The 54th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy will conclude the first third of the Nürburgring Endurance Series season on 15 April. Once again, more than 140 cars are entered, no less than 26 of them in the GT3 class SP9. Two of the nine races have been contested and the first trends as to who will have a say in the battle for the championship can already be perceived. NLS3 will run over the usual distance of four hours. Tickets are available from 20 euros, children up to 14 years have free entry. Those who can’t be there can follow the action in the Green Hell from 8:15 a.m. onwards in the livestream on VLN.de.
Two races, two winning teams, one brand: BMW dominated the first two NLS races. While Maxime Martin and Dries Vanthoor from ROWE RACING were the winners in the opening race, Jakub ‘Kuba’ Giermaziak and ‘Jesse Krohn’ in the BMW M4 GT3 from Walkenhorst Motorsport followed suit in NLS2. The other podium positions went to Audi (Scherer Sport PHX) and Mercedes-AMG (Schnitzelalm Racing) as well as Porsche (Rutronik Racing) and the BMW Junior Team. The exotic cars in the GT3 class SP9 are still under the radar: Ferrari 296 GT3, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 and Aston Martin Vantage GT3. However, it seems to be only a matter of time before the supposed underdogs will also score points in the Green Hell.
Adrenalin and FK Performance drivers in the lead of the standings
After two races, the first tendencies in terms of the championship can already be observed. Three teams are leading the standings level on points, and each started the season with two victories in highly competitive classes: Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg and Philipp Leisen were successful for the Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec in the VT2-R+4WD class. Their team mates – Sven Markert, Nils Steinberg and Yannick Fübrich – won the BMW M240i Racing by Goodyear class twice. Thorsten Wolter and Nick Wüstenhagen are entered by FK Performance Motorsport and won twice in the SP10 class with the BMW M4 GT4. Steinberg leads the medienkraftwerk Junior classification. In the NLS Speed Trophy, the BMW Junior Team takes first place ahead of the Rutronik Porsche and the Walkenhorst BMW #34.
In classes with seven or more participants, full points are awarded in the NLS for registered drivers and teams. At the first two races of the season, this also applied to the two classes of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (CUP2 and CUP3), to the SP9 and the VT2-FWD. However, no team managed to score two wins in a row. At the end of the year, two out of nine race results are eliminated.
Nordschleife debut for Samantha Tan
This Saturdaym Samantha Tam will make her debut at the Nordschleife. The Canadian lady driver will start with the BMW 325i from RPM Racing in the V4 class, with the aim of completing her compulsory laps for the big Nordschleife permit. Normally, Tam is very much used to more powerful cars. In 2021, she won the 24h GT Series with her own team in a BMW M4 GT4. Last year, she moved up to the top class with an M4 GT3 and was also successful here at the 12h of Mugello. In 2023, she pursues multiple options: she competes in the GT World Challenge America with a BMW M4 GT3 and in the European counterpart with a Ferrari 488 GT3.
Timo Scheider will celebrate his NLS comeback. The two-time DTM champion (2008/2009) and winner of the 24h Race in 2003 last competed in the Nordschleife Championship in 2019. At the 54th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy, he will share the cockpit in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II of Audi Sport Team Scherer PHX with Frédéric Vervisch and Mattia Drudi.
Manthey-Racing evaluates customer feedback
There will be a special guest entry in the CUP2: With a special permit, Marco Holzer and Jaxon Evans will start in a refined Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992). The car features a number of technical modifications based on the feedback from participants in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring.
In the lead of the CUP2 drivers’ standings are Benjamin Leuchter and Nico Otto, who compete for Max Kruse Racing. With two second places, the team of the professional football player of the same name leads the championship ahead of Paul Harkema and Tim Scheerbarth (AVIA W&S Motorsport) and Christopher Brück and Moritz Kranz (KKrämer Racing). In the CUP3, W&S drivers Finn Zulauf, Marius Rauer and Moritz Oberheim are ahead of the SRS Team Sorg Rennsport trio of Heiko Eichenberg, Patrik Grütter and Fabio Grosse.
Brand diversity in the TCR class
Seven cars from five different manufacturers are entered in the TCR class for the third NLS race of the season: Audi RS3, Cupra, Honda FK7, Opel Astra and VW Golf will provide a nice brand diversity. As many as three of the TCR teams demonstrate that motorsport is also a family affair: Marco and Mike Knappmeier will start in the Golf together with Dirk Groneck, VLN Champion of the year 2013, while Michelle and Mike Halder will share the Honda with Roger Vögli. And one of the two Cupra cars is driven by Armando and Dario Stanco from Italy.
Excitement guaranteed – get your tickets now!
Tickets for the third race of the Nürburgring Endurance Series are available for 20 euros (children up to 14 years free of charge) at vln.de/tickets and at the box offices. This will get you into the open grandstands at the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten as well as into the paddocks, the pit lane, on the starting grid and into the motorsport experience museum ring°werk.
