The first ADAC Ruhrpott-Trophy takes place this Saturday, April 26, 2025. The event, organized by ADAC Westfalen and MSC Ruhr-Blitz-Bochum, marks the second of ten rounds in the 2025 ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. The race lineup is literally a full house of aces and kings—the preliminary entry list features 140 entries. And there’s more than just the race to talk about: a variety of topics deserve more than a footnote. The support program also impresses with auto and youth kart slalom, offering variety and entertainment. Tickets for the race are available from €25 at VLN.de/tickets. Admission is free for children up to 14 years of age. For those unable to attend in person, the entire race day will be livestreamed here.
Cars from 16 different manufacturers will be driven by 357 drivers from 28 nations, including 17 super sports cars in the GT3 SP9 class. Two teams will be entering the "top class" of NLS for the first time this year. Scherer Sport PHX, which has achieved numerous successes with Audi in recent years, is fielding a Porsche 911 GT3 R for the first time. “Entering the top class with a new brand is a challenge we gladly accept,” says team boss Ron Moser. “We’ve put a lot of work into preparing our team for the 911 GT3 R. NLS2 is the next step, where we’ll face competition for the first time. The goal is clear: we want to fight for top positions.” Drivers Patric Niederhauser and Patrick Pilet will alternate at the wheel for Scherer. Hankook Competition is also kicking off their season in the Eifel with a Porsche. Pseudonym drivers ‘JK’ from South Korea and ‘Recardo’ from the Netherlands will share the cockpit with Marco Holzer, who claimed an NLS victory back in 2011.
Walkenhorst Motorsport has expanded its entry. The team from Melle near Osnabrück is fielding three Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo cars for the second race—one in the SP9-Pro category with drivers Christian Krognes and Mattia Drudi. In addition, Walkenhorst has a treat for fans of British super sports cars: Niklas Abrahamsen and Hermann Vortkamp will debut the new Aston Martin Vantage GT4 model, presented last year, on the Nordschleife.
Green racing in the Green Hell: Notable addition to the AT class
A sustainable project will make its debut at the ADAC Ruhrpott-Trophy: Manthey and the Griesemann Group will field the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport M for the first time in the Green Hell. The car will compete on the Nürburgring Nordschleife powered by synthetic gasoline made from methanol. This fuel is produced as part of the DeCarTrans project, a research initiative at TU Bergakademie Freiberg supported by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. The fuel belongs to the eFuels category and can be used in existing combustion engines without modifications (drop-in). Based on the Clubsport race car used in GT4 series worldwide, the 'M' model features lightweight construction and optimized aerodynamics. Manthey is using recycled CFRP components from a pre-development project with Porsche Motorsport for testing.
“Motorsport and sustainability are not mutually exclusive – and together with Manthey, we’re taking the next step this year. Our experience with eFuels, combined with Manthey’s racing expertise, shows that performance without compromise is possible—while keeping the motorsport atmosphere,” says Björn Griesemann, who is debuting the car with his brother Georg. “The trust of our partners means the world to me, and I’m thrilled about our new car. Driving a Manthey Porsche on the Nürburgring is the fulfillment of a childhood dream.”
In the AT class, the Griesemann Cayman will face strong competition. The local heroes from Four Motors, including rapper Smudo and Tom von Löwis, have been advancing sustainability in the Nordschleife championship for years. They are fielding a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and two 718 Cayman GT4 CS cars. Max Kruse Racing is entering no fewer than six biofuel-powered racers, including another 911, two Volkswagen Golf VII, a Golf GTI Clubsport 24h, and two Audi RS3s.
Giving up is not an option: Robert Wickens makes another attempt
Last year, he didn’t manage to secure his permit in time for the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. This year, Robert Wickens is trying again—because giving up is not an option for him. The 36-year-old Canadian, best known to German fans from his DTM years as a Mercedes-AMG works driver, has been paraplegic since an IndyCar crash in 2018. In 2022, he returned to racing in the U.S. in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with a Hyundai Elantra N TCR. His comeback in Germany came in last year’s season opener. Unfortunately, an accident cut his race short, though he escaped uninjured. As a result, he couldn’t complete the required laps for the DMSB Permit Nordschleife. “I tried last year and failed,” Wickens recently shared with fans on Instagram. “Now I’m trying again. I’m racing in NLS to get my permit, so my dream of competing in the 24h Nürburgring this year can finally come true.” Wickens shares the Elantra from Bryan Herta Autosport, equipped with a hand-control system, with American driver Michael Lewis.
Spectacular comeback: Ralf Schall is back for more
He’s one of the most successful drivers in the history of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. Ralf Schall has racked up 105 class wins, putting him fourth on the all-time list in the 49-year history of the series, behind Volker Strycek (135), Johannes Scheid (134), and Daniel Zils (113). The 55-year-old car dealership owner from Dornstadt is making his comeback at the ADAC Ruhrpott-Trophy. His last appearance in NLS was in 2022. He will share a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the SP7 class (24h Specials over 3,500 cc) with Julian Reeh and Valentin Lachmayer. On the track, he’ll be racing against his daughter Janina, who is 20 years old and competing with Carrie Schreiner and Beitske Visser in a BMW M4 GT4 for the "Girls Only Team" from GITI Tire Motorsport by WS Racing.
Get your tickets now!
Tickets for the ADAC Ruhrpott-Trophy are available for €25 (free admission for children up to 14) at vln.de/tickets and at the box office. The ticket grants access to open grandstands at the Grand Prix circuit, exclusive spectator areas at Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, as well as to the paddock, pit lane, and starting grid. The second round of the NLS Kart Slalom Championship will take place in the Historic Paddock at Nürburgring. At the "helicopter landing pad" in the paddock, a round of the ADAC Mittelrhein Slalom Youngster Cup will also be held.
Grid positions will be determined during qualifying from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. Fans will experience motorsport with all their senses during the pit walk starting at 10:20 a.m. and the grid visit from 11:10 a.m. Also present on Saturday will be the Nürburgring mascot "Legend" and the spectacular Racebot. The race will start at 12:00 p.m.