In addition to fascinating race cars and exciting racing action at the most beautiful race track of the world, it is in particular the variety in the field that is an outstanding feature of the VLN endurance racing championship Nürburgring. Drivers from all kinds of nations are competing in a colourful mixture of makes coming from the most different manufacturers through the ‘Green Hell’. This variety is also reflected on the podium when looking into the season 2015. At the end of the four classified races so far, teams from Audi, Porsche, BMW and Ford respectively had climbed up on top of the podium. At the sixth VLN race, the last remaining big German car manufacturer now wishes to also score a win. Four driver teams are figuring out particularly good chances in their Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. The competition, however, will be on top class again on Saturday, 22nd August, when the 38th RCM DMV Grenzlandrennen will be started at 12 o’clock. The race over four hours at the 24.358 kilometres long combination of the Grand Prix Circuit short version and the legendary Nordschleife will then reveal whether a new winners team will go down in the history of the VLN season 2015 or whether we will see a repeater.
It will in particular be Klaus Abbelen, Sabine Schmitz and Patrick Huismann in the Frikadelli-Porsche as well as Michela Cerruti, Felipe Fernández Laser and Jesse Krohn in the Walkenhorst BMW who will try to spoil the plans of Mercedes-Benz and to win their second race of the season. The Z4 GT3 of the team Walkenhorst Motorsport won the fourth round and confirmed its ambitions in finishing third in the fifth race. The 911 GT3 R of the team Frikadelli-Racing celebrated the 200th victory of a car from the Zuffenhausen factory at the third race and it is always tuned on attacking. The Ford GT entered by ‘H&R Spezialfedern’ must also be taken into account by its rivals at latest since the last VLN race. Dominik Schwager and Uwe Alzen won the event in the vehicle that was built by Alzen’s brother Jürgen himself. The successful driver duo will, however, be separated at the Grenzlandrennen. Whilst Schwager will have a new team mate with Robert Renauer, a regular Porsche driver who will race in a Ford for his first time ever, Alzen will this time compete in the Mercedes-Benz SLS of the team Haribo Racing. The 48-years old will thus have the opportunity to take his second victory in two successive races and in two different makes. The cockpit with Alzen, Marco Holzer and Mike Stursburg is one of the hottest irons in the fire when the team will be fighting for the first Mercedes Benz overall win in the current season.
Another car not to forget is the SLS of Rowe Racing. Klaus Graf and Christian Hohenadel were already delighted about their third place achieved in the second VLN race and would now like to finish in the top. This of course also as their start at the fourth round was spoiled due to an accident in the qualifying. Rowe team manager Hans Peter Naundorf: “This is why our motivation is so much higher. During the current season, we have consistently shown very good performances but we were never rewarded with the corresponding result. This is what we wish to change and we intend to fight for the overall win with Klaus and Christian.” Former DTM driver Renger van der Zande, Johannes Siegler and Peter Schmidt are also figuring out good chances for their team in the Car Collection SLS. The fourth team in this group of promising Mercedes-Benz starters comes from Meuspath near the Nürburgring. Hubert Haupt, Adam Christodoulou and Andreas Simonsen wish to fight for a top position for the team of Black Falcon.
The regular VLN starters Martin Ragginger and Alexandre Imperatori in the Porsche 911 GT3 R of the team Falken Motorsports are also pursuing this target. They both have a powerful car, they both have finished on the podium already several times and they both are nevertheless still waiting for their first victory. The two Audi R8 LMS ultra crews, too, have an eye on a win. The teams of brothers Dennis and Marc Busch together with Marc Basseng as well as the Phoenix cockpit with Christian Mamerow, Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof and Frank Stippler belong to the top favourites at the Grenzlandrennen. The prospects are certainly also very good for the Lexus RC-F GT3 of Farnbacher-Racing. The new Japanese customer project scored a brilliant result right at their second participation in the VLN. Dominik and Mario Farnbacher achieved an unexpected second place in the previous race. On 22nd August, though, Dominik will not be supported by his brother. Mario will be replaced behind the steering wheel by Akira Iida from Japan.
The competitive VLN endurance racing championship Nürburgring continues to enjoy great popularity. In the season 2015, the astonishing number of 704 starters from 37 different nations had so far been at the start and motorsport teams from Tanzania, Israel, Thailand, the Chad, New Zealand, Ecuador, China and Malaysia were heading into the adventure ‘Green Hell’. The visitors furthermore enjoyed an extremely varied range of brands. Cars of 20 different manufacturers had so far been represented at the demanding Eifel circuit.
The currently most successful participants in the VLN season 2015 are all coming from Germany and they are driving French or Japanese cars. After four classified rounds, Dirk and Tim Gronek are in the VLN overall lead. The two drivers from Melle/ Germany participate with their Renault Clio in the competitive class SP3 in which they are setting the standard. The brothers had been on top of the podium after each race and they have scored a total of 37.69 points. They are closely chased by Arne Hoffmeister and Fabian Wrabetz who are shown with 37.04 points in the classification. They, too, have so far dominated their class in a superior manner. The two Toyota GT 86 drivers have won the TMG GT 86 Cup class in their Toyota GT 86 for Dörr Motorsport in each VLN race of the season. However, the last word has not yet been spoken in this regard considering that there are still four races to come. The competition in the VLN is very close, both in the various classes and in the overall classification. So the 38th RCM DMV Grenzlandrennen on 22nd August will once again provide tough and close duels, some surprises, bright and happy winners and above all a a great variety and first-class motorsport entertainment that all the spectators of the endurance racing championship will definitely enjoy.
