Team Mirage breaks new ground at 2008 Nürburgring 24 hour
The Australian crewed Mitsubishi Mirages, that have raced at the Nürburgring 24 hour race since 2004, may appear humble enough, but their impact on Australians competing at the ‘Green Hell’ has been extraordinarily profound. This year, in their fifth successive appearance, the 156 Mirage set a new lap record for the team. The 156 car—driven by Layton Crambrook, Anthony Robson and Barrie Nesbitt—completed 125 laps, and it was on the car’s 78th lap, with Crambrook at the wheel, that the record time of 10:55.519 was set. The 155 car—driven by Malcolm Niall, Brett Niall, Clint Harvey and Mark Pilatti—completed 115 laps, with a best time of 11:10.936.
The Mirages are 1998 models that were originally raced in a one make series in Japan before being imported to Australia for racing in the Mirage Cup Series back in 1999. They weigh in at around 950kg and have 1.6 litre four cylinder engines. Both cars have around 35,000kms racing behind them. All told the cars have competed at the Bathurst 24 hour (2002, 2003—podium positions in class), Dubai 24 hour (2006, 2007—winning class), Malaysian 12 hour (2005-2007) and, of course, the Nürburgring 24 hour (2004-2008—including three class podiums). That’s a supreme effort of nine completed 24 hour enduros and three completed 12 hour races—tough little buggers aren’t they!
Those of you who have driven around the Ring at a Tourist day would know that a sub 10 minute ‘bridge to gantry’ lap time in a car with the Mirage’s performance credentials would be quite a respectable return. So, when you consider that any ‘bridge to gantry’ time doesn’t include around 30-40 seconds of the Döttinger Höhe straight, not to mention the additional four kilometres of the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, Layton Crambrook’s 10:55.519 Mitsubishi Mirage RS record time takes on a whole new level of respect. In fact, for the car at hand, it is quick. Bloody quick! During their 103 laps of the 2008 race the Team Osborne Corolla only posted one lap quicker than the 156 Mirage—10:54.483 with Australian rally champion Simon Evans at the wheel.
Crambrook spends his days back in Australia piloting a V8 Supercar around for fun at Oran Park for Mal Rose’s The Supercar Experience as well as racing at the pointy end in the V8 Utes series.
Mal Rose’s Mirages have paved the way for many Australians to get a taste of racing at one of the world’s most famous and toughest race tracks. The roll call is impressive indeed and many drivers have returned either in one of Mal’s cars or in a car of their own to again experience racing at the Nürburgring 24 hour.
Here’s the full list to date of Australians that have first experienced racing at the Ring in a Team Mirage car (in alphabetical order):
- Phil Alexander
- Tony Alford
- Adam Beechey
- David Borg
- Stephen Borness
- Shane Brangwin
- Kevin Burton
- Layton Crambrook
- Jack Elsgood
- Paul Freestone
- Richard “The Crasher” Gartner
- Clint Harvey
- Peter Leemhuis
- Barrie Nesbitt
- Ron Moller
- Brett Niall
- Malcolm Niall
- Colin Osborne
- Mark Pilatti
- Anthony Robson
- Gary Quartly
- Mal Rose
- Rob Rubis
- Dane Rudolph
- Ric Shaw
- Alan Shephard
- Paul Stubber
- Ray Stubber
- Adam Wallis
- Gary Young
Thirty drivers, amazingly, all have been serviced by the same pit crew as well. It’s a gutsy effort from a group of proud Australians who just want to get out and enjoy some tough, honest motor racing. I hope this article has given you some new found respect for these Mirage racers—I know it has for me. I’m sure, like me, you wish Mal and his Team Mirage cars many more years of success at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
