After the brilliant season opener last weekend, the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie continues without a break. With the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers on 13 and 14 April, the next double-header is on the agenda. Two 4-hour races – on Saturday even into the twilight – once again promise thrilling motorsport in the Green Hell. Tickets are available from 25 euros at 24h-rennen.de and at the box offices. As usual, those staying at home can follow the action around the Nürburgring via livestream at vln.de.
After not all GT3 teams were on the grid at the two opening races of the NLS due to overlapping dates, the qualifiers will feature a full load of GT3 power. Of course, the two victorious Porsche teams Falken Motorsports and Manthey EMA will also be competing this weekend. This time, DTM champion Thomas Preining and his team-mate in the DTM this year, Ayhancan Güven, will alternate at the wheel of ‘Grello’. After almost achieving the historic first victory for the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO II in NLS2, RED BULL TEAM ABT is now looking for revenge.
In the qualifiers, Frikadelli Racing, last year’s 24-hour winner, will once again attack with the Ferrari 296 GT3 and Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed is also aiming for success. The racing team from the business park at the Nürburgring took a race win in last year’s qualifiers. Herberth Motorsport (Porsche 911 GT3 R), Schnitzelalm Racing (Mercedes-AMG GT3), Lionspeed GP – PK Motorsport (Porsche 911 GT3 R), Dinamic GT (Porsche 911 GT3 R) and the two BMW teams BMS M Team RMG and ROWE RACING will also contest the first race in the Green Hell 2024. A total of 28 GT3 cars will be on the grid, promising spectators first-class racing action.
Following the brand switch from BMW to Aston Martin, Walkenhorst Motorsport is contesting its first Nordschleife outing with the British super sports car. Christian Krognes, Jakub Giermaziak, David Pittard and Nicki Thiim will take turns at the wheel in the #34 car, with Chandler Hull, Benjamin Mazatis and Patrick Assenheimer in the #35 and Stefan Aust, Christian Bollrath, Anders Buchard and team founder Henry Walkenhorst in the #36. Last season, the racing team from Melle took five victories in the NLS – albeit all in BMWs.
Double lead in the championship
After two of eight races in the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, two teams are level on points at the top of the standings. Daniel Mertens and Joshua Hislop won the VT2-FWD class twice in the Hyundai i30N from Mertens Motorsport. Sven Markert, Ranko Mijatovic and Toby Goodman from Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels achieved the same feat in the BMW M240i Racing Cup. Both classes had a strong field at the opening races, guaranteeing a full points haul.
In second place are three teams that claimed a victory and a second place in NLS 1+2. AVIA W&S Motorsport was successful with Joshua Bedarski, Lucas Daugaard and Moritz Oberheim in their Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS in the Cup 3 class of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring. In the SP10, TOYO TIRES with Ring Racing with Andreas Gülden, Tim Sandtler and Marc Hennerici in the Toyota Supra GT4 and Dörr Motorsport with Oskar Sandberg, Aaron Wenisch and Nick Wüstenhagen in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 took turns in first and second place.
Horst Baumann, who together with Stefan Schmickler drove the Porsche from Schmickler Performance powered by Ravenol to third and second place in Cup 3, leads the new Gentlemen trophy for drivers born in 1973 or earlier. The two championship leaders Goodman and Hislop are currently also the best-placed drivers in the Junior Trophy. Desiree Müller, who drives a BMW 325i in the V4, is in first place in the Ladies’ Trophy. And – after a second place in the first race and a much-acclaimed victory in the second – Grello, the Porsche 911 GT3 from Manthey EMA, is in first place in the Speed Trophy.
Thrilling programme with plenty of racing
The ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers are part of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie for the first time this year. The dress rehearsal for the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring (30 May to 2 June) is organised by ADAC Nordrhein. The two-day event begins with qualifying for race one on Saturday from 10am to 12pm. The first four-hour race starts at 5.30 pm and continues into the evening. On Sunday, the 90-minute qualifying session starts at 08:15. The top qualifying session, in which the fastest cars take to the track in an individual time trial, is a highlight from 10.40 am. The second race of the weekend starts at 13:00 and the chequered flag falls at 17:00. Both races will be contested in the 24-hour version, consisting of the Grand Prix circuit (without the AMG Arena) and the Nordschleife.
In addition to the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers themselves, the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) will run a performance test on the Nordschleife on Saturday from 13:00 to 16:30. In the paddock, there will be a youth kart slalom on the helipad and car slaloms will take place in the AMG Arena on both days.
