At the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers on 22nd and 23rd April, a compact grid of 68 cars will compete in the last test opportunity for the race of the year: the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring (18th to 21st May). Although the number of entries is somewhat lower than in previous years due to overlapping dates with other race series, the weekend will be convincing in terms of quality: as many as two dozen starters in the SP9 and SP-X classes, which are capable of winning overall, want to compete in the two races, which offer the teams a perfect opportunity to put their cars through their paces once again under racing conditions and to work out the final details on the set-up. The visitors can thus also experience the main protagonists of the 24h live once again in just over a month's time - in a racing situation that often offers a clear track. It would be hard to find out the true balance of power on the legendary race track better than at the 24h Qualifiers.
> more info & tickets
The 24h Qualifiers offer one race each on Saturday and Sunday, plus plenty of track time during practice and qualifying - for many teams, the weekend is a welcome opportunity to complete their preparations for the 24h Nürburgring. Because the other way round also applies: what remains undone at the 24h Qualifiers becomes a risk factor at the season's highlight. That's why all seven GT3 makes that want to have their say in the battle for the Nordschleife crown this season are represented. Teams with Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche will be there, for many of the top teams the weekend is virtually a must-attend event, with Porsche being the most strongly represented with six cars. A special treat for fans will also be brought to the Ring by the HRT and Schnitzelalm teams, who will each be fielding the new Mercedes-AMG GT2. This means that practically the entire top group of the 24h Nürburgring will be coming together to cross blades. The qualifiers, which have been held since 2014, have repeatedly been a yardstick for the actual 24h - but no team has yet managed the double of qualifier and 24h victory. Last year, the race wins in the two races of the prologue weekend went to the BMW Junior Team and the Mercedes-AMG team from GetSpeed.
Top qualifying feeling in the race
The "newcomers" also want to continue the set-up work at the 24h Qualifiers - established teams that rely on the brand new GT3s, which are only getting their baptism of fire on the Nordschleife this season. This applies to the Ferrari 296 GT3 entered by Frikadelli Racing. As expected, the new Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 is also represented by Konrad Motorsport and Abt Sportsline. And last but not least, the top dogs from Falken Motorsport and Manthey Racing are relying on the Porsche 911 GT3 based on the 992. In the numerous other classes in the 24h grid, there are also quite a few teams taking advantage of the 24h Qualifiers. In the SP10 class (GT4 cars), for example, four different makes are fighting for victory, the Cup3 class (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport) is also well represented. All the starters have one thing in common: they are looking forward to the free drive over the most beautiful, longest and most demanding race track in the world, on which some laps, with a bit of luck, can almost be driven like a top qualifying session.
Fans welcome - free admission at the Nordschleife
From as little as 23 Euros (day tickets Saturday / Sunday), fans can experience the action at the Qualifiers from the open grandstands of the Grand-Prix track. The weekend ticket is available for 38 Euros, and of course the paddock entrance is included in each case. Admission is even free at the spectator points around the Nordschleife, and even those who spend the whole weekend at the Ring will find the doors wide open. The visitor zone at the Brünnchen will be open for campers. The usual fees apply there. And it will not be boring for the visitors on the 24h Qualifiers weekend, because the programme offers plenty of action on the Nordschleife. Already on Saturday morning, the circuit will be crowded by the participants of the RCN regularity test "Schloss Augustusburg Brühl" starting at 8:00 am. At the same time, the 24h Qualifiers teams will start their first free practice session on the overall circuit at 10:00 a.m., which will be followed by the first one-hour qualifying session on the overall circuit at 12:30 p.m. This will determine the starting positions for the two-hour evening race on Saturday, which will start at 19:30 and continue into the twilight. As an appetiser before that, the participants of the RCN performance test "Preis der Schloßstadt Brühl" will be on the track from 14:30. On Sunday, the 25 km long circuit belongs entirely to the 24h teams: After qualifying (from 8:15 a.m.) and the top qualifying of the SP9, SP-X and SP-Pro classes (from 10:30 a.m.), it's "Clear the Ring" at 1 p.m. for the four-hour main race of the weekend.