The last RCN GLP regularity test 2023, the Klingentrophy of the MSG Solingen in the ADAC, ended with a huge bang. The task this time was to drive six scoring sections consisting of three laps each on the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit and to confirm the self-set time from the setting lap block to the hundredth of a second. The winners managed this with just 0.3 points and four fault-free sections. Chapeau!
Unfortunately, only 56 participants had entered for the big GLP final 2023. The reason for this "meager" field of participants was certainly the unfortunate event date on a Friday, which is still a working day for many people. This handicap could not be compensated by the fact that the start, instead of the usual early morning, was scheduled for 13:00.

After the obligatory drivers' briefing, race director Jürgen Seidel sent the clear starting field out onto the partially still damp Grand Prix course of the Eifel race track at temperatures below 10 degrees.

Not all teams found the right rhythm right away. On the one hand, this was due to the unfamiliar track, on the other hand, it was due to the autumnal weather conditions. The time table of start number 42 may serve as an example. Michael Dedekind and Sandra Meier confirmed the first section with 5.9 penalty points. Already in the second section the two from Landshut improved to 2.5 points. In the following section the timing recorded a further improvement: only 2.1 points. After the refueling break Dedekind/Meier coped even better with the perfectly prepared BMW M3 or rather with the circumstances on the track and the number of penalty points per section became smaller and smaller: 1.5 points, 0.4 points and 0.1 points. The steady increase yielded a total of 12.5 penalty points in the addition. Thus Michael Dedekind and Sandra Meier not only secured fifth place in the day's standings, but also P4 in the overall annual standings.

The GLP went similarly, although not quite as continuously, for Patrick Gierlich (Rheinbach) and Ralf Schreiber (Schleiden). With their red and white Nissan Sunny they scored 9.2 penalty points in the first three sections and only 3.2 points in the second half. With the cumulative 12.4 points (4.0/2.1/3.1/00.8/0.9/1.5) the two placed themselves just ahead of Dedekind/Meier in fourth place. A top result for Gierlich/Schreiber at the end of the season with which they established themselves in eleventh place in the annual ranking.  

Winfried and Karin Schlüter from Horstmar also used the final run to increase their points tally in the long term. But unlike many other teams, they drove their best result already in the first leg. At the finish line, the red Mini JCW then finished in third place with 10.5 points (0.5/1.3/2.2/3.1/2.3/1.0).

The surprise of the GLP year was certainly Falk and Monika Mellentin. Reliable and with consistently very good results, the two drivers from Mönchengladbach, who start for the DAMC 05 in the ADAC, were able to score points regularly with their BMW 318ti. With only 2.0 penalty points (0.3/0.0/0.2/0.3/0.1/1.1) and the resulting 2nd place the "Mellentins" managed a strong end of the season. Thus P2 in the GLP annual ranking was safe for them. And as "icing on the cake" Monika Mellentin also won the GLP ladies ranking this year. 

"Oliver and Udo von Fragstein are slowly becoming scary to me". This is how Jürgen Seidel commented on the renewed success of the father/son team from Leichlingen and Leverkusen respectively. If one were to compare their performance at the Klingentrophy with the menu of a star chef, the first section was the amuse-gueule, the greeting from the kitchen, with only 0.1 fault points. This was followed by the excellent appetizer with 0.2 demerit points in the second section before the Maitre de Cousine served the four outstanding courses of the main course: delicious 0.0 points in the third section, tasty 0.0 points in the fourth section, tasty 0.0 points in the fifth section and all outstanding 0.0 points in the sixth section. All in all, a taste explosion. The final tally then succeeded without the need for a calculator: only 0.3 demerit points in six scoring sections. Another victory. Another masterstroke! 

For Oliver and Udo von Fragstein it was the sixth GLP victory this season. Only once they had to be satisfied with P2. This also answers the question about the GLP Champions 2023: Oliver and Udo von Fragstein.

A nice development could be seen in the rookie ranking. From the third race of the season onwards, the two best rookie teams were always placed in the top 10 of the daily standings. At the Klingentrophy these were Sebastian Gödderz and Jessica Suitter (Winkelhaid) in the Renault Twingo with 13,2 points (2,5/2,0/1,3/4,7/0,8/1,9) as winner of the rookie ranking ahead of Jens and Mika Vetter (Racksen/Siegen) in the Audi S3 8V on P2 with 13,6 points (3,0/2,2/0,9/0,6/3,8/3,1).

The team ranking secured itself the team "Nullrunde (Schlüter/Schlüter, Dedekind/Meier and Ezaru/Ezaru) with 29,96 points before the team of the MSC Wahlscheid in the ADAC (Göbbels/Göbbels, Scholl/Scholl and Derscheid/Derscheid) with 16,25 points, the team "Die Ü30er" (von Fragstein/vonFragstein, Bernards/Bernards and Ostrowski/Ostrowski with 15.89 points and the team Inkognito (Hoppius/Bettenbühl, Steinbrück-Weiß/Weiß and Völksen/Bremer) with 10.54 points on the fourth place. The teams also placed in exactly this order in the GLP annual ranking.   
Current info: www.rcn-glp.de

GLP Overall Ranking 2023
1st Oliver and Udo von Fragstein, Leichlingen/Leverkusen 59,29
2nd Falk and Monika Mellentin, Mönchengladbach 57,61
3rd Harald and Harald Ezaru, Pforzheim 56.11
4th Michael Dedekind and Sandra Meier, Landshut 55.40
5th René and Tina Göbbels, Eschweiler 54.90
6th Winfried and Karin Schlüter, Horstmar 51.30
7th Justin Schumacher, Hennef 51.24
8th Sebastian Anding and Nadine Philipp, Blaufelden 49.21
9th Marcus and Kurt Bernards, Langenfeld 49.11
10th Steven and Jennifer Ostrowski, Essen 47,48

GLP Rookie Ranking 2023
1st Sebastian Anding and Nadine Philipp, Blaufelden 47,17
2nd Justin Schumacher, Hennef 46.20
3rd Sebastian Gödderz and Jessica Suitter, Winkelhaid 45.79
4th Jens and Mika Vetter, Racksen/Siegen 43.65
5th Gregor Starck and Kalin Rashev, Kaiserslautern 40.38