NEWS

14 March, Saturday

The season opener of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie has been canceled

Low temperatures and snowfall had initially delayed the start of qualifying. Track conditions improved, but the temperatures did not. The tire manufacturers involved in the NLS advised the VLN against holding the 71st ADAC Westfalenfahrt. Race officials ultimately followed the recommendation. The final cancellation at 10:45 a.m. was preceded by two team manager meetings at 8:30 a.m. and 10...
The season opener of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie has been canceled

14.03.2026

Low temperatures and snowfall had initially delayed the start of qualifying. Track conditions improved, but the temperatures did not. The tire manufacturers involved in the NLS advised the VLN against holding the 71st ADAC Westfalenfahrt. Race officials ultimately followed the recommendation. The final cancellation at 10:45 a.m. was preceded by two team manager meetings at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., during which VLN officials sought feedback from the teams. “Even though the final decision rests with us, it was important to us to discuss the situation with the participants,” says Christian Vormann, VLN Sports Director. “After an inspection lap, race control decided that the track was drivable. The shoulders were clear of snow and it was slowly drying out. Opinions among the teams were mixed. A vote resulted in a slim majority in favor of holding the event. In the end, the warning from the tire industry tipped the scales in favor of cancellation.” The second round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie will take place this coming weekend. On March 21, Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen, among others, will return to the Green Hell in a Mercedes-AMG GT3. 🎟️ Tickets are available here.

50th anniversary: Summit meeting of champions at the start of the NLS season

10.03.2026

The ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie is coming out of hibernation with a bang – kicking off its 50th season with a bang on March 14, 2026, with the first race of the season. When the field of 132 registered vehicles lines up for the 71st ADAC Westfalenfahrt, it will quickly become clear that the density of top international drivers has rarely been as high as it is this year. Tickets are available from $25 at VLN.de/tickets. Young people up to the age of 14 have free admission. Those who are not there in person can follow the race day via the free livestream on VLN.de. At the top of the field is Manthey's legendary Porsche 911 GT3 R with start number 911. Not only is reigning DTM champion Ayhancan Güven at the wheel, he is also sharing the cockpit with Porsche works driver Kévin Estre. However, the competition for the ‘Grello’ is more prominent than ever before. Dunlop Motorsport's car number 17 will be driven by Julien Andlauer, who is traveling to the Eifel with the momentum of his overall victory at the 2026 Daytona 24 Hours; he will share the cockpit with Nico Menzel. Team Falken Motorsport also wants to have a say in the overall victory. Morris Schuring, the reigning DTM Junior Champion, will start in the number 44 car alongside Klaus Bachler. REALIZE KONDO RACING with Rinaldi is fielding a real power trio in the race with start number 45. Thierry Vermeulen (Gold Cup winner of the GT World Challenge) and Dennis Marschall (Bronze Champion of the GTWC) will share the Ferrari 296 GT3 with Thomas Neubauer. BMW and Mercedes-AMG upgradeThe Bavarian competition is particularly impressive: BMW is sending three absolute top teams with factory support to the Green Hell. Schubert Motorsport is attacking with start number 77 and a top-class line-up – here, factory drivers Marco Wittmann, Philipp Eng, and Robin Frijns will share the cockpit of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO. ROWE RACING is no less ambitious. Car number 98 will be driven by Augusto Farfus, Raffaele Marciello, and Jordan Pepper, while car number 99 will be driven by Dan Harper, Max Hesse, and Sheldon Van Der Linde. The Mercedes-AMG faction is also gearing up massively. With start number 80, Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL is sending a trio into the race that embodies pure GT3 experience: Maxime Martin, Maro Engel, and Luca Stolz want to bring victory back to Affalterbach at the season opener. The line-up is complemented by another Mercedes-AMG GT3 with start number 3 from Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, with three exceptional talents at the wheel: Jules Gounon, Daniel Juncadella, and Lucas Auer. Four-time Formula 1 world champion and team namesake Max Verstappen will then join the action at NLS2. After a successful debut season with one victory, the Haupt Racing Team is once again relying on the powerful Ford Mustang GT3. The Pro lineup is rounded off by Konrad Motorsport and the Red Bull Team ABT (both Lamborghini Huracán GT3), Walkenhorst Motorsport (Aston Martin Vantage GT3), Dinamic GT, and Lionspeed GP (Porsche 911 GT3 R). A breath of fresh air in SP9 AM and PRO-AMBut it's not just the pure Pro category that is highly exciting; the SP9 Pro-Am and Am sub-classifications also promise thrilling duels and interesting stories. ProSport Racing, a familiar face on the Nordschleife, is returning to the top class and will be competing with an Aston Martin Vantage GT3. In the AM class, they will face Goroyan RT by Car Collection (Porsche 911 GT3 R), JUTA Racing (Audi R8 LMS), and Renazzo Motorsport (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO 2). At the same time, exciting new additions to the PRO-AM class are bringing a breath of fresh air and new competition: GAMOTA Racing (BMW M4 GT3 EVO), Toyo Tires with Ring Racing (Mercedes-AMG GT3), and KKRämer Racing (Audi R8 LMS EVO II) are making their debut in the prestigious GT3 class this season. Their opponents include the two Porsche teams Lionspeed GP and 48 LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON, as well as another Aston Martin from Walkenhorst Motorsport. Masterful driver pairingsHowever, the NLS is not just about the top class: although the fiercely contested Cup classes are not about overall victory, there is still a lot to win. In the BMW M2 Racing class, there is a constellation that will make fans of the championship sit up and take notice: Ranko Mijatovic and Michael Schrey are forming an alliance of champions in car number 888. Mijatovic, who has been the reigning NLS champion since 2024, is teaming up with two-time NLS champion Schrey to bring Team Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport to the forefront. Together, they already have four titles to their name in one car – a record that is normally difficult to beat. But the bar is set even higher this year by the team that has dominated the series almost at will in recent years: Adrenalin Motorsport. The team led by team boss Matthias Unger is fielding a pairing in the VT2-RWD class with start number 500 that can confidently be described as the ‘gold standard’. Philipp Leisen (champion in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2023) and Daniel Zils (champion in 2022 and 2023), two of the most successful NLS drivers in recent history, will be sharing a cockpit. Together, they have an impressive six championship titles to their name – a statistical demonstration of power that illustrates why Adrenalin Motorsport has been the team to beat for years. Philipp Stahlschmidt completes the trio. Masterful team performancesOnce again this year, the line-ups of some teams are impressive. SRS Team Sorg Rennsport leads the statistics with an impressive eleven registered vehicles, spread across the SP10, VT2, CUP2, and CUP3 classes. Close on its heels is the aforementioned Team Adrenalin Motorsport, which also has an enormous presence with nine cars, covering the highly competitive V6, V5, and BMW M240i categories, among others. Speaking of class strength: the CUP3 class of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PETN) for the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS has the largest starting field of the season opener with 21 starters, followed by the VT2-RWD with 14 and the CUP2 (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) with twelve cars. Tickets for the opening race of the anniversary season, the 71st ADAC Westfalenfahrt, cost €25 (children under 14 free) and are available at VLN.de/tickets and at the box office. This gives access to the open grandstands on the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, as well as the paddock, pit lane, and starting grid. The best positions on the starting grid will be decided in qualifying between 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. During the break between qualifying and the race, fans will have plenty of time to experience the cars up close: with a ticket, they can enter the pit lane for the pit walk at 10:20 a.m., before the starting grid at 11:10 a.m. offers even more motorsport action up close. The four-hour endurance race starts at 12 noon. The livestream at VLN.de begins at 8:15 a.m. In addition, there is ‘Radio Nürburgring’ at rpr1.de and in the RPR1 app.

Preview DNLS4: Showdown in the virtual Green Hell: Title decisions at the BILSTEIN 3h race

27.02.2026

The finale of the Digital Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (DNLS) promises maximum excitement this Saturday as the sim racing elite lines up for the BILSTEIN 3h race on the virtual Nordschleife. Over a distance of three hours, the final decisive points of the season will be contested in the iRacing simulation. Fans can follow all the action live, as the race will once again be broadcast via vln.de as well as on the official YouTube channel of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. Particular attention will be on the dramatic battle for the overall cross-class championship, where a true nail-biting finale is emerging ahead of the final round. The fight for the DNLS championship title is set up for high drama, with three teams within striking distance at the top. The BMW M2 Racing of BS+COMPETITION (#284) and the Porsche 911 GT3 CUP of EMM Esports (#905) are tied at the top of the standings with 48 points each. Just three points behind, SimRC, fielding the BMW M4 GT4 (#176) with 45 points, is waiting to capitalize on any mistake by the frontrunners. As the leading teams currently have no penalty points and would also be equal in number of wins should they succeed in the finale, a special regulation applies in the event of a tie on points: the championship would then be decided by the lower total number of iRacing incident points accumulated over the entire season. Here, BS+COMPETITION heads into the race as favorite with only 27 incidents, followed by SimRC with 40 and EMM Esports with 55 incidents. Clean driving without track limit violations or collisions will therefore be the decisive factor in determining the champion. Additional spice is added to this duel by the allocation of bonus points: one extra point is awarded for pole position and one for the fastest race lap. This means the tie could already be broken in qualifying, even before the starting lights turn green for the three-hour race. In the top SP9 class, everything points to a direct duel between two BMW teams. BS+COMPETITION leads the standings with 39 points but holds only a narrow advantage over Team Falken Simracing SP9, which remains within striking distance on 37 points. The MAHLE RACING TEAM currently sits third with its Ford Mustang GT3 on 23 points, followed by HRT Esports by Coanda with 20 points. While the front of the field is tightly packed, teams such as SZESE E-Sport and Nürburgring eSports, both on 11 points, are battling for a positive end to the season within the top five of the highly competitive GT3 class. In the Porsche Esports Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PEETN) class, there is a special feature in the standings to note on Saturday: while the official DNLS table evaluates the team and the car, Manthey, as organizer of the PEETN, also runs additional separate rankings. Alongside the team standings, which EMM Esports (#905) already secured at DNLS3, the focus here is primarily on the drivers. In the PEETN drivers’ standings, Raphael Rennhofer leads with 48 points, followed by Luca Alpert with 36 points. In addition, the AM drivers’ classification organized by Manthey provides a dedicated platform for amateurs, where Jan Winter currently leads with 30 points ahead of George Tyler with 26 points. A similarly commanding picture emerges in the SP10 class for GT4 cars. SimRC leads the field with 45 points after scoring maximum points plus bonus points in two of the three races held so far. Williams F1 Team Gaming follows in second place with 33 points, while Falken Simracing SP10 holds third with 26 points. In the BMW M2 Racing class, the situation mirrors that of the PEETN class: BS+COMPETITION is the benchmark here with 48 points. SCHERER ESPORT M2 CSR sits second with 31 points, followed by Nürburgring eSports with 18 points. This sets the stage clearly for the BILSTEIN 3h race: in almost all classes, it is not only about the race win, but about the prestigious title in one of the toughest online racing series in the world. Click here for the livestream.

The Green Hell awakens in March: Season kickoff from zero to sixty on the Nordschleife

24.02.2026

In March, the Nordschleife traditionally awakens from its winter hibernation – and this year, it's going from zero to one hundred right away. Starting on Saturday, March 7, the gates to the legendary 20.832 kilometers will reopen for tourist drives. The action continues over the following weekends: in addition to further dates for tourist drivers, there are two races in the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Endurance Series (March 14 and 21). March will be rounded off with a joyful “Ally Pally” atmosphere at Darts am Ring on Saturday, March 28. These are the Nürburgring highlights in March: Season start for tourist drivers | March 7 & 8The starting signal for more than 170 days of tourist driving this year: On Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, the barriers to the Nordschleife will open for the first time in 2026. It is a cherished tradition that numerous tourist drivers and petrolheads meet at the track for this occasion – for the first laps together or the long-awaited reunion among like-minded people. And even after the opening weekend, the fun continues. From the following Sunday (March 15), the Nordschleife will be open almost every day in March. As usual, anyone can take to the Nordschleife or Grand Prix circuit in their own vehicle during tourist drives. Prices remain stable: a lap on the Nordschleife from Friday to Sunday costs €35, as before, and a lap during the week costs €30. A stint (15 minutes) on the Grand Prix circuit costs €35 for motorcyclists and car drivers alike. Important note: A new emergency number applies from this season: +49 (0) 2691 302 9111. Season opener ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Endurance Series | March 14 & 21Two races in seven days and a colorful starting field: The ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) is kicking off the new season at full throttle. Immediately after the season opener on Saturday, March 14, the second race will take place the following weekend (March 21). The second date was set at short notice to take advantage of a gap in the Formula 1 calendar. After all, superstar Max Verstappen is planning to participate in the 24-hour race this year and would potentially like to compete in this NLS race as preparation. He is not alone in this: especially in the first races of the year, the top cars of the major endurance teams are always strongly represented in view of the big highlight of the season. Fans can therefore look forward to a particularly large number of GT cars from Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-AMG. The ticket for €25 (children under 14 free) includes admission to the paddock, the starting grid, and all spectator areas. If you want to treat yourself to an upgrade, first-class catering and the best seats are available with the “RACE&LUNCH” ticket (€190) or the full VIP package (€285) – the latter even includes a guided bus tour of the Nordschleife shortly before the start of the race. Darts am Ring Gala | March 28Ally Pally goes Green Hell: On Saturday, March 28, the ring°arena will once again be transformed into a madhouse of celebrating darts fans. For the fifth time, the world's elite of flying darts will be guests at the “Darts am Ring Gala” in the Eifel. They will be frenetically cheered on by thousands of fans of the sport in the indoor location of the Nürburgring. This year's line-up for the official PDC event is led by former world champion Luke Humphries and reigning vice world champion Gian van Veen. Also taking part are stars such as Nathan Aspinall, Stephen Bunting, and Germany's “Maximiser” Max Hopp, all of whom competed in this year's World Championship. If you still want to be there, you should hurry: only a few tickets are still available for the darts spectacle at the Nürburgring – starting at just €30. These can be purchased online at nuerburgring.de. The Nürburgring highlights in March 2026: 07. & 08. March: Saisonstart Touristenfahrten Nordschleife 14. March: ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - Race 1  21. March: ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - Race 2 28. March: RCN / GLP – Run 1 28. March: Darts am Ring Gala

Dates for 2026: Strategic calendar adjustment for NLS 2026

25.01.2026

The VLN is rescheduling the second round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) 2026 to March 21. Moving the event forward by one week takes advantage of an existing gap in the Formula 1 calendar between the Chinese Grand Prix (March 15) and the Japanese Grand Prix (March 29), thus opening up the opportunity for drivers from the pinnacle of motorsport and other international racing series to take part. Mike Jäger: We are acting in the interests of motorsport “The decision to move a date that had been fixed at an early stage was made after intensive discussions with many stakeholders, carefully weighing all interests – in the interests of motorsport. We want to further expand the global visibility that the NLS achieved last year through Max Verstappen’s participation, for the benefit of all teams and competitors.” The VLN would like to extend special thanks to the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) as well as the circuit operator. The RCN season opener had originally been scheduled for March 21. However, the officials of the grassroots racing series selflessly agreed to swap dates with the NLS. The Nürburgring also approved the change. This cooperative show of unity underlines the strong sense of solidarity among the organizers at the Nürburgring. The 2026 season of the ADAC RAVENOL NLS gets underway one week earlier: the major season opener (NLS 1) will take place on March 14. Tickets for all races are already available in advance starting at €25. 

Winter is going to be hot again: DNLS kicks off on December 6

31.10.2025

Race-free time? In the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, a foreign word – and that’s exactly why the new season of the DNLS starts on December 6th. The virtual format of the traditional Nordschleife championship again includes four races in the 2025/2026 winter season, each over a distance of three hours. The Digitale Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie stands for the same values as its real counterpart: top-class multiclass racing on the most beautiful and demanding racetrack in the world. And because standing at the track in the winter months would really be too cold, the virtual spectacle from the Green Hell is available via livestream on your home screen – fans just need to provide snacks and hot drinks themselves to enjoy the races. The DNLS has established itself as a fixed feature after six seasons – not only in the calendars of numerous teams and drivers from real motorsport, but also in the sim racing scene. The images that the world-leading racing simulation iRacing produces are spectacular, and there are camera perspectives that are hardly possible in reality. The elaborately produced livestream and commentary by NLS commentators set benchmarks in the virtual racing world. For the drivers, sim racing is long more than just a pastime, and even Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, who debuted in the DNLS 23/24 and this year competed and won his first real race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, sees the simulation as a perfect complement to real racing. “Every kilometer is a racing kilometer, whether in reality on the Nordschleife or in the simulation,” says Nürburgring chief instructor Andreas Gülden, who is now at home in both worlds and will again compete in the DNLS winter season with Team Nürburgring eSports. “When I accompanied Max on the way to his DPN, we also talked about sim racing. You could tell how seriously he takes virtual driving.” Drivers like Gülden play an important role in the DNLS, because in the GT3 class SP9 it is mandatory that at least one pilot from real racing participates. They usually share the cockpit with dedicated sim racing professionals and engage in exciting fights during the races. In the 2024/2025 season, drivers such as Mirko Bortolotti, Tim Heinemann, and Elias Seppänen were in action. Champion in SP9 was none other than Truck Racing European Champion Norbi Kiss. In addition to the GT3 cars, the other classes also offer spectacular racing, above all Cup 2 of the Porsche Esports Endurance Trophy Nürburgring. In the last DNLS season, Raphael Rennhofer finished on top here – he competed in ADAC GT4 Germany in 2024. The Austrian piloted the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of SCHERER eSPORTS. There are also two further classes: SP10 with GT4 cars from Aston Martin, BMW, and Mercedes-AMG, as well as SP3T with Renault Clio. The season opener of Season 7 of the DNLS is on December 6th, 2025. Races follow on December 20th, 2025, and on February 21st and 28th, 2026. Registration will begin shortly. Before the ‘big’ DNLS literally gets underway again, the final of the Community Cup will take place on November 14th. All information is available at vln.de/dnls.

NLS 10: Wüstenhagen and Mijatovic are champions in 2025

11.10.2025

Radiant winners in gloomy weather conditions: The champions of the 2025 season of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie are called Nick Wüstenhagen and Ranko Mijatovic. At the end of an exhausting season, the duo’s second place in the BMW M4 GT4 from FK Performance Motorsport in the tenth race of the season, after nine victories in a row, was enough to secure the title. For the team from Bremen, which has been competing in the NLS for 13 years, it is the first title in the popular endurance series. The last overall victory of the season went to Falken Motorsports. Dorian Boccolacci crossed the finish line after 4:01:30.077 hours, 22.281 seconds ahead of Nico Menzel in the sister car. The man from Kelberg was in action in both Porsche 911 GT3 R of the team and thus finished both first and second, the latter alongside Joel Sturm. The Haupt Racing Team confirmed the upward trend with the third consecutive podium finish for the Ford Mustang GT3. “I hoped that I would be able to defend the title. But you can’t plan something like that,” said Mijatovic. “I wanted to return to FK Performance Motorsport and with Nick it was a mega driver combination.” Mijatovic is, after record champion Johannes Scheid, the first driver to succeed in defending the title after changing cars. Scheid drove an Autobianchi A112 in 1980 and a Fiat 127 Sport in 1981, Mijatovic switched from the BMW M240i Racing to the BMW M4 GT4. Great joy over championship number one also for Wüstenhagen: “We worked towards the title. In the end, however, it was a lot of work. For me it’s the first time, and it’s slowly becoming real what we have achieved. My goal is of course to build on this success next year. But that also has to fit into my professional everyday life. We’ll see where the journey goes.” At the beginning of the season, Tobias Wahl was also part of today’s championship team. After a bicycle accident, however, the 39-year-old local hero from Remagen was forced to watch from NLS7 onward. In his place, Reinhold Renger contested the remaining season. “We as FK Performance have been competing in the NLS since 2013 and it makes us very proud to now be the ones to provide the champions here. This was definitely not the unlucky 13th year for us, because it is one of our greatest successes,” grinned team boss Martin Kaemena. “Congratulations to Martin and his team,” said Matthias Unger, who with his team Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels had produced the champions over the past seven years. “In the coming season they will be the hunted ones and we will do everything to win the title back.” Adrenalin Motorsport, however, does not go empty-handed this year either. Philipp Leisen, Philipp Stahlschmidt and Daniel Zils won the Produktionswagen-Trophäe of the NLS by a wide margin. The trio achieved six class victories in the VT2-RWD with the BMW 330i. Mühlner Motorsport wins the PETNThe runners-up title was secured by Tim Scheerbarth and Arne Hoffmeister in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Mühlner Motorsport. With their seventh win of the season, together with David Jahn, the trio also won the overall classification of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring. The title in the Cup 3 class of the PETN went to Joshua Bednarski and Lorenz Stegmann, who piloted the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS of W&S Motorsport. Things got really exciting again at the end in the Junior Trophy of the NLS. Noah Nagelsdiek from Alsdorf near Aachen was able to celebrate in the end – even though there was no final race result to count. The 25-year-old retired in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON shortly before the end of the race. Luck in misfortune: his fiercest rival in the title fight, Harley Haughton (20) in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS of SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, suffered the same fate in the first half of the race. Thus, Nagelsdiek ultimately kept the upper hand by just one point. The fastest gentleman of the season was Heiko Eichenberg. The 51-year-old teammate of Haughton prevailed, among others, against the two veterans Joachim and Jürgen Nett, who competed in the Audi S3 of Dupré Motorsport Engineering in the VT2-F+4WD and secured the class winner’s trophy for themselves. A step ahead of her fatherThe NLS Ladies Trophy 2026 goes to Janina Schall. The 20-year-old, competing for the team “Girls only – Ready to rock the Green Hell”, drove her second season in the NLS and is already one step ahead of her well-known father Ralf Schall. The veteran achieved five overall and 106 class victories – most of them in the cult Mercedes-Benz 190E – but never won a title in his long endurance career. “That’s now a point where I can tease my father a bit,” grinned Schall. “And I hope this won’t be my last title. The Girls-Only team was and is exactly right for me for entering the NLS. I’ve learned a lot – not only in driving, but also beyond that.” The Goodyear Award for the most successful vehicle that used tires from NLS partner Goodyear this year goes to the BMW M240i Racing of PTerting Sports by Up2Race, driven in the finale by Jannick Reinhard, John Van Der Sande and ‘Alboretto’. The first champion of the newly introduced BMW 325i Challenge by Goodyear this year is Moran Gott (Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels). The Israeli achieved nine victories, six of them as a solo driver. Second and third places go to Eugen Becker (JS Competition) and Juha Miettinen, Dan Berghult and Oliver Frisse (Keeevin Sports and Racing). Falken Motorsports ends the season with a dream resultThe two Falken Porsches were the benchmark this year. The team celebrated not only its fifth win, but four times the 911s finished first and second as well.The car with start number #3 secured victory in the NLS Speed Trophy ahead of the #4. For his performance – finishing both first and second under demanding and partly wet conditions in the Green Hell – Menzel was voted “Driver of the Race” by the race management, the Drivers’ Association of the ILN (Interessengemeinschaft Langstrecke Nürburgring), and the track commentators.“Nico delivered an exceptional performance today,” said Alex Böhm, board member of the ILN. “He drove both spectacularly and with great care in these conditions. That impressed us all.” Menzel, who celebrated his third NLS victory, was thrilled by the award: “It means a lot to me to receive this prize, especially considering which panel awards it. Being nominated by true experts is fantastic.” Mike Jäger draws a positive conclusion“The NLS has had a very good season. There were many highlights on and off the track that participants and fans will remember for a long time,” said VLN Managing Director Mike Jäger. “Max Verstappen in the NLS was, of course, a huge deal, but also the premiere of the NLS Youth Kart Championship or our paddock parties with participants and marshals were among my personal highlights. We achieved new record numbers both for spectators on site and in the live streams. That motivates my team and me to keep pushing full throttle over the winter. We have a number of ideas we want to implement next year – after all, we’ll be celebrating our 50th season in the Green Hell.” The ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie will start its jubilee year on March 14, 2026 – the 50th season in the Green Hell. After that, seven more dates with nine races will follow. Following their successful inclusion last year and this year, the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers will again count towards the championship in 2026.The virtual competition will continue as early as October 24, 2025. The third race of the Community Cup of the Digital Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie will run over three hours and promises thrilling racing, broadcast live at vln.de.

The day of decisions is drawing nearer

08.10.2025

This coming Saturday, October 11, marks the season finale of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. The 1st Sports Officials Trophy will see a number of decisions made in the various NLS classifications. Even though the new champions are practically certain – Nick Wüstenhagen and last year's champion Ranko Mijatovic are uncatchable at the top with the BMW M4 GT4 from FK Performance Motorsport – the four-hour race still promises plenty of excitement. Tickets are available from $25 at VLN.de/tickets. Admission is free for young people up to the age of 14. Those who are not there in person can follow the race day via the free livestream at VLN.de. With nine wins in nine races, Wüstenhagen and Mijatovic have delivered a strong performance in the 2025 season. Tim Scheerbarth and Arne Hoffmeister, who drive the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup from Mühlner Motorsport together with David Jahn, can still catch up with the FK Performance Motorsport duo in terms of points. However, in the event of a tie, different rules apply, which would put Scheerbarth and Hoffmeister at a disadvantage, as they have two second places and one sixth place among their discarded results. Even though it is no longer necessary to win the championship, Wüstenhagen and Mijatovic, who drive the BMW M4 GT4 together with Reinhold Renger, naturally want to end the season in style with a victory. But the competition should not be underestimated. After clinching the ADAC GT4 Germany championship at the Hockenheimring last weekend, Jay Mo Härtling will make a guest appearance in the NLS alongside Kenneth Heyer and Tim Neuser in the Mercedes-AMG GT4 from SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm. Influencers Jimmy Broadbent, Steve Brown, and Follow @mgcharoudin will also be back in action after a two-race break, teaming up with veteran Manuel Metzger in the BMW M4 GT4 from Team BILSTEIN by BLACK FALCON. NLS Speed Trophy: Which Falken Porsche will take the crown?The overall victory will be decided between the two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars from Falken Motorsports. The team from Butzbach already has four season victories to its name. In the NLS Speed Trophy – the classification for top cars – the #3 car leads the #4 car by 16 points. There are still 38 points up for grabs. Nico Menzel is named on both cars for the final. He shares the #3 with Joel Sturm and the #4 with Dorian Boccolacci. The opponents in the GT3 SP9 class are once again the two Ford Mustang GT3s from Haupt Racing Team. Frank Stippler and Vincent Kolb have recently shown an upward trend, securing a victory and a third place with the beefy muscle car. Patrick Assenheimer, Dennis Fetzer, and DTM driver Fabio Scherer will take turns driving the sister car. Fetzer and Scherer recently finished second behind Max Verstappen and Chris Lullham in the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. The NLS Junior Trophy is fiercely contested. Noah Nagelsdiek leads by just one point ahead of Harley Haughton. Nagelsdiek will be racing alongside Tobias Müller and Carlos Rivas in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup from LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON, while Haughton will be racing alongside Heiko Eichenberg in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS from SRS Team Sorg Rennsport. Overall standings for Cup 2 and Cup 3 in the PETN still open ahead of the finalThings are also set to be exciting in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring. The titles are still up for grabs in both classes – Cup 2 for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Cup 3 for Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS. In Cup 2, the decision will be between Mühlner Motorsport and Team LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON. In Cup 3, W&S Motorsport and Schmickler Performance powered by Ravenol are the main contenders for the title. The SRS Team Sorg Rennsport still has a theoretical chance of finishing at the top. The drivers' standings in both classes are also still open. The overall PETN champions for 2025 will also be crowned. Decisions are also still pending in the class winner trophy and the KW team trophy, including in the VT2-F+4WD between CSRacing, Dupré Motorsport Engineering, and Auto Thomas by Jung Motorsport, as well as in the BMW M240i class between PTerting Sports by Up2Race and the Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels. Tickets and programTickets for the 1st Sportwarte Trophy cost €25 (children under 14 free) and are available at VLN.de/tickets and at the box office. This gives access to the open grandstands on the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, as well as the paddock, pit lane, and starting grid. The best positions on the starting grid will be decided in qualifying between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. During the break between qualifying and the race, fans will have plenty of time to experience the cars up close: with a ticket, they can enter the pit lane at 10:20 a.m. for the pit walk, before the starting grid attracts even more motorsport fans at 11:10 a.m. The four-hour endurance race starts at 12:00 p.m. The livestream at VLN.de begins at 8:15 a.m. In addition, there is ‘Radio Nürburgring’ at rpr1.de and in the RPR1.APP.

Nürburgring highlights in October

29.09.2025

Fans of the Nürburgring can look forward to the finale of the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series, the thrilling conclusion to the Nürburgring Drift Cup season, and the European TimeAttack Masters & Tuning Masters in October. But there is also a big highlight for young Nürburgring fans away from the racetrack:  The big Nürburgring Family Day on Sunday, October 26, promises an unforgettable experience for the whole family – with free admission as usual. The events at a glance: Nürburgring Family Day | October 26, 2025On Family Day, the Nürburgring will once again be transformed into an adventure land for young and old – with free admission. The ring°boulevard on the Grand Prix circuit will become a family-friendly horsepower extravaganza. The Nürburgring mascot “Legend” and his friends, soccer artist Jannik Freestyle, and children's artist Volker Rosin will be appearing on the large RPR1 stage. Real vintage cars and formula cars can be admired from the viewing stand. In addition, there will be hands-on activities at the stands of Rhein-Zeitung, monte mare, Junior Uni Daun, AOK, and, of course, the Nürburgring. As every year, the fire department, police, and rescue services will be there with their emergency vehicles and much more. ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series – Season Finale | October 11, 2025The crowning finale of the season in the Green Hell! At the season finale of the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series, the championship title will be decided on the most demanding race track in the world. And spectators can experience the excitement up close: for €25, adults can watch the race from the grandstands and spectator areas along the track. A special highlight is access to the paddock and the pit and grid walk, which offers unique insights and proximity to the teams shortly before the start of the race. Children up to and including the age of 14 accompanied by an adult are admitted free of charge. European TimeAttack Masters & Tuning Masters | October 12, 2025In the fall, the tuning scene traditionally meets again at the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit. On October 12, there will be an exciting showdown of enthusiast cars and fast laps at the European TimeAttack Masters in the paddock of the GP circuit. In addition, the event, presented by the ESSEN MOTOR SHOW, offers a large exhibitor mile in the Grand Prix paddock, a VIP car exhibition, and program items such as drift and taxi rides, a dB competition, and the AvD Drift Championship final – a true festival for all petrolheads. Adults pay €20 admission. Children up to 14 years of age have free admission. ADAC Westfalen Trophy | October 17 to 19, 2025Fans of popular sports will get their money's worth at the ADAC Westfalen Trophy. Current GT racing meets historic formula and touring cars on the Grand Prix circuit. Series such as the Special Touring Car Trophy, the Belcar Historic Cup, and the Historic Formula Vau Europa ensure action-packed duels. As usual, spectators have access to the paddock. This allows visitors to experience the fascinating races not only on the track, but also behind the scenes. Tickets are available from 10 euros. ADAC RGB Season Finale | October 4 to 5, 2025For the 46th time, the Bergisch Gladbach Racing Association is hosting its season finale – once again at the Nürburgring. On both days, fans of historic motorsport will once again get their money's worth. The popular battle of the minis with numerous starters will take to the track, as will the Youngtimer Trophy, the Cup and Touring Car Trophy, and the Dutch SLK Cup. A full program of events on the Grand Prix circuit is therefore guaranteed. Tickets are available on site: a day ticket for adults costs €26. A weekend ticket is available for €47. RCN 3-hour race “Schwedenkreuz” | October 25, 2025The 3-hour “Schwedenkreuz” race is the traditional season finale of the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN). The race is held on the 24.358-kilometer combination of the Nordschleife and the sprint track. The RCN is considered one of the best-known amateur racing series in Germany, in which mainly amateur teams and touring cars compete – usually in single-start time mode. The Schwedenkreuz race is different: here, all vehicles start the race together, competing directly against each other with a flying start, ensuring thrilling duels. With its special format, it is the only real race in the RCN calendar and therefore a highlight for participants and spectators alike. Nürburgring Drift Cup | October 25 to 26, 2025Smoking tires and spectacular sideways drifts – the Nürburgring Drift Cup celebrates its end of the year in the Müllenbachschleife. For two days, the drivers once again show off their skills and engage in breathtaking duels where vehicle control is key. Spectators can experience the action up close. Depending on the time and mood, day tickets and weekend tickets are available. The day ticket costs €20 for adults, while the weekend ticket for both days is available for €35. Children up to and including the age of 14 have free admission and can marvel at the drifting spectacle free of charge. Events at the Nürburgring – October 2025: 03. – 05.10.    Green Hell Driving Days 04. – 05.10.    ADAC RGB Saisonfinale  11.10.             ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie  12.10.             European TimeAttack Masters & Tuning Masters 17. – 19.10.    ADAC Westfalen Trophy (Final ADAC Racing Weekend)  24.10.             GLP 25.10.             RCN – 3h Race 25. – 26.10.    Nürburgring Drift Cup  26.10.             Nürburgring Familientag