On September 13 and 14, the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie double-header will turn into a true motorsport festival.Two four-hour races – one on Saturday, one on Sunday – promise pure excitement and action. At the front of the field, an unexpected debut and a spectacular comeback are making headlines, while the championship battle is heating up with four races remaining. Tickets for the event are available from 25 Euro. Youths up to 14 years of age are admitted free of charge. A special treat for the fans: the AMG grandstand T4A and the Schwalbenschwanz section of the track will be open next weekend. Those who can’t be there in person can follow both race days via livestream.
Two BMW teams arrive as championship leaders. Sven Markert and Ranko Mijatovic, teammates at Adrenalin Motorsport last year, are now fighting against each other for the title. Markert shares the BMW M240i Racing (car number 1) with Kevin Wambach and Adrian Rziczny for Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels. Mijatovic teams up with Nick Wüstenhagen and Reinhold Renger in the BMW M4 GT4 for FK Performance Motorsport. Both teams scored five class wins and one second place each. With 90 points, they share the top spot. Just eight points behind are Arne Hoffmeister and Tim Scheerbarth, the 2011 champion. Driving the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Mühlner Motorsport, they also took five class wins but once had to settle for sixth place.
GT3 debut for Benny Leuchter
While the championship is decided in the midfield – as points in the NLS depend on the number of class entries – GT3 teams dominate the race victories. Falken Motorsports, already triple winners this year, field two Porsche 911 GT3 R. Julien Andlauer and Joel Sturm drive the #3, while Tim Heinemann and Benny Leuchter share the #4. For Leuchter, Nordschleife specialist and team principal of Max Kruse Racing, it will be his very first GT3 race. “I’m really excited to start this adventure with Falken, a long-term partner,” says Leuchter. “With Tim I’ve got an experienced teammate by my side. Let’s see what the weekend brings. The throttle’s on the right – flat out!” Max Kruse Racing is also entering two Audi RS3 in the alternative fuels class.
Spectacular comeback
On Sunday, the iconic Ferrari 296 GT3 of Frikadelli Racing will return to the Nordschleife. “I’ll try to drive the four-hour race on my own,” announces team boss Klaus Abbelen, while also looking ahead: “For next season, we’re planning a top driver line-up and appearances at the season highlights, including some NLS rounds for sure.”
The competition in the GT3 class is fierce. Haupt Racing Team is entering the Ford Mustang GT3, Walkenhorst Motorsport brings an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO, and Renazzo Motorsport fields a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo II. Car Collection Motorsport and BLACK FALCON Team EAE will race additional Porsche 911s, while JUTA RACING and équipe vitesse each send an Audi R8 LMS into the battle.
The strongest class remains Cup 3 of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring with 20 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS. Schmickler Performance powered by Ravenol, with Horst Baumann plus Stefan and Markus Schmickler, are leading. Their advantage over Heiko Eichenberg and Harley Haughton of SRS Team Sorg Rennsport is 8.5 points. In both Cup 2 of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring and the VT2 class, 11 cars will compete.
Tickets and schedule
Day tickets cost 25 Euro (children up to 14 years free) and are available online as well as at the box offices. They include access to the grandstands at the Grand Prix circuit, the spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, the paddock, pit lane, and starting grid. In addition, the Schwalbenschwanz section will be open during the double-header.
The schedule for the 65th ADAC ACAS Cup – hosted by AC Altkreis Schwelm, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year – on Saturday and the 64th ADAC Reinoldus Endurance Race on Sunday is identical. Qualifying runs from 08:30 to 10:00. Afterwards, fans can experience the cars up close: starting at 10:20, the pit walk leads into the pit lane before the grid formation begins at 11:10. The race starts at 12:00 each day. Special guests include Nürburgring mascot Legend and a “Labubu” on Saturday, as well as Captain America on Sunday. In the paddock and between practice and racing on the Grand Prix track, the Falken Drift Show will provide spectacular drift action.
Both livestreams start at 08:15. In addition, “Radio Nürburgring” will be broadcasting via rpr1.de and the RPR1.APP.