The story starts long before the "32nd int. ADAC 24h-race Nürburgring" in December 2003. That was the decision, to start the project "Volvo 240 Turbo". So it happened, that Volvo tuner HEICO SPORTIV came as a double starter this year. Friday the 500 km-Youngtimer-Race with the 280 hp Volvo 240 turbo group A, and Saturday from 15:00 pm on, the 24h race with a HS4 turbo.

But first about the 240 turbo: after problems during the qualifying, the ex-Volvo-works car shows its qualities and convinced with its speed during the race. But in round 6 the car had an engine demage and finished all hopes of the team and the drivers trio Müller/Tomitzi/Brenndörfer. "The car has an enormous potential", Robert Tomitzi - chiefeditor from DSF magazine "Motorvision Classic" was impressed. In spite of the break down, the debut of the 240´s was a success, cause another 240 with ex-DTM-Champion Per Stureson and Peter Kröber could finish the race as class winner.

The legendary 24h race bait more than 220.000 fans to the circuit - record! No wonder, cause it is well known as the hardest long term race of the world and guarantees superlatives: works-teams with star-drivers like Klaus Ludwig, Roland Asch and Hans Joachim Stuck, 230 cars all kinds and typical "Nürburgringweather" gives you a hard work at the pits and spectacular situations on the track. For HEICO SPORTIV and the drivers Brenndörfer/Eickholt/Müller ideal conditions, cause the car runs on serial street tyres Continental SportContact2. "It is a lot of fun under those conditions, to leave much stronger and faster car behind you", Patrick Brenndörfer said amused. He was driving the HS4 from starting position 103 to 75 within his first turn. "Crazy - this is exactly our weather! We drive in between all the M3´s and Porsches", so Brenndörfer said. Martin Müller could safe the position and was handing over a, so far, perfect running HS4 turbo after 10 rounds to Frank Eickholt.

But sudden a shriek in the pits number 6. Just now, the HS4 comes on TV with an damaged frontspoiler and a flat tyre. What happened? Jonathan Price on the Recaro-Porsche - just coming out of the pits - crashed with its tail into the right front edge of the HS4 at end of start/finishing straight. Frank Eickholt said: "I was steering just normal into the curve, as the Porsche came like a bird. I was long before inside the turn, perhaps Jonathan has missed the right point to brake and came off the track". The HEICO-Volvo limped backto the pits, but a broken oil-cooler has caused an engine-breakdown.

What happened than, was teamplay par excellence. Within 3 hours, the crew around Felice Sgura changed the complete engine, the right suspension, the front-spoiler and fixed the damaged body parts. The turbopressure was adjusted and the suspension was measured new. At 23:30 pm the HS4 started back into the race under havy applause of the total pit-lane to a make up chase. At least, the race was still another 15 hours to go!

Permanent changing weather conditions, the darkness and cold, fog and oil on the track as well as a lot of crashed cars laying around the 25km course where again confirming the quality of this hardest race course of the world. The "Green Hell" so named by Jackie Stewart in the old days showed again its typical and ugly but faszinating face. "It was psychically the most difficult race I ever took part", the total winner Hans Joachim Stuck said. "Under the difficult weather conditions, the race is like a dance on a razorblade". To survive the night without an exident, is just a wonder. That’s why reaching the end is already success, and the HS4 got without problems to the finishing line. "It´s again the proof for the quality of our team and products", Holger Hedtke, Generalmanager of HEICO SPORTIV said. "Exactly as last year, the touring-race car was equipped with lots of HEICO SPORTIV original parts, which are sold also for streetcars".

The legendary 24h race bait more than 220.000 fans to the circuit - record! No wonder, cause it is well known as the hardest long term race of the world and guarantees superlatives: works-teams with star-drivers like Klaus Ludwig, Roland Asch and Hans Joachim Stuck, 230 cars all kinds and typical "Nürburgringweather" gives you a hard work at the pits and spectacular situations on the track. For HEICO SPORTIV and the drivers Brenndörfer/Eickholt/Müller ideal conditions, cause the car runs on serial street tyres Continental SportContact2. "It is a lot of fun under those conditions, to leave much stronger and faster car behind you", Patrick Brenndörfer said amused. He was driving the HS4 from starting position 103 to 75 within his first turn. "Crazy - this is exactly our weather! We drive in between all the M3´s and Porsches", so Brenndörfer said. Martin Müller could safe the position and was handing over a, so far, perfect running HS4 turbo after 10 rounds to Frank Eickholt.

But sudden a shriek in the pits number 6. Just now, the HS4 comes on TV with an damaged frontspoiler and a flat tyre. What happened? Jonathan Price on the Recaro-Porsche - just coming out of the pits - crashed with its tail into the right front edge of the HS4 at end of start/finishing straight. Frank Eickholt said: "I was steering just normal into the curve, as the Porsche came like a bird. I was long before inside the turn, perhaps Jonathan has missed the right point to brake and came off the track". The HEICO-Volvo limped backto the pits, but a broken oil-cooler has caused an engine-breakdown.

What happened than, was teamplay par excellence. Within 3 hours, the crew around Felice Sgura changed the complete engine, the right suspension, the front-spoiler and fixed the damaged body parts. The turbopressure was adjusted and the suspension was measured new. At 23:30 pm the HS4 started back into the race under havy applause of the total pit-lane to a make up chase. At least, the race was still another 15 hours to go!

Permanent changing weather conditions, the darkness and cold, fog and oil on the track as well as a lot of crashed cars laying around the 25km course where again confirming the quality of this hardest race course of the world. The "Green Hell" so named by Jackie Stewart in the old days showed again its typical and ugly but faszinating face. "It was psychically the most difficult race I ever took part", the total winner Hans Joachim Stuck said. "Under the difficult weather conditions, the race is like a dance on a razorblade".

To survive the night without an exident, is just a wonder. That’s why reaching the end is already
success, and the HS4 got without problems to the finishing line. "It´s again the proof for the quality of our team and products", Holger Hedtke, Generalmanager of HEICO SPORTIV said. "Exactly as last year, the touring-race car was equipped with lots of HEICO SPORTIV original parts, which are sold also for streetcars". After 92 rounds and 2.240 km Martin Müller passed the finishing line at 15:01 and was very impressed of the last turn: "Lots of fans, flags, many people pointing out the HS4 and being pleased, that the Volvo could finish the race - great".

So this hard race got a satisfying end. "Thanks to all sponsors and the team, who have managed to bring a nearly damaged car back into race. That a Volvo is a robust car and can stay until the end, we knew before", Holger Hedtke said finally with a blink in his eyes.