which was 51st overall and the top of the SP4T class.
Takuto Iguchi was the starting driver for the Subaru WRX NBR car #114. After a smooth start, Van Damme, Schlick, and Yamauchi took over the baton. However, after 21:00, five hours after the beginning of the race, the first trouble occurred. Iguchi had to make a pit stop because the alternator had seized up, making it impossible to generate electricity. However, he managed to get back into the pits, and techs replaced the part and restarted.
Despite the minor troubles, at 4:00 am on the 21st, the halfway point of the race, he was in 51st place, up 33 positions from the start.
However, at 6:00 am, Van Damme lost control just before the back straight and hit the guardrail. He returned to the pits in slow running. In addition, the engine was suffering from a drop in output due to an exhaust leak, and Subaru decided to work to repair the damaged parts, such as the suspension and drive system, and replace it with a spare engine.
In addition, the in-vehicle video showed a sudden change in the car's behavior just before the crash. It turned out that the stabilizer had come off, causing the plane to lose control. It took four and a half hours to complete all the work, but the WRX was back on the course after 11:00 am. After that, there were no troubles, and the drivers pushed to recover the position they had lost and caught up with the SP4T leader, who was temporarily 15 laps behind.
However, the WRX could not reverse the lead at the checkered flag at 16:00, finishing the race in 2nd place in the class, two laps behind.
Eiji Tatsumi, STI's General Manager of the Team, commented, "Although we entered with a new engine and a new car, there were many problems, and the results did not live up to the expectations of the Subaru fans. Once again, the Nurburgring is difficult. I was keenly aware that it was a race, but I am grateful that the drivers, mechanics, and engineers worked hard to deal with it so we could receive the checkered flag at the end."
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Photo credit: Subaru
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