The World’s Longest Motor Race

[@Sp4mMe]

Took place 7 times on the Nürburgring. Doesn't even have a German wiki article. Yeah, this seems like an underappreciated piece of motorsport history ...

[@JohnWarren]

Absolutely!

[@cassandrarose2108]

​@redgateproductions how do you figure?

[@JohnWarren]

@@redgateproductions Google “Marathon De La Route”, and you’ll get some details. Not sure why I’d make this all up😂

[@eSKAone-]

Crazy

[@speedhunter7156]

Well on the whole "there isnt anyone crazy enough to do it" there is just that they are either sim endurance racers or in the 24 hours of lemons/lemons rally

[@JohnWarren]

True true

[@abl892]

The 24 hours of lemons must be sour.

[@ohnename4981]

​@@abl892 😂😂😂😂 didnt realise He wrote lemons instead of le mans

[@abl892]

@@ohnename4981 Yes I did its a joke. I'm not that dumb at least...

[@mateagoston8145]

Funny enough people race bicycles for longer distance. :D

[@marty_debiru]

I worked as a race mechanic for some time and did a couple of 24 hour races (which for the team is more like 36 hours), and all I can say is it was hell. I can't imagine any form of extended endurance race this age. For mechanics, drivers and the cars. Also I'm guessing nowdays there's just no need for a 96 hour race, manufactures know how to make their cars reliable and most of them already have testing facilities where they can test their cars for hundreds or even thousand of hours straight using machines.

[@wzpu3283]

Need? Who said anything about need? It's a WANT.

[@temporalmadness3756]

Well.. the longest race i know of, is the South American Grand Prix, aka the "Buenos Aires - Caracas".. the total length was 9576km, one pilot, one companion (not allowed to drive), split in fourteen stages.. This race was not a stand alone event like the Dakar, instead was part of the Turismo Carretera calendar for the 1948 season, the oldest racing series in the world, still going on today!

[@tiagolasagno4823]

Argentinean motorheads usually know about the Marathon de la Route because of the "Mision Argentina". Fangio build a team of 3 national IKA Torinos to race and one finish 4th overall.

[@nert-13]

The spring NASCAR race at bristol in march 1973 took longer. Rain delay meant the race was started, stopped on lap 52, restarted 2 weeks later

[@anonymouswhite352]

That's a red flag situation

[@nert-13]

@@anonymouswhite352 yes, but a longer race tho

[@JohnWarren]

Technically yes - Dakar is 2 weeks as well I believe, but this is the longest non-stop event

[@hannesgroesslinger]

If you wanna count that way: The 2016 Indycar race at Texas was even longer: It was started on June 12th, red flagged on lap 71, and then restarted and finished 11 weeks later on August 27th. There were 5 other Indycar races in between laps 71 and 72 of the Texas race.

[@anonymouswhite352]

@@nert-13 yeah but it's not longer because the race actively stops running as it's suspended its not happening that's like saying a movie is a year long because that's how long it took you to watch it. It's just a stupid inaccurate stament

[@Ben-gb9qr]

One of the winner, Porsche Factory driver Whili Kausen talked about it in a german Podcast, called "Alte Schule"(Old school). He said it was really hard, and his race engineer told him even after days and hours of driving, nearly at a point where he fell asleep, to go faster, every single lap😂

[@gtfanatic]

Thank you for doing this unknown race

[@matsimmo6208]

Known about this for a few years and it still amazes me. Really hope some madman finds a way to bring it back one day

[@paulqueripel3493]

7:45, that looks like an NSU RO80? Did they carry a spare engine in the boot to finish the race?

[@JohnWarren]

They were probably among the 90% that didn’t finish😂

[@ocpd182]

The first 24 hour race was in Columbus Ohio in 1905. Fun little fact.

[@potatogirlcultist19]

only in ohio lmao

[@patrickcesalestajodywibowo741]

Ohio invent things😂

[@someblokeidk8565]

Of course it was in Ohio 💀

[@TheGreekModeler]

I am so happy that someone finally made a video this 😊

[@mostlymotiongraphics2134]

I only knew about this race before because the GPLaps channel did a video on it. I would love for it to start again, but maybe with 4 or 5 drivers

[@saberline152]

the old Michel vaillant comics have them taking part in this race, it has some info on this race in there

[@AlexCascatau]

There are 25h races today still being organised actually. The 25h Fun Cup race at Spa is such an example.

[@LtNduati]

5:43 I could be wrong, as German is my second language, but if the full nürburgring name with the north and south loop in German was called ,,Vergess am strecke" I'm fairly certain that translates to something to the effect of "forget the way" That can be interpreted in two ways; either in retrospect as "the forgotten layout", or if known colloquially by that name back in the day, it could also be interpreted as something like "impossible to remember the layout" which jives with the "Green Hell" moniker in my opinion

[@Ben-gb9qr]

He says "Gesamtstrecke" (German is my first language)

[@CarloPlaya]

Stop waffling

[@legoferrari14]

A modding team known as Trained Monkey Modding developed a recreation of the Tatra 603 touring car that raced in the Marathon de la Route; the Tatra 603 was a Soviet-era limousine powered by an air-cooled 2.5-litre naturally aspirated V8, and featured trumpet style exhausts to aid in the cooling. The car actually saw a decent amount of success in the race.

[@dethfan06]

While not a race you should check out the Daytona endurance test with Mercury Comets. 100,000 miles with stops at recommended intervals following the owners manual.

[@jetengnexd4348]

Actually the longest endurance race to date is the 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

[@legoferrari14]

There's also the 25 Hours of Spa in the Volkswagen Fun Cup Benelux championship; the Fun Cup being a one-make race series using bespoke space frame race cars powered by a mid-mounted 1.8L 20v VAG engine with a silhouette body styled after the original Beetle.

[@BulletRockwilda]

96 hours on the Nordschleife? sign me up. I even do it for free the first time.

[@JohnWarren]

As you should!

[@danielwolfe4169]

You think your good enough to be paid? 😂

[@ethangreen3288]

"You cant put a price tag on your own health" American health care

[@3TastyOptions]

Kinda wanted the video to be 96 hours

[@JohnWarren]

My bad bro I’ll write a longer script next time😂

[@Hilmanpanjifirdaus]

Don't we have the 25 hours of Thunderhill?

[@heeltoeautomotive4962]

I was going to mention this

[@JohnWarren]

You’re right! I completely forgot about that💀

[@DanArnets1492]

@@JohnWarren - A few years ago they made a 48-hour race in Navarra (Spain's 5th-best circuit) with GT3 cars and such

[@darkmoondistro4486]

1:35 Is the first Skyline?

[@thejman3489]

I can stay up for a 24 hour race. Absolutely no way can I stay up for a 4 day race.

[@chiseledmedal2634]

Imagine if this old race was still done nowadays

[@Freesavh1776]

I've never heard of this race at all. Thanks for enlightening me.

[@blitzpixgarage3319]

The race was not held on the ring because of safety reasons, it was because of the iron curtain blocking the route to the east...I saw once an interview with a participant who said "It was a question of honour to drive 96 hours with only 2 drivers" - a real badass on what was even at that time called the most dangerous track on the planet...apart of some bridges, guiderails where only put up in 1970! Safety before that was provided with hedges lineing the track...my father and 2 uncles raced there in the 50ies and 60ies...they had a lot of stories to tell...great video!

[@dino0246]

It´s really a pitty that this longest race in the world is almost unknown. I make this experience every time when I´m telling somebody that my father participated in the 96h 1971. There are some really exceptional things on that: 1) He finished overall 7th, 2) he won the endurance competition, 3) all this in an Alfa Duetto Spider from 1968 with 2L Engine, 4) He it still alive today 84 years old , 5) the Alfa is still in our familly, bought new, raced and never sold. He has so many stories about the race, how they survided it, their strategy on the pit time penalties, the competitors etc. I always thought about a video or website to save all this... Best regards Nico Schumacher

[@lewis-scutiproductions4577]

Liège Sofia Liège continued until at least 2005, my dad participated in a Peugeot 404 in 95

[@JohnWarren]

I had no idea about this! What an awesome dad you have :)

[@lewis-scutiproductions4577]

@@JohnWarren thanks, I think it was an hommage style race, like what they're currently doing with the Mille Miglia

[@misterjersey5460]

I've only known this existed cuz two Mazda cosmos entered it.

[@avus-kw2f213]

Wasn’t there a race from New York to Paris ?

[@The_Radical_Car_Guy]

This sounds like it must've been an absolute riot! I I'd do it if given a teammate, and lent a car, doesn't have to be a good car.

[@JohnWarren]

I’ll be your teammate!

[@flashgordon3715]

There was a time when 6 day bicycle races were popular. Racing on Sunday would be frowned upon. I guess. 144 hours, im sure they had stints, and each rider has his own bicycle.

[@thejman3489]

We have something like this in Iowa. It's called RAGBRAI. It is an 8 day bike ride across the entire state of Iowa. I don't know how long they bike each day but I have a friend who did it. He had a lot of fun. They do have cars following the group in case anyone is struggling.

[@DanArnets1492]

6-day events have been done for at least cycling, running and rollerskating - Originally (late 19th century) you were allowed to go around and around for as long as you wanted, then they started having mandatory breaks and now only the cycling version remains and follows this weird format: · The event is done in pairs of riders · From start to finish, participants can never leave the velodrome (they make a small camp on the infield) · For 3-4 hours every day, you have different events to race on, both alone and with your partner (relays are done by handshake) · At the end of each event, points are given · In non-time trial events, losing laps can happen · WHO WINS? Pair with the most laps done OR, if there's a tie, the pair with the most points I've always thought you could probably run a similar event for cars/motorbikes and it'd be damn fun. Imagine a whole week of racing at some racetrack and drivers and mechanics can't leave the paddock.

[@flashgordon3715]

@Dan Arnets I'm 60 now. When I was about ten or twelve, I met a bikeshop owner that raced the 6 day events. He was a friend of my dad's. There was a Christmas party at the shop each year. Corner of Stanyon and Fredrick in San Francisco. The shop is still there.

[@wernerschneider4460]

Such an endurance-race should be held again today. I wonder if the current hypercars could survive running 3-4 days in Le Mans or the GT3 the same distance on the Nordschleife.

[@edoardocasagrande4339]

they use to test for 36 hours straight

[@TheEmm4lpha]

Fun Fact: Helmut Marko won the 1970 edition.

[@henrymorse9939]

I would like to point out the length of the longest motor race held today is at least 25 hours, as in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill held each December for the last almost 30 years.

[@mynock5012]

These idiots aren't interested in getting things right, just generating revenue from views via sensationalism...

[@bayandaimran]

Man, watching this video has just changed on what i know about motorsport really but i wonder how'd a modern Marathon De la Route would be like in this generation you know

[@millerchassis6119]

So the Mazda cosmo from the Title photo raced there?

[@JohnWarren]

That’s correct!

[@wzpu3283]

Subbed because you covered this. Thanks!

[@glicko1952]

hey, mind sharing the resources of those race results here or update it in the description? those are some interesting data i haven't came across anywhere, ngl

[@JohnWarren]

Sure! I’ve updated the description with a link.

[@sevegarza]

96 hours race with as close to stock as possible electric only road cars. Manufacturers will compete on car performance, range, and recharge time.

[@anonymouswhite352]

Why electric? It's inferior tech

[@sevegarza]

@@anonymouswhite352 I just think that the only financial incentive big enough to race for 96 hours straight would be for car manufacturers to test out and improve their electric car technology.

[@luisrosmaninho1948]

Nem conhecia esta duração.

[@bartpijpers3844]

In Europe many people know about Liège Sofia Liège because of the strip albums of Michel Vaillant

[@Marcel_be]

straight out of blocks, you're wrong. there's a 25 hour race in Spa in july.

[@JohnWarren]

You’re right! My bad. I did originally have it down to be the 32 hours in Portimao but I corrected it, and must have done it wrong by mistake. There’s also a 25 hour race at Thunderhill if I remember correctly.

[@washinours]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sur the current longuest is the 25h of Spa, not Le Mans.

[@JohnWarren]

You’re right! There’s also the 25 Hours of Thunderhill I believe. I meant to re-record that section but I totally forgot :/

[@markusjuenemann]

Well done!

[@lesklower7281]

In 1968 the first London to Sydney marathon was held you had to cover 10000 miles in ten days if rallying l don't think that included the part if the rally on the ship Delhi in India to Perth Australia then they finished in Sydney Australia at Warrick Farm motor racing circuit no longer there

[@scottl.1568]

Paris-Dakar?

[@The_Radical_Car_Guy]

I just thought of this. it would be sick and potentially possible to do something like this in beam mp just to prove how impossible it would be even with todays technology. You could even just simulate it with ai.

[@Hot-Dog-Racing]

24 hours isn’t the longest race currently. Baja 1000 can be up to 36-48 hours for the slower classes

[@FormulaArcticChampionship]

We should do this today

[@VashSpiegel]

You build a challenge, people will try to achieve it. I am one of those people.

[@Corvin152]

Completed my maths final today, Good luck for yours!

[@JohnWarren]

Thank you bro! Hope it went well :)

[@eins2001]

Imagine a modern sim adding this race

[@allmagicalme]

The longest race to date is the 1908 New York to Paris it took 169 days

[@theleftyboater]

Fun Cup does 25hr race….

[@pjohnbaldridge]

good luck on your exams

[@Ironiron.]

Count the old times to involve 96 hours of a race Today would be probably possible given how safety has improved, but the rules are pretty wacky

[@AfroMyrdal]

There is another! New York to Paris.

[@jacekatalakis8316]

Tatra won, didn't they wth a big luxury car, IIRC?

[@JohnWarren]

That is correct - it was a big weird saloon car with a V8 I think!

[@slim1940]

Bro Dakar last to two weeks

[@wzpu3283]

They stop each day. It's indeed grueling as hell, but it's divided up into stages for each day.

[@mikebeattie4346]

The Marathon de La Route, was not a race, it was a RALLY ! It’s just a pity you a so inaccurate in your description.

[@arcsss-c2i]

Firstttt......okay 42nd

[@jejoautomotive]

I read 69💀

[@robertknight5429]

Not really a race. More like a rally.

[@JURacing]

I had to stop watching when your nutrition advertising part kicked in...shame

[@ritiknema2974]

1st

[@jamat616]

There was a road race held from Beijing to Paris, I believe it was way longer, just saying en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peking_to_Paris