Great return of the race cars to the Nürburgring Nordschleife: After almost five months of winter break, well over 100 race cars took advantage of the weekend's test and set-up days. From Friday to Sunday, the Nürburgring's endurance drivers tested the conditions on the track and ran in their cars for the 2022 season. Thousands of spectators were also present, who finally got a taste of racing air again in the paddock and around the track. Now everything is ready for the first race of the year: the Nürburgring Endurance Series next Saturday, 26 March.
Benny Leuchter was very satisfied with how the weekend went. "We have reorganised and expanded again in the winter. I am very happy that we are competing in the TCR class again this year. Above all, we are happy that the fans are back at the track," said the co-owner of Max Kruse Racing. This year, the team is fielding an Audi RS3 LMS in addition to the two familiar VW Golfs. There's still plenty to do there. "I also did a few laps myself, which was a great feeling to finally be behind the wheel again. I did a lot of testing with our new TCR Audi, on the suspension and on the air pressures of the tyres. There are a few differences to the Golf. That's why I'm a development driver and team boss at the same time," says Leuchter.
But it's not only the drivers and the cars that are putting the finishing touches to the upcoming racing season, which starts on 26 March with the 67th ADAC Westfalenfahrt, but the track has also been spruced up again over the turn of the year, which Leuchter confirms: "The feedback from the drivers is very positive. Marek Schaller, our youngest driver, is completely thrilled, he would prefer to only drive long runs."
Marco Seefried expects faster lap times
Over a distance of 2.5 kilometres, the asphalt was renewed on the Grand Prix circuit and on the Nordschleife around the areas of Döttinger Höhe, Antoniusbuche, Tiergarten, Hohenrain chicane up to the Sabine Schmitz bend. "You have to approach the Green Hell again every year not only because of the repair work. I always approach it with humility. Especially on the transition to the Nordschleife, on the first left-hand bend, there is now tremendously more grip. That will have an effect on the times," says Marco Seeefried, who will climb into a Porsche 911 GT3 R for Falken Motorsports. "It's always nice to come back to Nordschleife. The weather is also perfect, as always," says the GT3 specialist with a grin. "It makes you hungry for more. Luckily, I had the chance to race in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the winter - but you can't compare that to the interesting track and family here."
Klaus Abbelen is taking it a step smaller this year. The Frikadelli Racing team boss is competing in a Cup2 Porsche in the new Porsche Endurance Trophy-Nürburgring one-make cup. "I've taken part in the set-up day so often, somehow it's routine for me by now. But once you've done the first lap, it's really fun again. A GT3 is a different matter, but it's hard to drive it at the limit with any car. Although, I always drove so that I could go back to work on Monday morning. I still keep it that way. You don't have to break anything," says Abbelen.
Next Saturday, the Nürburgring Endurance Series will start its 46th season. Tickets for the grandstands at the Grand Prix circuit and the very popular spectator seats in the Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten areas are available from 18 euros. The tickets also include a visit to the paddock, the pit lane, the starting grid and the motorsport experience museum ring°werk. Children up to 14 years of age are admitted free of charge. Click here for the ticket shop.
Meanwhile, the Nürburgring Test Days 2022 are also getting off to a flying start: From 28 - 31 March, a total of four days are planned on the sprint track for Formula & GT cars from various classes. And on 4 and 5 April, trucks of the FIA European Truck Championship (ETRC) will test on the same track for the first time. Nürburgring fans will be familiar with the almost 1500-hp race trucks from the International ADAC Truck Grand Prix!