This article first appeard on the www.AUSringers.com website

Colin Osborne, current CAMS president, and keen racer in his own right, has just packed up his trusty Osborne Motorsports Toyota Corolla to the brim and sent it off to Germany for the 36th Nürburgring 24 hour race, to be held over the weekend of 22–25 May 2008. He was kind enough to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon on the phone to AUSringers to let us know what’s involved in tackling one of the world’s most prestigious 24 hour enduros.

This will be Colin’s (and the Corolla’s) fifth drive at the Nürburgring 24 hour, and for 2008 he will be joined by Nordschleife rookies Stu Jones and Iain Sherrin. Both Stu and Iain are well known within the MINI community having competed in R53 MINI Cooper Ss at various club events and tarmac rallies over recent years. Indeed, Iain Sherrin is currently competing behind the wheel of an R56 MINI Cooper S in the 2008 Australian MINI Challenge. All three drivers have extensive front wheel drive experience and, with enough laps around Bathurst, the two rookies have as good a preparation for the Nürburgring as one could hope for in the Southern hemisphere. Of course, nothing can prepare you for a Ring debut that will see you sharing the track with well over 200 cars in conditions that could well include heavy rain and dense night time fog. Don’t worry chaps, I’m sure you’ll be fine!