NEWS

25 September, Monday

Party festival "Loco Beach" takes place at the Nürburgring

With "Loco Beach," Germany's craziest party festival will celebrate its premiere next year at the Nürburgring. From August 22 to 25, the event offers four days of live acts and DJs of different genres at the Müllenbachschleife of the Nürburgring. In addition, camping in the Loco Village and an exclusive Fun & Activity Park await visitors. The novel festival is the third open-air in the...
Party festival "Loco Beach" takes place at the Nürburgring

25.09.2023

With "Loco Beach," Germany's craziest party festival will celebrate its premiere next year at the Nürburgring. From August 22 to 25, the event offers four days of live acts and DJs of different genres at the Müllenbachschleife of the Nürburgring. In addition, camping in the Loco Village and an exclusive Fun & Activity Park await visitors. The novel festival is the third open-air in the coming year at the Nürburgring. In addition to Loco Beach, the legendary Rock am Ring and the festival at the Truck Grand Prix will also underline the role of the Ring as a versatile event and festival location in 2024. Tickets for the festival weekend are available from €99. The musical orientation at the Loco Beach Festival breaks the boundaries of genres. Decisive for the planning of the organizers were the playlists of the festival goers, which are not limited to one music genre. The headliners are still top secret, but Loco Beach has already given a first glimpse of the line-up with some artists. First artists already knownWith Luca-Dante Spadafora & Niklas Dee the suppliers of the summer hit 2023 come to the ring. Their "Girl on the Horse" could not be missing in any playlist. Also present is Germany's party queen number 1 Mia Julia and many other artists. Alexander Marcus, Pietro Lombardi or Die Atzen, among others, will do the honors at the Ring. Camping offer in the Loco VillageCamping is also an integral part of the four-day party festival. The area called "Loco Village" also follows a versatile concept. The look and feel of the area alone is intended to match the overall flair of the festival, and it also offers an exclusive Fun & Activity Park for overnight guests - a real playground for adults with a Ninja Warrior course, wave riding simulator and open-air laser tag facility. Nürburgring managing director looks forward to premiereThe organizers promise that it will be "colorful, shrill and loud - and Loco Beach the 'craziest place in the world' ". That the decision of the festival fell on the Nürburgring as a location, is also pleased Nürburgring Managing Director Ingo Böder: "To accompany the premiere of an event is of course always a great thing and it is above all a special mutual trust. We are absolutely convinced of the new concept. We are looking forward to the joint, successful implementation and many happy visitors." Tickets in advance at the Early Flamingo price are available here from €99.

Walkenhorst Motorsport celebrates third victory in a row

23.09.2023

Christian Krognes and Jakub 'Kuba' Giermaziak in the BMW M4 GT3 from Walkenhorst are currently no match for anyone in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. The duo celebrated their third victory in a row at the 55th ADAC Barbarossapreis. For Krognes it was the fourth triumph of the year, for 'Kuba' even the fifth. Secondly leading the race, David Pittard, Nick Catsburg and Felipe Fernández Laser in the Ferrari 296 GT3 of Frikadelli Racing had to admit defeat in second place. Vincent Kolb and Frank Stippler in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II from Scherer Sport PHX ended their run of bad luck with third place. Excitement was the order of the day at the eighth race of the NLS in the 2023 season, with Frank Stippler securing the fourth pole position of the year for the Scherer duo. In the starting phase, Stippler defended the lead until the first pit stops. Further leading laps were collected by the team-mates of the winners, Dylan Pereira and Sami-Matti Trogen, in addition to the later first and second-placed drivers. The decision for victory came at the final pit stop. In light drizzle in the final third of the race, the Frikadelli squad lost valuable time on tire selection. "The driver wanted slicks, the race engineer wanted rain tires and I then made the decision in favor of slicks," said team boss Klaus Abbelen. The tire choice was to prove correct, with the delay at the pit stop ultimately handing the Ferrari team a 2:24.758-minute deficit. "I must say it was a very tough battle," said Giermaziak. "We were lucky with the first pit stop - we were able to gain time there. After that, we were almost on par with the Ferrari, even though it's unbeatable on a straight track." Krognes, who had to admit defeat to the Ferrari in a direct duel, said, "It was a cool fight! Especially during the rain, it was very difficult to tell on the track whether it was wet or dry there. It was a real challenge, Nicky was very fast, but I'm glad we came out of the race in first place." Catsburg describes the gripping duel with Krognes as follows: "Chris and I had a lot of fun at the beginning of the stint, he was very fast then. Then, at the end of the stint, his tires went flat, so I was able to catch up. And then the rain started. I mean I love this track, but I hate these conditions! When you're on slicks and it starts to rain... I managed to get past Chris and was able to get a gap out. Out of nowhere, though, he was then back on me." On the end of his streak of bad luck with three retirements in a row, Stippler said, "The fact that the streak of bad luck has now been broken is obviously good. Something like this also puts a damper on the mood of the co-drivers and the team when you have to experience so many retirements. That's why it's good to have this now, and it's like a salve for the team's wounds and souls." Kolb added: "The issue of punctures is definitely over, even if the lower track and air temperatures played into our hands, I think we're back where we left off last year." Behind the top trio, Darren Turner, Ben and Phil Dörr drove to fourth in the Dörr Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3. They were followed in the rankings by Pereira/Trogen in the Walkenhorst BMW. The fastest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was driven by Christopher Brück, Tobias Müller and Moritz Kranz for Krämer Racing in sixth place. Nasr takes first step towards DPN AEx-Formula 1 driver Felipe Nasr has mastered his first step towards the big Northern Tire Permit. Together with Alesia and Jacqueline Kreuzpointner, he drove the Porsche Cayman GT4 CS to victory in the alternative fuel class. "Last week I was in Indianapolis, today here at the Ring - these are two completely different worlds," said the Brazilian. "I enjoyed every single lap. The Nordschleife is something very special. The idea behind my effort is to earn DPN A and then maybe compete here in the 24h race sometime in the future."Other class wins went to Møller Bil Motorsport (Audi RS3 LMS) in the TCR class, Manheller Racing (BMW E90) in V4, Schmickler Performance powered by Ravenol in V6 and SP3T, among others, Zierau Hochvolt by Mertens Motorsport (Hyundai i30N) in VT2-FWD, FK Performance Motorsport (BMW M4 GT4) in SP10, Smyrlis Racing (Porsche 718 Cayman GTS) in SP4T and the 'girls only' team of GITI TIRE MOTORSPORT BY WS RACING in SP8T. The final will be the big showdownThe championship decision remains open until the final. Both Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg and Philipp Leisen in the BMW 330i of Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec and Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS of SRS Sorg Rennsport took a class win at NLS8. This results in the following situation in the standings: Adrenalin has already scored the maximum possible number of points. With another victory at the finale, Sorg can still draw level. The points from the two strike-off results will then be decisive. A third place in the final will then be enough for the Adrenalin trio to claim the title. For the team from Heusenstamm, it would be the sixth in a row. The result of the 55th ADAC Barbarossapreis remains provisional. Max Kruse Racing has announced an appeal against a decision by the stewards. Following a collision, the car of Benjamin Leuchter and Nico Otto was disqualified and Leuchter was stripped of his DPN for the upcoming event. The team now has 96 hours to justify the appeal. The 47th PAGID Racing DMV Münsterlandpokal will conclude the 2023 season of the Nürburgring Endurance Series on October 7. The race runs over the customary distance of four hours. Tickets are available in advance here.

The hot phase begins - exciting takes at NLS8

21.09.2023

The Nürburgring Endurance Series enters the home straight of the 2023 season with the 55th ADAC Barbarossapreis on 23 September. The focus of the eighth race of the year is the championship decision in the tradition-steeped Nordschleife championship. A number of other topics underpin the dramaturgy. Thrilling motorsport in the Green Hell is guaranteed. Tickets for the 4h race are available from 20 Euros (children under 14 free) in the online shop and at the box offices. The 24-hour winners are back! After the grandiose success of Frikadelli Racing at the Eifel Marathon, the Ferrari 296 GT3 of the team around Klaus Abbelen was granted the honour to be in the limelight at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello from now on. Since Frikadelli Racing could already win the Am title in the CUP2 classification of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring at NLS7, the preparation for the coming year starts early now. David Pittard and Nick Catsburg will drive the brand-new super sports car from Italy at NLS8, which already had its roll-out during the test and set-up run before the 12h Nürburgring at the beginning of September. Due to their great successes - Pittard won the 24h race as well as the ROWE 6h ADAC Ruhr Cup race in the Falken Porsche - the duo automatically slip into the role of favourites. They are opposed by a number of teams who were also successful at the Nürburgring in 2023, most notably four-time season winners Christian Krognes and Jakub 'Kuba' Giermaziak in the Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3. With three pole positions, Vincent Kolb and Frank Stippler in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II from Scherer Sport PHX are also always among the illustrious circle of candidates for victory. Of the NLS8 contenders, Schnitzelalm Racing (Mercedes-AMG GT3), PROsport Racing (Aston Martin Vantage GT3) and Dörr Motorsport (Aston Martin Vantage GT3) have achieved podium finishes so far this season. A Brazilian enters new territory: Felipe NasrWith Felipe Nasr, a former Formula 1 driver is preparing to conquer the Green Hell at the Barbarossa Trophy. The Brazilian raced for Sauber in the premier class in 2015 and 2016 and is now a Porsche works driver in the Porsche 963 LMDh hybrid prototype. His field is the North American IMSA sports car championship. It is not known whether his Nordschleife event was inspired by Sebastian Vettel, David Coulthard & Co. who made the legendary Nordschleife shake with F1 cars as part of the Red Bull Formula Nürburgring at the beginning of September. The fact is, Nasr is contesting a real racing event in contrast - alongside twins Alesia and Jacqueline Kreutzpointner in the 718 Porsche Cayman GT4 CS from Four Motors Bioconcept-Car (#420) to obtain the DMSB Permit A for the Nordschleife. Tobias Jung and thinking outside the boxTobias Jung wants to prove at NLS 8 that he can not only handle Opel cars. On the Nordschleife, the team from Bornheim won the hearts of the fans with the Calibra and Astra models. Now comes the first race with a Cupra Leon in VT3. Tobias Jung himself and Michael Eichhorn take turns at the wheel. The racing team is also fielding an Opel Astra in the TCR class, driven by none other than Carlos Antunes Tavares, the CEO of the Stellantis Group, which owns the Opel, Citroën, Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler brands, among others. At the side of the Portuguese, who lives in France, the Senior Vice President of Stellantis Motorsport, Jean-Marc Finot, takes the wheel. In the TCR class, the duo will face Møller Bil Motorsport with the Audi RS3 LMS, Halder Motorsport with the Honda FK7 TCR as well as Patryk Krupinski from Luxembourg, who is contesting a kind of home game in the Cupra TCR of the organising MSC Sinzig. A real showdown: who will be champion and when?The championship in the Nürburgring Endurance Series will only be decided in the last two races. Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg and Philipp Leisen in the Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec BMW 330i have scored the maximum points haul in the first seven races: seven class wins in VT2-R+4WD. Nevertheless, the trio cannot sit back and relax, because Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter, who drive a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS in Cup 3, are hot on their heels. Five class wins and two second places mean that they are currently still eight points behind. With two more class wins, the three drivers of SRS Team Sorg Rennsport can draw level, because at the end of the season, only the best seven results are included in the standings. Both teams would then be equal on points. In this case, four different rules apply and the decision becomes complicated. Rule number one weighs the respective number of placings against each other. Since both teams would have seven wins in the scored races, they would still be tied. Next, the position of the last race used for scoring is compared - again, both would have one win. Rule number three takes into account the points from the two strike results. For race eight this means: Sorg can delay the championship decision until the final with a win. If they fail to do so, Adrenalin will have a virtually unassailable lead in the standings - regardless of the result. If both teams win their class at NLS8, a third place will be enough for Adrenalin to win the title at the final. A historical plot twist is not out of the questionBy the way, the situation would get really curious if Sorg won both races and Adrenalin came second twice in the remaining races. Then rule number four would come into force: the consideration of the training results. The better average of the qualifying results leads to the title. But here, too, there is a tie - after seven of nine races, the average of both teams is 2.14. Should this remain the case until the finale, there would be two champion teams for the first time in the history of the Nürburgring Endurance Series. In the medienkraftwerk Junior Trophy 2023, Nico Otto, who competes in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Max Kruse Racing in Cup 2, currently leads the standings. The team leading the standings, Adrenalin Motorsport, leads the NIMEX Team Trophy in four classes. A script that guarantees entertainment for the whole familyThe 55th ADAC Barbarossapreis will run over the customary distance of four hours. The positions on the starting grid will be determined in qualifying between 08:30 and 10 am. At the 'NLS-Pitwalk presented by PITWALK - das Motorsportmagazin' from 10:20 a.m. and the visit to the starting grid from 11:10 a.m., the fans will experience motorsport with all their senses. The race starts at 12 noon. The entire race day will be broadcast live on VLN.de. Between practice and the race, a parade for a good cause will take place on the Nordschleife. The Benefiz Corso e.V. is collecting donations for the track safety officers. The big sports stewards' party organised by the VLN in the paddock after the race is also aimed at the tireless helpers around the Nürburgring, without whom motor sport would be unthinkable.

Björn and Georg Griesemann triumphed at the endurance classic at the Nürburgring

18.09.2023

Björn and Georg Griesemann (Porsche 911RSR) were the winners after 39 completed laps in 6:36:59.513 hours. Starting from fourth place on the grid, they captured the top position for the first time after just 11 laps and only relinquished it briefly for just under three laps. A happy Georg Griesemann was satisfied after the race and explained: "We consistently stuck to our tactics, took it easy on the car and avoided taking the curbs excessively in order to manage the race successfully. In the middle of the race, the pressure from the BMW squad behind us increased and we had to step up our performance. There are certainly more pleasant moments than having a chaser like Olaf Manthey breathing down your neck in the last four laps." The decision to stay on slick tyres in light rain paid off. Last year's winners, consisting of Peter Schumann, Jürgen Schumann, Olaf Manthey and Joachim Kiesch, put in an impressive performance in a faultless race, crossing the finish line just 59.656 seconds behind the winners. Peter Schumann put it in a nutshell: "We are very happy about second place, we wouldn't have thought that at noon today. After all, we were 6 minutes behind at one point. An additional pit stop was simply necessary for safety reasons and cost us some time." The team's performance and the BMW's reliability are all the more impressive when you consider that they have always finished in the top 4 over the last three years. The team of Michael Hess, Matthias Wasel and Frank Stippler (Porsche 911RSR) celebrated their best finish as third overall in the ADAC 1000km race. The trio started from pole position and managed to lead the field for a total of nine laps. Michael Hess had already secretly speculated on a TOP3 finish before the race start and commented: "Unfortunately, we had to make an extra pit stop." The man from Düren also echoed the winners' thanks to Edgar Salewsky, who prepared the two Porsches. The notorious Eifel weather showed its mild side and spared the 90 or so participants. The sun shone over the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife. In the final phase, there was a brief spell of light rain, which caused a certain amount of tension among the teams, but without any noteworthy effects. The fastest team in the classic Appendix K cars was the family team consisting of father Ralf Oehme and sons Leonard and Moritz, who took turns at the wheel of the Porsche 911 ST. The battle in the individual classes went down to the last second. 54 of the 89 teams that started saw the black-and-white chequered flag. Some of the co-favourites were unlucky, including Markus Dünkelmann, Christoph Breuer and Andy Gülden, who had to abandon their race in the Porsche 911RSR after only six laps due to gearbox damage. The same happened to the winners of the 2021 edition, Kersten Jodexnis, Robin Chrzanowski, Peter Scharmach and Dr. Eddy Althoff, who had to park their Porsche after 15 laps due to engine failure. Organiser draws a positive balanceHead of organisation Henning Meyersrenken was extremely satisfied after the race. "We have successfully developed the traditional race again this year and were able to welcome the largest field of starters so far at the third edition. The positive response from riders and fans makes us particularly proud." First and foremost, a big thank you goes to our dedicated volunteers, the tireless course marshals and all the event helpers.They have again supported us energetically. Without their commitment and the support of our cooperation partners, the realisation of such an event would hardly be conceivable! We are already looking forward to the next edition, when we will be back at the start here in the "Green Hell" from 20-22 September 2024."

Red Bull Formula Nürburgring: Vettel and F1 back on the Nordschleife

17.09.2023

Fans had to wait ten years: at the Red Bull Formula Nürburgring, the engines of the F1 cars finally howled again on the iconic track. Vettel, Coulthard, Tsunoda & Co. thrilled 60,000. Drift action, Nascar interludes and unique show runs were on the agenda before the 12-hour race at the Nürburgring. In the middle of it all was the one everyone had been waiting for: Sebastian Vettel. "I feel like I'm in a time capsule. A whole lot of memories come flooding back. Everything fits together here today - including the fact that we're now running on synthetic, i.e. CO2-neutral, fuel." - Sebastian Vettel   Fuels could be produced synthetically and serve as a substitute fuel. According to Vettel, that may not be the only solution, but it is part of the solution. For the four-time world champion and one of Germany's greatest Formula One drivers of all time, it is important that everyone realizes that we have to do something. He said that doesn't change anything about the sport: "You don't feel any difference in the car, it's just as much fun." Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel, who supports the "Race without a trace" campaign, came to the Nürburgring with a clear mission: "Motorsport is my great passion and I want to preserve the sport."  The event also brought back memories for the international stars and legends of motorsport on two and four wheelsA highlight was the halftime show with some of the most prominent representatives of two-wheeled motorsports: stunt driver Aras Gibieža, freestyle motocross pro Luc Ackermann and trial freestyler Adrian Guggemos. Elias Hountondji, one of the two Drift Brothers, made the tires smoke. As his brother was unable to attend due to injury, Conor Shanahan, the current leader of the Drift Masters Championships, provided some incredible driving maneuvers. So did David Coulthard, who stepped in at short notice for the injured Daniel Ricciardo. The Scottish Formula 1 vice world champion from 2001 piloted the RB8 and drove together with Sebastian Vettel through the almost 21-kilometer course with its 73 turns in the grand finale. "I feel very privileged to have been able to drive here today with Sebastian Vettel and in front of a fantastic crowd." - David Coulthard   All further information about the event here!

ADAC 1000km race at the Nürburgring with impressive starting field of 90 vehicles

15.09.2023

The organisers of the ADAC 1000km Race are looking forward to the coming weekend with great anticipation. On Saturday, 16 September 2023, an impressive field of 90 top-class vehicles will gather at the tradition-steeped Nürburgring race track in the Eifel for the endurance classic. This entry result fulfils the expectations and thrills the numerous fans, as Henning Meyersrenken, the organisation manager, points out. > more info & tickets The number 1 car will be driven by last year's winning team, consisting of Olaf Manthey, Jürgen and Peter Schumann as well as Joachim Kiesch, who will once again enter the legendary BMW 635 CSi in the race. As last year's runners-up, Dr Alexander Kolb and his sons Vincent and Carl-Friedrich will compete in the Porsche 964 to claim overall victory this year. Michael Hess, who narrowly missed out on the podium last year, dares to try again and has two experienced Nordschleife connoisseurs at his side in Matthias Wasel and Frank Stippler. There are several other favourites among the other Porsche 911s in RSR specification. The field of Porsche 911s in RSR specification is peppered with other promising candidates. Kersten Jodexnis, the winner of the 2021 edition, brings two competitive vehicles to the start. Together with Richard-Sven Jodexnis, Robin Chrzanowski and Peter Scharmach, he takes up the challenge in the Porsche 911 RS. Dr Eddy Althoff, who replaces Richard-Sven Jodexnis this year, competes in the RSR and stands for fast lap times on the Green Hell.

This year's overall winners of the ADAC 24 Classic, Björn and Georg Griesemann, who drive a Porsche 911RSR, will also be in the field.The circle of favourites is completed by the trio Markus Dünkelmann, Christoph Breuer and Andy Gülden - who drives almost daily on the Nordschleife - in a Porsche 911RSR. Last year they started the 1000km race from second position. In his first full season in the Youngtimer Trophy, André Kunkel won't miss the 1000km race either and has joined Claudia Hürtgen and Michael Funke, who fought for victories in the German Touring Car Challenge some 30 years ago.The Morgan Plus 8 team of Christian Bock, Michael Funke and Oliver Louisoder will provide a splash of colour among the numerous Porsche cars. Last year, they were able to get a taste of leading air and finished the race in sixth place overall.But it is not only the overall victory contenders that offer interesting stories. For Ralf Oehme, the race is also something very special. He competes in the Porsche 911 ST together with his three sons Niklas, Leonard and Moritz. An all-women team is presented in the BMW 2002 by Gaby von Oppenheim, who shares the car with Claudia Hürtgen and Celia Martin. Old acquaintances are also at the start in the displacement midgets class. Tess-Racing and the drivers Frank Schmelter-Sonneborn, Rainer Oesterbeck and Mike Fiedler have already claimed class victory at the last two 1000km races. The Volvo Classic-Racing Team, which was founded in 2020 and is supported by Baumann Container Raumsysteme Bonn, uses a Volvo 850 T5 Estate with the experienced drivers Helmut Baumann and Klaus Nießen.

DNLS Community Cup: The champions are sought in four classes

13.09.2023

The grand finale of the Community Cup of the Digital Nürburgring Endurance Series presented by Goodyear will take place on Friday evening, 15 September. From 7:45 p.m., the fans will experience the big showdown of the 2023 season at the KALFF 3-hour race live on VLN.de. The fifth race is dedicated to the charitable organisation Kohle fürs Ahrtal e. V., which is calling for support for those affected by the flood disaster in the Ahr valley in 2021 as part of the digital event. The protagonists will start in four classes. In the top category SP9, Dörr Esports leads the standings after four races. Including the obligatory scratch result, the Esports team of the sports car dealer from Frankfurt is two points ahead of the chasing Team Heusinkveld with 34 points. The duel in the race will then be Porsche 911 GT3 R vs. Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO. While the Dörr team already has two victories to its credit, Heusinkveld managed this feat once. The fact that the championship is still very close is primarily due to Heusinkveld's consistency. In the GT3 class, Gericke Motorsport's Lamborghini is also in the mix, with its eye-catching livery promoting the Kohle fürs Ahrtal e.V. association. At the DNLS-CC finale, donations are to be generated to support a large truck parade with 50 vehicles at the end of September, which will set out from the south of Germany to deliver specifically needed relief supplies to the Ahr valley. Even though normality has returned to the Ahr valley in many places more than two years after the flood disaster, there are still people affected who are still dependent on help. While the relief goods are exclusively donations, the fuel and toll costs amount to about 60,000 euros. The basis of the association in general is not exclusively to generate donations of money or goods. Rather, further support and assistance is also arranged. However, Gericke Motorsport is not only at the start for a good cause, but in the end also to celebrate sporting successes. After four events, the team's Porsche crew is in first place in the CUP2 class with 38 points. With 15 points still to be awarded, the team leads by seven points over KKrämer Racing, the well-known Porsche racing team from the real Nürburgring Endurance Series. Dörr Motorsport, in third place, also still has a chance of winning the title. The championship decision in the GT4 class SP10 is also exciting. Deutsche Payment Phantom leads the tableau with 32 points with the Mercedes-AMG GT4 ahead of Adrenalin Motorsport with the BMW M4 GT4. The series champions of the real NLS will do their utmost to turn the tables once again at the finale. So far, the team has scored points primarily through consistency, but is still winless. Deutsche Payment Phantom won the season opener in the class.Only one point separates the two Hyundai Elantra of Team Heusinkveld and Impulse Racing in SP3T. The championship leaders recorded two commanding victories at the beginning of the season, after which the series came to an end. Impulse Racing, on the other hand, consistently scored eleven points in each of the three races. About the DNLS Community CupVirtual motorsport for everyone in a professional environment - that is the motto of the DNLS Community Cup. The virtues that the digital counterpart of the tradition-steeped Nürburgring Endurance Series has established with the DNLS since 2020 also characterise the new Cup: well thought-out and simple regulations, professional organisation and race management, live streaming and coverage of the races on the NLS channels. The sim racers are among themselves in the Community Cup - compared to the DNLS, there is no obligation to enter a driver from real motorsport in the GT3 class.

Show acts and motorsport action thrill fans at the Ring

11.09.2023

Thousands of fans were thrilled at the Nürburgring over the weekend. On Saturday alone, 60,000 visitors made the pilgrimage to the Red Bull Formula Nürburgring and the start of the 12h Nürburgring. With Formula 1 drives on the legendary Nordschleife as well as stunts and drifts on the Müllenbachschleife, the Red Bull athletes around Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel thrilled the fans before around 120 vehicles started the big 12-hour race a little later. Another weekend highlight in the versatile event location: the big after-show party on Saturday evening in the Eifel Stadl. The cheering in the packed Müllenbachschleife circuit was great when the stars fired up the engines - and the list of drivers and cars was equally long and legendary at Red Bull Formula Nürburgring. First and foremost, four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, who did his laps in the RB7 racer - some of them together with David Coulthard in the RB8. Especially emotional: Mathias Lauda also turned onto the legendary Nordschleife in his father Niki's former F1 racer, the Ferrari 312 B3-74. The line-up of current and former Formula 1 drivers also included Yuki Tsunoda, Ralf Schumacher, Gerhard Berger and Jos Verstappen as well as other motorsport greats such as Phillip Eng, Jens Klingmann, Leopold Prinz von Bayern and Markus Flasch - all at the wheel of impressive vehicles. Stunt driver Aras Gibieža, freestyle motocross professional Luc Ackermann and trial freestyler Adrian Guggemos as well as Elias Hountondji from the Drift Brothers and Conor Shanahan provided breathtaking flying and drifting performances during the show. Again and again, the applause and cheers of the visitors erupted during the programme items. After the big show, the long-distance highlight beganThere were also numerous highlights beyond the Red Bull Show - after the grand finale with the joint laps of Vettel and Coulthard, the starting grid for the next horsepower spectacle already began: the 12h Nürburgring on the combination of Grand Prix circuit and Nordschleife. At 3:30 p.m., the lights went green for the first part of the race, which offered thrilling racing until late in the evening. After six hours, race 1 of the so-called "double-header" came to an end, before the second 6-hour race on Sunday was again about important points and placings in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. The entire weekend was accompanied by excellent weather with sunshine and summer-like temperatures. Sold-out after-show party in the Eifel StadlWhile the fans were able to fortify themselves on both days in the Bitburger Gasthaus and the Lucia restaurant, visit the supporting programme points in the ring°boulevard or drive their personal best times in the Nürburgring eSports bar and in the ring°kartbahn, another highlight awaited all partygoers in the ring°carré on Saturday evening. In the event location Eifel Stadl, everyone celebrated together at the after-show party until the early hours of the morning. 1,800 visitors danced to the beats of the DJs in the sold-out venue and rounded off their visit to the Nürburgring.

Double is better: Walkenhorst Motorsport at the 12h Nürburgring

10.09.2023

The 12h Nürburgring will be remembered twice by spectators and teams alike - two thrilling races over 6 hours each, two days of bright sunshine with midsummer temperatures in the middle of September in the Green Hell, and a team that landed at the top of the podium twice: Christian Krognes and Jakub 'Kuba' Giermaziak secured the double victory in races six and seven of the Nürburgring Endurance Series in the BMW M4 GT3 from Walkenhorst Motorsport.  "It's a dream come true for our team. I don't think we've ever won a doubleheader like this before," said a delighted Christian Krognes after crossing the finish line at the 62nd ADAC Reinoldus endurance race to claim his second overall victory in a row. Fellow driver Jakub Giermaziak was also fully satisfied after the victorious weekend: "After the 24h race we needed such a result to confirm ourselves. The last two races were terrific, the car ran super." That it "ran super" was not only shown by the fastest race lap that Krognes and Giermaziak burned into the asphalt of the legendary Nordschleife with a time of 7:56.743 minutes, but that applied to the entire Walkenhorst team on Sunday. Because the crew from Melle in Lower Saxony was able to cheer not only the BMW with start number 34 but also the sister car with number 35 on the podium. Just under three minutes behind, Niklas Krütten and Dylan Pereira finished second in their BMW M4 GT3. "After technical problems in yesterday's race, everything went well today. We didn't get into trouble, the car and the tires coped well with the heat. Everything was as it should be - and now I want to celebrate our second place," Pereira summed up. In addition to the two strong BMWs, the driver trio Maxime Dumarey, Christoph Breuer and Marek Böckmann surprisingly made it onto the podium with the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 from PROsport-Racing. The drivers of the Pro-Am car were correspondingly happy. "I don't even know what to say. My goal was to fight for victory in the Pro-Am, now we are on the overall podium! I'll have to sleep on it again and pinch myself again," Böckmann said, overjoyed. In the overall standings, there are also overjoyed drivers after now seven of a total of nine races in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg and Philipp Leisen scored the maximum number of points. 37 faultless laps once again secured class victory for the number 1 BMW 330i. The title could only be in danger if the series winners from SRS Team Sorg Rennsport continue to score full points in Cup3. Including two strike results, Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter would be on a par with the Adrenalin trio. However, two more wins are needed - the last two races will decide. In just two weeks' time, the combination of the sprint version of the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife will once again be used for championship points and at the same time for the final spurt of the popular endurance series. On September 23, the 55th edition of the ADAC Barbarossapreis will take place in the Green Hell.