Porsche driver Dennis Olsen has set the fastest time of the day to kick off the second half of the DTM season at the Nürburgring. Driving the 911 of the Munich-based SSR Performance team, the Norwegian lapped the 3.629-kilometre sprint circuit in 1:26.326 minutes. Luca Stolz (GER) achieved the second fastest time (1m 26.353s) at the home race of Mercedes-AMG Team HRT based in the Nürburgring industrial park in Meuspath, while championship leader Mirko Bortolotti (ITA) was third fastest (1m 26.414s) in the GRT Lamborghini in the addition of the two DTM practice sessions on Friday. At the "DTM Nürburgring powered by Mercedes-AMG" event, races nine and ten of the season will be held on Saturday and Sunday (start at 13:30 CEST, ProSieben will broadcast live from 13:00).

Most recently, Austria's Thomas Preining in the KÜS Team Bernhard Porsche 911 at the Norisring ensured the first Porsche victory in the DTM. "The Nürburgring should also suit our Porsche," Preining had said at the DTM press conference on Wednesday. This was confirmed in the practice sessions on Friday. In the first session, Olsen held the lead for a long time until Bortolotti secured the fastest time in the final phase. Olsen's Belgian team-mate Laurens Vanthoor was the best Porsche driver with second place, Olsen and Preining finished the practice in fifth and seventh position. In the second practice Olsen set the fastest time of the day, Preining and Vanthoor underlined the Porsche potential on the traditional circuit in the Eifel with positions three and five. "It was a good day. The car was good, we improved compared to last Sunday's test. Now we try to take the next step for qualifying on Saturday. Hopefully we will be in the same position tomorrow! Finding a good set-up for this track is tricky. There are very slow hairpins and some faster corners, but also a chicane that is very tight and the curbs are high. In qualifying, it's all about getting a lap together and not making any mistakes," Dennis Olsen sums up.  

DTM Trophy: Best times for Daniel Gregor and Jacob Riegel
In the DTM Trophy, the talent pool on the DTM platform, two German young talents set the best times in the two free practice sessions. Already in the morning, Daniel Gregor in the Porsche 718 Cayman of KÜS Team Bernhard set the best time of the day with 1:35.192 minutes. He was followed by Frenchman Edouard Cauhaupé (Mücke Mercedes-AMG) and German Tim Heinemann (Ring-Racing Toyota). With Nick Hancke (Speed Monkeys Aston Martin) and Thiago Vivacqua (Heide Audi) in fourth and fifth, there were five different brands in the top five positions. In the afternoon, there was a similar picture in the second practice session with all six brands in the top seven positions. Jacob Riegel was fastest in Team Speed Monkeys' Aston Martin with a time of 1:35.414 minutes, ahead of Moritz Löhner (FK Performance BMW), Hancke, Cauhaupé, Heinemann, Vivacqua and Gregor.

With the DTM as the top act, the DTM Trophy, the DTM Classic DRM Cup as well as four other race series and a total of 15 races, the DTM weekend presents top-class motorsport action.