The wait is over: after a four-month break, fans and participants alike are eager for the Nürburgring to get going again. The season opener of the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series promises pure excitement. Around 120 vehicles will take on the Green Hell over a distance of four hours at the 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt. More than 300 drivers from 29 nations will compete in racing cars from 19 different manufacturers – what more could a motorsport heart desire? Tickets for the race are available from 25 euros at VLN.de/tickets. Admission is free for young people up to and including 14 years of age. Those who cannot be there live can follow the entire race day in a livestream at VLN.de.
The Haupt Racing Team will contest its first race with the Ford Mustang GT3 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife at the NLS season opener. The two beefy US cars of the team from the industrial park at the Nürburgring are extremely well staffed: Nico Bastian, Arjun Maini, Dennis Olsen and Frank Stippler will take turns in the #2 car. The second Mustang with starting number #6 will be driven by Dennis Fetzer, Jusuf Owega, David Schumacher and Dirk Müller. “The whole team is looking forward to our first race weekend with the Ford Mustang GT3,” says HRT Managing Director Ulrich Fritz. “We couldn't have chosen a better place than our home track for the debut.”
The new BMW M4 GT3 EVO, fielded by ROWE RACING, is also making its Nordschleife racing debut. Augusto Farfus, 'Jesse Krohn', Raffaele Marciello and Kelvin van der Linde will take the #98 car into the race on Saturday. The BMW M4 GT4 EVO will also make its debut on the Nordschleife in the 2025 season, driven by customer teams. Among those contesting the full season are three influencers, 'Jimmy Broadbent', Steve Brown and '@mgcharoudin', who will be competing for the BILSTEIN by BLACK FALCON team together with Manuel Metzger. “I'm really looking forward to experiencing the EVO versions of our BMW M4 GT3 and BMW M4 GT4 for the first time in an official race on the toughest race track in the world,” says Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport.
After a three-year break, Black Falcon is also entering a GT3 car in the Nürburgring Endurance Series again for the first time. Daan Arrow, Gabriele Piana, Ben Bünnagel and Mike Stursberg will take turns at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The Am quartet will face strong competition from équipe vitesse, JUTA RACING (both Audi R8 LMS) and the Rennazzo Motorsport team led by Thai drift legend Kiki Sak Nana in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, among others.
The GT3 Pro category features both well-known teams and newcomers. Manthey EMA is entering 'Grello', the legendary Porsche 911 GT3 R. Falken Motorsports and Dinamic GT are also relying on the rear-engined sports car from Zuffenhausen. Red Bull Team ABT are fielding a Lamborghini Huracán GT3, as is Konrad Motorsport. Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed are entering two Mercedes-AMG GT3s at the Nürburgring and Scherer Sport PHX are backing a proven performer in the shape of the Audi R8 LMS. REALIZE KONDO RACING with Rinaldi are making their debut with a Ferrari 296 GT3.
The GT3 lineup is rounded off by an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 from Walkenhorst Motorsport and a McLaren 720S GT3 EVO from Dörr Motorsport. Both cars will compete in the Pro-Am category.
Champions go their separate ways
The trio of champions from the 2024 season will go their separate ways from now on. Sven Markert will drive the BMW M240i Racing Cup of Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels with starting number #1. Toby Goodman is moving to AVIA W&S Motorsport and will share the cockpit of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS with Moritz Oberheim and Philip Miemois. Ranko Mijatovic will contest the 2025 season together with Tobias Wahl and Nick Wüstenhagen in the FK Performance Motorsport BMW M4 GT4.
Eight vehicles have been entered in the BMW 325i Challenge by Goodyear, which has been newly established this year. The well-known NLS teams SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, rent2Drive-racing, Keeevin Sports and Racing, Eifelkind Racing, JS Competition and FK Performance Motorsport will face NLS returnees Dr. Dr. Stein Tveten motorsport. Other potential 'master classes' in which full points are awarded with seven or more cars are the VT2-F+4WD, VT2-RWD, SP10, SP8T and the two cup classes of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring.
Like father, like son
In addition to the aforementioned David Schumacher, son of ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, another prominent 'son' is taking part in the 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt. Giuliano Alesi, whose father Jean celebrated successes in Formula 1 and DTM, is competing for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing with a Supra Evo GT4 in the SP8T class. Alesi is set to drive two cars in order to get as much track time as possible, and his father will certainly not miss the opportunity to keep his fingers crossed for Giuliano on site.
Michael Bohrer has a very special race day ahead of him. For the first time, his eight-year-old son Jonas will be competing in a race on the same day and at the same location. While father Michael is piloting a Hyundai i30N for CSRacing together with Gerrit Holthaus, Jonas is taking part in the opening race of the 1st NLS Kart Slalom Championship. “I'm really looking forward to our very special racing premiere together,” says Michael Bohrer. “Jonas grew up at the Nürburgring. It's the first time we've been to a race day together, so it's something new. I also took my first steps in motorsport in the youth kart slalom and I think it's great that the NLS offers young people this opportunity.” On the helicopter landing pad in the paddock, the kart kids will be on the course from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., starting in five age groups with identical electric karts from Mach1.
Get your tickets now!
Tickets for the opening race of the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series are available for 25 euros (children up to and including 14 years of age are free of charge) at vln.de/tickets and at the box offices. This includes access to the open grandstands at the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, as well as the paddock, the pit lane and the starting grid.
The positions on the starting grid will be determined in qualifying between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. During the pit walk starting at 10:20 a.m. and the visit to the starting grid starting at 11:10 a.m., fans will then experience motorsport with all their senses. Also present on Saturday will be the Nürburgring mascot 'Legend' and Sully from Monster AG. The race starts at 12 noon.