How to Plan the iRacing Nürburgring 24h
The iRacing Nürburgring 24h is the most complex endurance event on the platform: 24 hours, multiple car classes, the legendary Nordschleife, and lap times ranging from roughly 8 minutes for GT3 to 10+ minutes for the slower classes. This guide covers every planning dimension.
Model your Nordschleife fuel numbers in seconds → Open Fuel Calculator
1. Pick your car class
The Nürburgring 24h is multiclass — recent editions have featured GT3, Porsche Cup, GT4, and TCR. GT3 is the most competitive and demanding; GT4 and TCR are more forgiving and popular for teams with mixed driver pools. Confirm the class list for the specific edition you're entering, as it changes year to year.
2. Nordschleife fuel characteristics
The event runs the Gesamtstrecke 24h layout — the Nordschleife combined with the GP circuit for a lap of roughly 25.9 km, unlike anything else in iRacing. Fuel per lap is enormous by sprint-circuit standards: GT3 cars typically burn 13–17 L per lap at 8–8.5 minute lap times, so a ~100 L tank covers only 6–7 laps per stint — fewer laps per stint than shorter circuits, but longer time between stops. Model your numbers in the Fuel Calculator using the full 24h combined layout, not the shorter VLN or Nordschleife-only layouts.
3. Night driving — the Nordschleife in the dark
Like the real event, the race starts in the afternoon and runs through the night into Sunday. Night hours (roughly 22:00–05:00 local time) require extra caution at the Nordschleife: poor visibility, hard-to-spot braking references, and increased risk of off-track excursions. Budget 5–10% slower lap times during night hours and assign your most night-confident drivers to those stints.
4. Driver roster and stint planning
Most teams run 3–5 drivers for the Nürburgring 24h. At an average GT3 lap time of around 8:15 with 50–55 minute stints, each stint covers roughly 6 laps. Over 24 hours, a 4-driver team covers roughly 26–29 stints. Build your driver grid in a spreadsheet or a planning tool, marking sleep windows (every driver needs at least 4 hours off per 24h). Stagger sleep windows to ensure coverage.
5. Pit stop planning for long laps
With 8+ minute laps, timing matters more than at short circuits. A pit window is effectively ±1 lap = ±8 minutes. Coordinate pit stops to avoid simultaneous stops with teammates (if running multiple cars) and to exploit caution windows. The full pit cycle through the GP-circuit pit lane is long — budget on the order of two minutes for entry, service, and exit when planning gaps.
6. Race-day communication
For a 24-hour event, communication infrastructure is as important as strategy. Set up a shared dashboard, assign a dedicated strategy caller, and establish clear radio protocol for pit-in calls, FCY responses, and driver swap confirmations. Use a live pit board to track actual vs. planned lap count and fuel remaining.
Nordschleife tip
Always plan for at least one unplanned stop. The Nordschleife has historically high DNF and incident rates. Building a 30-minute buffer into your stint schedule lets you absorb an incident and repairs without the whole driver roster falling apart.