NEWS

23 September, Saturday

Walkenhorst Motorsport celebrates third victory in a row

Christian Krognes and Jakub 'Kuba' Giermaziak in the BMW M4 GT3 from Walkenhorst are currently no match for anyone in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. The duo celebrated their third victory in a row at the 55th ADAC Barbarossapreis. For Krognes it was the fourth triumph of the year, for 'Kuba' even the fifth. Secondly leading the race, David Pittard, Nick Catsburg and Felipe Fernández Laser in...
Walkenhorst Motorsport celebrates third victory in a row

23.09.2023

Christian Krognes and Jakub 'Kuba' Giermaziak in the BMW M4 GT3 from Walkenhorst are currently no match for anyone in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. The duo celebrated their third victory in a row at the 55th ADAC Barbarossapreis. For Krognes it was the fourth triumph of the year, for 'Kuba' even the fifth. Secondly leading the race, David Pittard, Nick Catsburg and Felipe Fernández Laser in the Ferrari 296 GT3 of Frikadelli Racing had to admit defeat in second place. Vincent Kolb and Frank Stippler in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II from Scherer Sport PHX ended their run of bad luck with third place. Excitement was the order of the day at the eighth race of the NLS in the 2023 season, with Frank Stippler securing the fourth pole position of the year for the Scherer duo. In the starting phase, Stippler defended the lead until the first pit stops. Further leading laps were collected by the team-mates of the winners, Dylan Pereira and Sami-Matti Trogen, in addition to the later first and second-placed drivers. The decision for victory came at the final pit stop. In light drizzle in the final third of the race, the Frikadelli squad lost valuable time on tire selection. "The driver wanted slicks, the race engineer wanted rain tires and I then made the decision in favor of slicks," said team boss Klaus Abbelen. The tire choice was to prove correct, with the delay at the pit stop ultimately handing the Ferrari team a 2:24.758-minute deficit. "I must say it was a very tough battle," said Giermaziak. "We were lucky with the first pit stop - we were able to gain time there. After that, we were almost on par with the Ferrari, even though it's unbeatable on a straight track." Krognes, who had to admit defeat to the Ferrari in a direct duel, said, "It was a cool fight! Especially during the rain, it was very difficult to tell on the track whether it was wet or dry there. It was a real challenge, Nicky was very fast, but I'm glad we came out of the race in first place." Catsburg describes the gripping duel with Krognes as follows: "Chris and I had a lot of fun at the beginning of the stint, he was very fast then. Then, at the end of the stint, his tires went flat, so I was able to catch up. And then the rain started. I mean I love this track, but I hate these conditions! When you're on slicks and it starts to rain... I managed to get past Chris and was able to get a gap out. Out of nowhere, though, he was then back on me." On the end of his streak of bad luck with three retirements in a row, Stippler said, "The fact that the streak of bad luck has now been broken is obviously good. Something like this also puts a damper on the mood of the co-drivers and the team when you have to experience so many retirements. That's why it's good to have this now, and it's like a salve for the team's wounds and souls." Kolb added: "The issue of punctures is definitely over, even if the lower track and air temperatures played into our hands, I think we're back where we left off last year." Behind the top trio, Darren Turner, Ben and Phil Dörr drove to fourth in the Dörr Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3. They were followed in the rankings by Pereira/Trogen in the Walkenhorst BMW. The fastest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was driven by Christopher Brück, Tobias Müller and Moritz Kranz for Krämer Racing in sixth place. Nasr takes first step towards DPN AEx-Formula 1 driver Felipe Nasr has mastered his first step towards the big Northern Tire Permit. Together with Alesia and Jacqueline Kreuzpointner, he drove the Porsche Cayman GT4 CS to victory in the alternative fuel class. "Last week I was in Indianapolis, today here at the Ring - these are two completely different worlds," said the Brazilian. "I enjoyed every single lap. The Nordschleife is something very special. The idea behind my effort is to earn DPN A and then maybe compete here in the 24h race sometime in the future."Other class wins went to Møller Bil Motorsport (Audi RS3 LMS) in the TCR class, Manheller Racing (BMW E90) in V4, Schmickler Performance powered by Ravenol in V6 and SP3T, among others, Zierau Hochvolt by Mertens Motorsport (Hyundai i30N) in VT2-FWD, FK Performance Motorsport (BMW M4 GT4) in SP10, Smyrlis Racing (Porsche 718 Cayman GTS) in SP4T and the 'girls only' team of GITI TIRE MOTORSPORT BY WS RACING in SP8T. The final will be the big showdownThe championship decision remains open until the final. Both Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg and Philipp Leisen in the BMW 330i of Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec and Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS of SRS Sorg Rennsport took a class win at NLS8. This results in the following situation in the standings: Adrenalin has already scored the maximum possible number of points. With another victory at the finale, Sorg can still draw level. The points from the two strike-off results will then be decisive. A third place in the final will then be enough for the Adrenalin trio to claim the title. For the team from Heusenstamm, it would be the sixth in a row. The result of the 55th ADAC Barbarossapreis remains provisional. Max Kruse Racing has announced an appeal against a decision by the stewards. Following a collision, the car of Benjamin Leuchter and Nico Otto was disqualified and Leuchter was stripped of his DPN for the upcoming event. The team now has 96 hours to justify the appeal. The 47th PAGID Racing DMV Münsterlandpokal will conclude the 2023 season of the Nürburgring Endurance Series on October 7. The race runs over the customary distance of four hours. Tickets are available in advance here.

Björn and Georg Griesemann triumphed at the endurance classic at the Nürburgring

18.09.2023

Björn and Georg Griesemann (Porsche 911RSR) were the winners after 39 completed laps in 6:36:59.513 hours. Starting from fourth place on the grid, they captured the top position for the first time after just 11 laps and only relinquished it briefly for just under three laps. A happy Georg Griesemann was satisfied after the race and explained: "We consistently stuck to our tactics, took it easy on the car and avoided taking the curbs excessively in order to manage the race successfully. In the middle of the race, the pressure from the BMW squad behind us increased and we had to step up our performance. There are certainly more pleasant moments than having a chaser like Olaf Manthey breathing down your neck in the last four laps." The decision to stay on slick tyres in light rain paid off. Last year's winners, consisting of Peter Schumann, Jürgen Schumann, Olaf Manthey and Joachim Kiesch, put in an impressive performance in a faultless race, crossing the finish line just 59.656 seconds behind the winners. Peter Schumann put it in a nutshell: "We are very happy about second place, we wouldn't have thought that at noon today. After all, we were 6 minutes behind at one point. An additional pit stop was simply necessary for safety reasons and cost us some time." The team's performance and the BMW's reliability are all the more impressive when you consider that they have always finished in the top 4 over the last three years. The team of Michael Hess, Matthias Wasel and Frank Stippler (Porsche 911RSR) celebrated their best finish as third overall in the ADAC 1000km race. The trio started from pole position and managed to lead the field for a total of nine laps. Michael Hess had already secretly speculated on a TOP3 finish before the race start and commented: "Unfortunately, we had to make an extra pit stop." The man from Düren also echoed the winners' thanks to Edgar Salewsky, who prepared the two Porsches. The notorious Eifel weather showed its mild side and spared the 90 or so participants. The sun shone over the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife. In the final phase, there was a brief spell of light rain, which caused a certain amount of tension among the teams, but without any noteworthy effects. The fastest team in the classic Appendix K cars was the family team consisting of father Ralf Oehme and sons Leonard and Moritz, who took turns at the wheel of the Porsche 911 ST. The battle in the individual classes went down to the last second. 54 of the 89 teams that started saw the black-and-white chequered flag. Some of the co-favourites were unlucky, including Markus Dünkelmann, Christoph Breuer and Andy Gülden, who had to abandon their race in the Porsche 911RSR after only six laps due to gearbox damage. The same happened to the winners of the 2021 edition, Kersten Jodexnis, Robin Chrzanowski, Peter Scharmach and Dr. Eddy Althoff, who had to park their Porsche after 15 laps due to engine failure. Organiser draws a positive balanceHead of organisation Henning Meyersrenken was extremely satisfied after the race. "We have successfully developed the traditional race again this year and were able to welcome the largest field of starters so far at the third edition. The positive response from riders and fans makes us particularly proud." First and foremost, a big thank you goes to our dedicated volunteers, the tireless course marshals and all the event helpers.They have again supported us energetically. Without their commitment and the support of our cooperation partners, the realisation of such an event would hardly be conceivable! We are already looking forward to the next edition, when we will be back at the start here in the "Green Hell" from 20-22 September 2024."

ADAC 1000km race at the Nürburgring with impressive starting field of 90 vehicles

15.09.2023

The organisers of the ADAC 1000km Race are looking forward to the coming weekend with great anticipation. On Saturday, 16 September 2023, an impressive field of 90 top-class vehicles will gather at the tradition-steeped Nürburgring race track in the Eifel for the endurance classic. This entry result fulfils the expectations and thrills the numerous fans, as Henning Meyersrenken, the organisation manager, points out. > more info & tickets The number 1 car will be driven by last year's winning team, consisting of Olaf Manthey, Jürgen and Peter Schumann as well as Joachim Kiesch, who will once again enter the legendary BMW 635 CSi in the race. As last year's runners-up, Dr Alexander Kolb and his sons Vincent and Carl-Friedrich will compete in the Porsche 964 to claim overall victory this year. Michael Hess, who narrowly missed out on the podium last year, dares to try again and has two experienced Nordschleife connoisseurs at his side in Matthias Wasel and Frank Stippler. There are several other favourites among the other Porsche 911s in RSR specification. The field of Porsche 911s in RSR specification is peppered with other promising candidates. Kersten Jodexnis, the winner of the 2021 edition, brings two competitive vehicles to the start. Together with Richard-Sven Jodexnis, Robin Chrzanowski and Peter Scharmach, he takes up the challenge in the Porsche 911 RS. Dr Eddy Althoff, who replaces Richard-Sven Jodexnis this year, competes in the RSR and stands for fast lap times on the Green Hell.

This year's overall winners of the ADAC 24 Classic, Björn and Georg Griesemann, who drive a Porsche 911RSR, will also be in the field.The circle of favourites is completed by the trio Markus Dünkelmann, Christoph Breuer and Andy Gülden - who drives almost daily on the Nordschleife - in a Porsche 911RSR. Last year they started the 1000km race from second position. In his first full season in the Youngtimer Trophy, André Kunkel won't miss the 1000km race either and has joined Claudia Hürtgen and Michael Funke, who fought for victories in the German Touring Car Challenge some 30 years ago.The Morgan Plus 8 team of Christian Bock, Michael Funke and Oliver Louisoder will provide a splash of colour among the numerous Porsche cars. Last year, they were able to get a taste of leading air and finished the race in sixth place overall.But it is not only the overall victory contenders that offer interesting stories. For Ralf Oehme, the race is also something very special. He competes in the Porsche 911 ST together with his three sons Niklas, Leonard and Moritz. An all-women team is presented in the BMW 2002 by Gaby von Oppenheim, who shares the car with Claudia Hürtgen and Celia Martin. Old acquaintances are also at the start in the displacement midgets class. Tess-Racing and the drivers Frank Schmelter-Sonneborn, Rainer Oesterbeck and Mike Fiedler have already claimed class victory at the last two 1000km races. The Volvo Classic-Racing Team, which was founded in 2020 and is supported by Baumann Container Raumsysteme Bonn, uses a Volvo 850 T5 Estate with the experienced drivers Helmut Baumann and Klaus Nießen.

Double is better: Walkenhorst Motorsport at the 12h Nürburgring

10.09.2023

The 12h Nürburgring will be remembered twice by spectators and teams alike - two thrilling races over 6 hours each, two days of bright sunshine with midsummer temperatures in the middle of September in the Green Hell, and a team that landed at the top of the podium twice: Christian Krognes and Jakub 'Kuba' Giermaziak secured the double victory in races six and seven of the Nürburgring Endurance Series in the BMW M4 GT3 from Walkenhorst Motorsport.  "It's a dream come true for our team. I don't think we've ever won a doubleheader like this before," said a delighted Christian Krognes after crossing the finish line at the 62nd ADAC Reinoldus endurance race to claim his second overall victory in a row. Fellow driver Jakub Giermaziak was also fully satisfied after the victorious weekend: "After the 24h race we needed such a result to confirm ourselves. The last two races were terrific, the car ran super." That it "ran super" was not only shown by the fastest race lap that Krognes and Giermaziak burned into the asphalt of the legendary Nordschleife with a time of 7:56.743 minutes, but that applied to the entire Walkenhorst team on Sunday. Because the crew from Melle in Lower Saxony was able to cheer not only the BMW with start number 34 but also the sister car with number 35 on the podium. Just under three minutes behind, Niklas Krütten and Dylan Pereira finished second in their BMW M4 GT3. "After technical problems in yesterday's race, everything went well today. We didn't get into trouble, the car and the tires coped well with the heat. Everything was as it should be - and now I want to celebrate our second place," Pereira summed up. In addition to the two strong BMWs, the driver trio Maxime Dumarey, Christoph Breuer and Marek Böckmann surprisingly made it onto the podium with the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 from PROsport-Racing. The drivers of the Pro-Am car were correspondingly happy. "I don't even know what to say. My goal was to fight for victory in the Pro-Am, now we are on the overall podium! I'll have to sleep on it again and pinch myself again," Böckmann said, overjoyed. In the overall standings, there are also overjoyed drivers after now seven of a total of nine races in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg and Philipp Leisen scored the maximum number of points. 37 faultless laps once again secured class victory for the number 1 BMW 330i. The title could only be in danger if the series winners from SRS Team Sorg Rennsport continue to score full points in Cup3. Including two strike results, Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter would be on a par with the Adrenalin trio. However, two more wins are needed - the last two races will decide. In just two weeks' time, the combination of the sprint version of the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife will once again be used for championship points and at the same time for the final spurt of the popular endurance series. On September 23, the 55th edition of the ADAC Barbarossapreis will take place in the Green Hell.

Twelve hours of racing action in the Green Hell

06.09.2023

The summer break in the Nürburgring Endurance Series is over. Next weekend, the tradition-steeped Nordschleife racing series will kick off the final third of the season with the 12h Nürburgring - and the doubleheader of the NLS is casting its shadow ahead: on the schedule are the 63rd ADAC ACAS Cup on Saturday and the 62nd ADAC Reinoldus endurance race on Sunday. Both races run over the distance of six hours through the green hell. Day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are available here. In addition, both races are available in full length on the livestream at vln.de. Premiere in the Nürburgring Endurance Series: On Saturday, the complete Grand Prix circuit - including the AMG Arena and Müllenbachschleife - will be contested in combination with the Nordschleife for the first time. Qualifying will take place in the morning between 8 and 9:40 am. Racing starts at 3:30 p.m. and continues into the evening hours with a race duration of six hours. On Sunday, everything will be back to normal at NLS7: qualifying from 8:30 to 10 a.m., race start at 12 noon. And then the normal NLS variant will be run again, with a short connection to the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife. Even though the 12h Nürburgring is two separate rounds this year - the protagonists are fired up to shine this weekend, because the two six-hour races bring a whopping amount of points for the championship. In the course of this, some top teams have brought reinforcements on board. Nicki Thiim will start alongside brothers Ben and Phil Dörr in the Dörr Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Marek Böckmann will also compete for PROsport-Racing in a British super sports car, together with Maxime Dumarey and Christoph Breuer. Stefan Aust, 'Jacob Schell' and Luca Ludwig will start alongside Christian Kohlhaas in the Ferrari 296 GT3 from racing one. And Adam Christodoulou joins Charles Putman, Charles Espenlaub and Shane Lewis in CP Racing's Mercedes-AMG GT3. In a completely new constellation, one of Walkenhorst Motorsport's three BMW M4 GT3s is on the grid. Taking turns at the wheel are Jörg Breuer, Carrie Schreiner, Charles Weerts and Christian Bollrath. In the top class they will meet Nordschleife cracks like Klaus Bachler and David Pittard in the #3 and Dennis Fetzer and Martin Ragginger in the #4. Falken won the 12h Nürburgring last year and took the first victory of the new Porsche 911 GT3 R on the Nordschleife at NLS5.  Fresh wind in the AT(-G) classSmudo & Co from Four Motors Bioconcept-Car get competition in the Alternative Fuel class. For the first time, Griesemann Gruppe by TR Team is fielding an E-Fuels-powered Toyota Supra GT4 in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. Georg Griesemann and Yves Volte take turns at the wheel. After a technical defect at NLS3, roots racing also returns to the race track just in time for the 12h Nürburgring. Tim Schrick and Lucian Gavris pilot a Subaru BRZ RR-AT, which is fueled with bioethanol. The teams in this class impressively demonstrate that there are also environmentally friendly alternatives to the usual fossil combustion engines in motorsport. Will a preliminary decision be made in the championship?The two trios of Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec - Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg and Philipp Leisen in the BMW 330i and Yannick Fübrich, Sven Markert and Nils Steinberg in the BMW M240i Racing Cup - lead the championship after five races with 79 points. Eight points behind are second-placed Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter, who are competing for SRS Team Sorg Rennsport in a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS. At the 12h Nürburgring, a preliminary decision in the matter of the championship could already be made, because the extra points for the two 6h races included and with two strike results in the remaining two races of the season, the championship lead could no longer be taken away from them. Who will be crowned champion in the end will be decided by various factors - perhaps even by the positions in practice. Get your tickets now!Even though the Red Bull Formula Nürburgring, the side event of the 12h Nürburgring, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Müllenbachschleife, is already sold out - tickets for the NLS season highlight are still available here from 25 euros. These include access to grandstands T3 (BMW M Power grandstand), T4 (Bilstein grandstand) and T12a (paddock grandstand) as well as the exclusive spectator areas in the Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten. In addition, there is access to the paddock, the pit lane and the starting grid. Also included is a one-time free visit to the motorsport experience museum ring°werk.

Varied supporting program next to the race track

05.09.2023

The 12h Nürburgring awaits with a varied supporting program from September 9 to 10. In addition to the Red Bull Formula Nürburgring, which will take place on Saturday parallel to the season highlight of the Nürburgring Endurance Series, fans will also be treated to plenty of entertainment in the paddock and at the Expo in the ring°boulevard. The Falken Drift Show will provide spectacular drifting angles on both days, and an autograph session with all NLS drivers at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday offers the perfect opportunity to meet the stars of the series in person. Early on both days, the ring°boulevard opens its doors. The program will take place from 8 a.m. until the end of the race. Highlights include the Haribo roadshow, the kids' kart track and the RPR1 live mobile with regular meet & greets and hands-on activities. Exhibitions, including those by BMW M, Autohaus Scherer, Caterham and Tesla, will present cars worth seeing. A number of walking acts will also be out and about on ring°boulevard, providing unforgettable selfie motifs. On Saturday, Mickey & Minnie will be on site, while on Sunday the mismatched duo consisting of Skye from Paw Patrol and Batman will be saving the world. The Falken Drift Show can be found in the paddock on Saturday and Sunday. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, demo runs will take place at two-hour intervals, during which co-pilot rides can also be booked. For a donation of at least 20 euros in aid of the Sportsman's Festival at NLS8, you can get into the hot seat when drift pros Remmo Niezen, Mark Visser, Rohan van Riel and Lars Verbraeken conjure up their art on the asphalt.Last year for the first time the autograph session with all NLS drivers took place during the 'NLS Pitwalk presented by PITWALK - das Motorsportmagazin'. On Saturday, the protagonists will be in the pit lane from 11:30 to 12:15 and will be available for selfies and autographs. Also on the grid: the impressive Racebot, which has often been on site at the Nürburgring Endurance Series and is ready for unforgettable motifs for young and old. The Red Bull DJ-mobile will provide the right soundtrack at various points throughout the day. For those who still have energy left after so much motorsport action and entertainment, the after-show party on Saturday evening in the Eifel Stadl is highly recommended. As soon as the engines on the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife have fallen silent, the party starts at 10 p.m. with DJ Starface and DJ Banks & Rawdriguez - the end is open. Tickets are available at the box office for twelve euros, in advance you save two euros. Get your tickets now!Even though the Red Bull Formula Nürburgring, the side event of the 12h Nürburgring, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Müllenbachschleife, is already sold out - tickets for the NLS season highlight are still available from 25 here. These include access to grandstands T3 (BMW M Power grandstand), T4 (Bilstein grandstand) and T12a (paddock grandstand) as well as the exclusive spectator areas in the Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten. In addition, there is access to the paddock, the pit lane and the starting grid. Also included is a one-time free visit to the motorsport experience museum ring°werk.

The Manta in the 1000km race - racing icon at the start

05.09.2023

Legendary Opel Manta, the cult car from endurance racing, returns to the starting grid as part of the ADAC 1000km race at the Nürburgring.  True endurance racing fans can look forward to Olaf Beckmann's foxtail Manta, which will be on the grid as part of the ADAC 1000km race.  The former rally car, which the experienced Opel tuner Kissling Motorsport converted into an endurance vehicle on behalf of Olaf Beckmann at the beginning of the 1990s, has cult status in the 24-hour race or in the Nürburgring Endurance Series.  The Manta has now covered well over 100,000 kilometers at the Nürburgring. But also the team with the old racing hares: Hans-Olaf Beckmann, Peter Haas, Volker Strycek and Jürgen Schulten has already successfully contested many races together and is considered a particularly experienced team, not only because of its average age of well over 60 years. After having to cope with many setbacks in recent years with technical problems during the long-distance classic or a fire in the hall which prevented the start in 2022, the team always comes back. "I laid every meter of cable myself and created every cable harness myself. You have to look at how many cables do I need to the rear to the taillights, how many cables do I need to the front to the engine compartment, how many cables do I need here and there. The entire electrical system had to be redrawn," said Beckmann in the run-up to the 24-hour race.  We and certainly many fans are looking forward to welcoming the Manta -only real with the foxtail- at the start of the ADAC 1000km, as it has a very special connection to the Nürburgring and the fans.  Tickets are still available here.

5. GLP Race „Rhein-Ruhr“ - A strong grassroots sports experience

04.09.2023

Thick fog was still wafting in the Eifel valleys around the Nürburgring when race director Jürgen Seidel called the participants of the fifth RCN GLP of the 2023 season early Saturday morning for the obligatory drivers' briefing. Of course, he not only explained the GLP driving tasks, but also addressed the special weather conditions. After the rainfalls of the night, the track of the Nürburgring Nordschleife was still wet and therefore unpredictable for the 115 registered GLP participants. But just in time for the start of the RCN GLP Rhein-Ruhr of the AC Oberhausen in the ADAC, the fog had lifted and Jürgen Seidel could send the teams onto the legendary race track.  For Jutta Steinbrück-Weiß and Dirk Weiß from Usingen (Audi S6 plus) as well as for the rookies Peter Schlingmann and Jan Tax (Celle) in the VW Golf I the GLP run started with a bang. Despite the not yet optimal track conditions, both teams piloted their cars so skillfully around the Nordschleife that the timekeeping recorded a zero-fault lap each at the end of their first confirmation. They were followed at this early stage by Juan Alberto Bermejo Munoz and Susanne Denecke (Gifhorn) in the Lancia 831 ABO in P2 with 0.2 fault points. As the event progressed, the track dried out. First the ideal line, then also the damp places in the shade of the trees. At the tank lap, the half time of each GLP, the following picture emerged. On P5 were Marcus and Kurt Bernards with 2,6 points. The father/son team competing for the MSC Langenfeld in the ADAC moved the Peugeot 196 unspectacularly, but very reliably and safely through the Eifel. At this point, the best-placed rookie team, Sebastian Anding and Nadine Philipp (Blaufelden) with their Honda Accord, was already in fourth place with 2.3 points. The red Mini JCW with Winfried and Karin Schlüter (Horstmar) was third with 1.8 points, just behind Falk and Monika Mellentin (Mönchengladbach) who were P2 in the BMW 318 ti with 1.6 points. At the top, however, with only 0.9 points from three confirmation rounds, was the father/son team Oliver and Udo von Fragstein (Leichlingen/Leverkusen), who were used to success, with their black Ford Puma. In the second half of the GLP Rhein-Ruhr there should be some changes in the rankings. However, it was noticeable that various teams were able to perform better with the now more pleasant conditions. Stefan Jacobs (Aachen) and Justin Schumacher (Hennef), for example, who have already won the rookie classification three times this season, collected a whopping 10.4 fault points in the first half of the fifth race. Even the zero-fault result in the final confirmation round could not move their ranking into the usual front range. 13.7 points (3.4/2.2/4.8/0.5/2.8/0.0) were enough for sixth place in the rookie standings and twentieth place in the daily standings. It was a similar story for Patrick Gierlich (Rheinbach) and Ralf Schreiber (Schleiden). 11.1 points in the first two confirmation laps and then top laps non-stop. At the finish, the Nissan Sunny team was rated P19 with 3.6 points (5.1/6.0/0.5/1.2/0.5/0.3). Another example are René and Tina Göbbels (Eschweiler) who start for MSC Wahlscheid. With their VW Golf 2 they collected more points in the first confirmation round than in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth together. In the end, they added up 8.8 points (3.4/2.1/0.9/0.9/0.4/1.1), which resulted in eleventh place. Tenth place was secured by Micheal Dedekind and Sandra Meier (both Landshut) with 8.4 points (3.3/2.0/0.4/0.5/0.9/1.3) in the BMW E46 M3, which is always wonderful to look at. The ninth-placed drivers were the only ones in the top 10 to manage a zero lap. At the finish, Jörg Wenzel (Langenfeld) and Uwe Knipp (Essen) in the Subaru Imprezza had 7.7 points (3.4/0.6/0.3/2.8/0.0/0.6) under their belt. Steven and Jennifer Ostrowski from Essen are always good for one of the front places. This time they finished in eighth place with 7.5 points (1.3/1.1/2.0/0.3/1.6/1.2) in the husky AMG Mercedes A45. One of the few teams that did better in the first GLP half than in the second were Winfried and Karin Schlüter. With their red Mini JCW (starting number 4) they reached P7 this time with 7.1 points (0.8/0.7/0.3/2.0/3.0/0.3). With 5.9 points (0.3/2.3/0.9/0.6/0.3/1.5), the second best rookie team, Gregor Starck and Kalin Rashey (both Kaiserslautern) in Suzuki Swift, placed a good sixth. Between two newcomers, landed the GLP veteran Andrea and Rolf Derscheid (Much) in the Opel Corsa A. For the couple, who start for the MSC Wahlscheid in the ADAC, 5.4 points (1.4/0.6/1.3/0.9/0.8/0.4) were enough for P5.Sebastian Anding and Nadine Philipp were able to defend their good placing from the first GLP half. 5.1 points (1.2/0.9/0.2/1.8/0.4/0.6) after crossing the finish line meant not only fourth place for the two from Blaufelden but also victory in the rookie classification. And the first three podium places? Anyone who would have predicted third place for Paul Gorolll (Waltenhofen) and Christoph Schlangenhaufen (Grenchen) would certainly have had clairvoyant powers. But the two Fiesta drivers were the big surprise at the 5th GLP round of the season with 5.0 penalty points (0.6/0.4/2.4/1.0/0.1/0.5). A little less surprising was P2 of Falk and Monika Mellentin from Mönchengladbach. After one tenth, one eighth and two third places this season, the couple competing for the DAMC 05 in the ADAC again showed their qualities with 4.2 points (0.3/0.2/1.1/0.7/0.8/1.1).  Better were only Oliver and Udo von Fragstein. Sovereignly and with an enormous "evenness" they circled the Nürburg. Their confirmation laps showed no major outliers, the deviations from the set time were only between 0.02 and 0.05 seconds. With only 2.3 penalty points (0.3/0.2/0.4/0.5/0.5/0.4) at the finish, the successful father/son team once again deservedly secured the day's victory. In the team classification this time the "Ü30er" (von Fragstein / von Fragstein, Ostrowski /Ostrowski, Bernards / Bernards, Will / Anhuth as well as Geibert / Fasel) won with 28.16 points ahead of the "Team Null Runde" (Schlüter / Schlüter, Dedekind / Meier and Ezaru / Ezaru) with 27.11 points. Third was the team of the MSC Wahlscheid in the ADAC (Derscheid / Derscheid, Göbbels / Göbbels, Vosen / Vosen, Scholl / Scholl and Dahlhäuser / Dahlhäuser) with 26.32 points.     Current info: www.rcn-glp.deNext GLP dates:08.10.2023 6th run "Erftquellenpreis" (Nordschleife m. short track)27.10.2023 7th run "Klingentrophy" (GP track)

Double debut victory: Paul and Grasser triumph in the rain

06.08.2023

Maximilian Paul and the GRT Grasser Racing Team celebrate first DTM success at the Nürburgring Porsche driver Thomas Preining wins half-time championship after finishing in fifth place 49,300 spectators experience fast-paced race weekend with typical Eifel weather  First victory at the second DTM event - Maximilian Paul (Dresden) achieved a sensation on Sunday at the Nürburgring. The 23-year-old started 13th in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 and showed a sensational recovery in increasingly heavy rain. He took the lead on lap 26 and was flagged off as the winner after 35 laps. With this triumphant drive, Paul secured the first DTM success for himself and the GRT Grasser Racing Team. "That was a perfect race. My start went really well, the pit stop went flawlessly and the speed was there the whole time thanks to a correctly chosen car setup. It was important that I stayed calm behind Lucas Auer and then seized the opportunity at the right moment. It also paid off that I was able to use the ADAC GT Masters race weekend in mid-July as preparation for the DTM races," said Paul. This means that after the first eight rounds of the season there are eight different winners - a record in the DTM. Laurin Heinrich (Würzburg) rewarded himself for a strong performance. The 21-year-old Porsche driver made up nine places and stood on the podium for the first time in the DTM. Lucas Auer (A) in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 confirmed his good form in the Eifel and, after finishing second on Saturday, made it onto the podium again in third place. Key facts, Nürburgring, season race 8 of 16 Track length: 3,629 meters Weather: 12 degrees, rain Pole position: Ricardo Feller (Abt Sportsline, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2 #7), 1:29.562 minutes Winner: Maximilian Paul (GRT Grasser Racing Team, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 #19) Fastest race lap: Marco Wittmann (Project 1, BMW M4 GT3 #11), 1:35.871 minutes At noon on Sunday, almost all drivers started to the eighth DTM round of the season on rain tires in light precipitation. Pole setter Ricardo Feller (CH) in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2 initially maintained his lead ahead of the two Mercedes-AMG of David Schumacher (Salzburg) and Lucas Auer (A). But after just a few laps Feller had to relinquish his top position to Auer, who was then able to pull away a little from the field. Behind him, there were numerous overtaking maneuvers and many position changes on an increasingly wet track. Paul and Heinrich moved closer to the front lap by lap. After a spin by Alessio Deledda (I) in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 and a subsequent caution period, Auer, Paul and Heinrich completed the mandatory tire change shortly before the end of the pit stop window. The youngsters then switched to attack mode: on lap 26 Paul overtook the leading Auer, and on the 31st lap Heinrich followed suit and moved up to second place. Shortly before the end, Arjun Maini (IND) slid off the track, the safety car was deployed and led the field to the finish with Paul, Heinrich and Auer at the front. Maro Engel (Monaco) in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 crowned another strong performance with fourth place, while championship leader Preining (A) secured the half-time championship behind him in the Porsche 911 GT3 R with a tactically mature performance. Feller was the best Audi driver in sixth place, his brand colleague Luca Engstler (Wiggensbach) finished seventh. Thierry Vermeulen (NL) steered his Ferrari 296 GT3 from grid position 23 to eighth. Schumacher, on the other hand, lost six places and finished ninth on the 3.629-kilometer traditional circuit. Lamborghini driver Franck Perera (F) from SSR Performance, whose team-mate Mirko Bortolotti (I) was unable to start after his victory on Saturday due to technical problems with his car, made up 14 places and completed the top ten. Laurin Heinrich: "The overtaking maneuver against Lucas Auer was racing at the highest level. My first DTM podium is a dream come true for me. On Saturday the caution period cost us a good result, this time I pitted late and was able to benefit. We kept a cool head in challenging weather conditions." Lucas Auer: "I was running really well in the early stages. Unfortunately, after the pit stop I didn't get the tires into the optimum window. As a result, I couldn't keep up the pace at the front. Overall, though, it was a successful weekend for us and we're traveling to the Lausitzring, where I won my first DTM race in 2016, with a good feeling." Result, race 2, Nürburgring 1st Maximilian Paul (D/GRT Grasser Racing Team).2nd Laurin Heinrich (D/Team75 Motorsport), +0.600 seconds3rd Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Winward), +1.320 seconds4th Maro Engel (D/Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter), +1.954 seconds5th Thomas Preining (A/Manthey EMA), +3.248 seconds The full race results are available at dtm.com/en/results.