The Nürburgring is preparing for a weekend that will be entirely dedicated to motorsport enthusiasm. The 57th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy not only marks the third round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, but is also a meeting point for tradition, technological innovation and international top-class competition. From the first tentative steps in kart slalom to thrilling multiclass racing on the Nordschleife, the event offers a stage for every facet of motorsport.

Racing debut: The HWA EVO.R comes to life
A highly emotional moment at NLS3 is the world racing premiere of a vehicle that bridges glorious motorsport heritage and cutting-edge high-end technology: the HWA EVO.R. In class SP-X, the team from Affalterbach enters two prototypes (start numbers 61 and 62) into the Green Hell. This entry marks a historic milestone for HWA: the first self-developed model in the company’s history competes under racing conditions on the toughest race track in the world for the very first time. The HWA EVO is a modern homage to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II, a style icon of the early 1990s. However, beneath the striking silhouette, which is limited to just 100 examples, lies a completely new development. Start number 61 will be driven by Evald Holstad, Christian Gebhardt and Sebastian Asch. The sister car with number 66 will be shared by Luca Ludwig, Jamie Green and Lance David Arnold. HWA CEO Martin Marx describes the significance of the project as follows: “We are delighted that NLS3 is getting underway. The series is the ideal platform for us to apply our many years of experience under extreme conditions. At the same time, this entry has special significance for us because, as a team, we are working on a project that truly drives us. With the HWA EVO.R, we are using this environment to further develop the car in a focused way and prepare it optimally.”

The return of the “old lady”: Emotional reincarnation of the BMW Z4 GT3
A special highlight of the 57th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy is the return of an absolute crowd favorite to the Green Hell. Peter Posavac is bringing the legendary BMW Z4 GT3 (start number 40) back to the Nürburgring asphalt, creating goosebump moments in the pit lane. The project is a pure matter of the heart, fuelled by the overwhelming response from the motorsport community. “This is highly emotional and shows what motorsport can make possible,” Posavac describes the wave of support from fans and former companions. After the last outings in 2018 and 2019 ended prematurely, the team still has unfinished business with the Nordschleife. Nevertheless, the squad is taking a measured approach: at NLS3, the initial focus will be on tyre homologation and important test laps in order to be optimally prepared for the major highlight of the year. Posavac emphasizes with great anticipation: “I’m incredibly excited to bring the old lady back to the start once more.” Together with Michael Funke, he will bring the V8 sound of the “Zetti” back to life in class SP9 AM.

Step up to the top class: Kamui Kobayashi in the KCMG GT3
A familiar face in a new role is Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi. The former Formula 1 driver, endurance world champion and Le Mans winner remains loyal to Team KCMG, but steps up to the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with start number 47 for the 57th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy. In 2024, Kobayashi already completed his mandatory laps for the DMSB Nordschleife Permit in a Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo2. This outing now marks his next step into class SP9 PRO. To ensure an efficient transition to the significantly more powerful GT3 car in the dense NLS race traffic, Kobayashi will be supported by an experienced line-up. He shares the cockpit with Jesse Krohn, Edoardo Liberati and David Pittard, all of whom have extensive endurance experience on the Nordschleife. Kamui Kobayashi classifies his first GT3 outing in the Green Hell as follows: “It will be an incredible experience to drive a GT3 at the Nürburgring. Before my DPN outings in 2024, I had never been on the Nordschleife at all. So it was impressive to see it in real life, without any expectations. This race track is among the most demanding and exciting in the world, and I can hardly wait to make my SP9 debut with KCMG at NLS3.”

A global horsepower festival: The giants of the entry list
The international nature of the Nordschleife is clearly reflected in the provisional entry list, which includes around 350 drivers from 37 nations. Quantitatively, the largest entry is fielded by SRS Team Sorg Rennsport with ten vehicles, followed by Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels with nine cars. Black Falcon also arrives with a strong fleet of seven cars. AsBest Racing, Giti Tire Motorsport by WS Racing and W&S Motorsport will each field five vehicles, covering a spectrum ranging from TCR race cars and Porsche Cup models to BMW Cup cars. The field of large teams is rounded out by squads such as Max Kruse Racing and PROsport racing, each contributing four vehicles to the high total of 139 registered cars.

Young talent development: Season opener of the NLS Kart Slalom Championship
Following its great success last year, the NLS Youth Kart Championship enters its second season in 2026. Under the forward-looking motto “From kart slalom sport to circuit racing on the Nordschleife,” MSC Adenau and the VLN are pursuing the shared goal of promoting young talents at an early stage and offering them a long-term perspective in motorsport. The first of a total of three season rounds will take place on Saturday, 11 April 2026, in the Historic Paddock. In a total of six age classes, young drivers born between 2005 and 2019 will compete to prove their skills in slalom karts. The competition starts at 10:00 a.m. with Class 1. The ceremonial conclusion of the first race day will be the prize-giving ceremony at 5:30 p.m. in the Nürburgring Media Center, where the top five drivers in each age class will be honored.

A bridge to the virtual world: Honoring the DNLS champions
A special sign of the close connection between real and digital motorsport will be set during the break between practice and the race. The spotlight will be on the champions of the Digital Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (DNLS) of the 2025/2026 winter season as well as the winners of the Community Cup 2025, who will receive their official awards on 11 April. The past season marked a milestone, as participants were able to have racing experience credited toward the DMSB Permit Nordschleife for the first time. Among those being celebrated is Team BS+COMPETITION, which secured the overall class-spanning title with a perfect record of four wins in four races. In the top class SP9, Falken Simracing will be honored after clinching the championship in a dramatic finale. Also called to the podium will be the new champions of the Porsche Cup class (PEETN) from Team EMM Esports, as well as the title holders of class SP10 from Team SimRC.

Tickets for the third event of the anniversary season, the 57th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy, cost 25 euros (children up to and including 14 years of age free of charge) and are available at VLN.de/tickets as well as at the day ticket offices. This grants access to the open grandstands at the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, as well as the paddock, pit lane and the starting grid. The fight for the best grid positions will take place in qualifying between 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. During the break between qualifying and the race, fans will have plenty of time to experience the cars up close: with a ticket, access to the pit lane is available from 10:20 a.m. during the pit walk, before the starting grid opens at 11:10 a.m. with even more hands-on motorsport. The four-hour endurance race gets underway at 12:00 noon.