The first ADAC Ruhrpott Trophy will take place next Saturday, 26 April 2025. The event, organised by ADAC Westfalen and MSC Ruhr-Blitz-Bochum, is the second of ten rounds in the 2025 ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series, and not only is the line-up of the race itself literally a full house of aces and kings – the provisional entry list includes 140 entries. There is a multitude of topics that are more than just a side note. And the supporting programme with automobile and youth kart slalom is also impressive and provides variety and entertainment. Tickets for the race are available from 25 euros at VLN.de/tickets. Youngsters up to and including the age of 14 are admitted free of charge. Those who cannot be there live can follow the entire race day in the livestream at VLN.de.
Cars from 16 different manufacturers will be driven by 357 drivers from 28 nations, including 17 super sports cars in the GT3 SP9 class. Two teams will take to the track in the ‘premier class’ for the first time this year at NLS2. Scherer Sport PHX, which has celebrated numerous successes with Audi in recent years, is sending a Porsche 911 GT3 R into the race for the first time. ‘Competing in the top class with a new brand is a challenge that we are happy to accept,’ says Team Principal Ron Moser. ‘We have invested a lot of work in preparing our team for the 911 GT3 R in the best possible way. NLS2 is the next stage, because it’s the first time we’re taking on the competition. The objective is clear: of course we want to fight for the best places.’ Scherer’s drivers Patric Niederhauser and Patrick Pilet will alternate at the wheel. Hankook Competition is also celebrating its season opener in the Eifel with a 911. The two pseudonym drivers ‘JK’ from South Korea and ‘Recardo’ from the Netherlands will share the cockpit with Marco Holzer, who already clinched an NLS victory in 2011.
The Walkenhorst Motorsport team has stepped up. The team from Melle near Osnabrück is fielding three Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo cars in the second race, one of them in the SP9 Pro category with drivers Christian Krognes and Mattia Drudi. Walkenhorst Motorsport also has a special treat in store for fans of British super sports cars. Niklas Abrahamsen and Hermann Vortkamp will bring the new model of the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, which was presented last year, to the Nordschleife for the first time.
Green racing in the Green Hell: Prominent addition to the AT class
A sustainable project is celebrating its premiere at the ADAC Ruhrpott Trophy: Manthey and the Griesemann Group will be fielding the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport M in the Green Hell for the first time. The vehicle will contest the race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife using synthetic petrol made from methanol. This is produced as part of the DeCarTrans project, a research project at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs. The fuel produced belongs to the eFuels class and can be used in existing combustion engines without technical modifications (drop-in). Based on the Clubsport racing car, which is used in GT4 racing series worldwide, among others, the vehicle marked with the abbreviation ‘M’ impresses with its extensive lightweight construction and optimised aerodynamics. Manthey relies on components made from recycled fibre-reinforced plastic, which originate from a pre-development project with Porsche Motorsport and are tested within this framework.
‘Motorsport and sustainability are not mutually exclusive – and together with Manthey, we are taking the next step this year. Our experience with eFuels, combined with the racing expertise of the entire Manthey team, shows that performance without sacrifice is possible – in the same motorsport atmosphere,’ says Björn Griesemann, who is contesting the premiere together with his brother Georg. ‘The trust of our partners means an incredible amount to me and I am delighted with our new car. Driving a Manthey Porsche on the Nürburgring is the realisation of a childhood dream for me.’
The Griesemann Cayman will face strong competition in the AT class. The top dogs from Four Motors around rapper Smudo and Tom von Löwis, who have been driving sustainability in the Nordschleife championship for years, are fielding a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and two 718 Cayman GT4 CS. Max Kruse Racing will be fielding six organic racers. In addition to another 911, these include two Volkswagen Golf VIIs, a Golf GTI Clubsport 24h and two Audi RS3s.
Giving up is not an option: Robert Wickens starts his next attempt
Last year, he was unable to secure his permit in time for the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. This year, he is making the next attempt, because giving up is not an option for Robert Wickens. The 36-year-old Canadian, who is best known to German fans for his years in the DTM as a Mercedes-AMG works driver, has been paralysed since an Indycar accident in 2018. In 2022, he returned to the race cockpit in a Hyundai Elantra N TCR in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in the USA. His comeback in Germany followed at the opening race last year. Unfortunately, the race ended prematurely for Wickens after an accident, which he survived unharmed. This meant that his dream of competing in the 24-hour race in the Green Hell was history for the time being, as he was no longer able to complete the laps required for the DMSB Nordschleife permit due to scheduling issues. ‘I already tried last year and failed,’ Wickens told his fans on Instagram a few days ago. ‘Now I’m going for it again. I’m competing in the NLS to get my permit so that my dream of taking part in the Nürburgring 24 Hours can finally come true this year.’ Wickens shares the cockpit of the Elantra from Bryan Herta Autosport, which is equipped with hand throttle control, with American Michael Lewis.
Spectacular comeback: Ralf Schall wants to give it another go
He is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series. Ralf Schall has 105 class victories to his name. This puts him in fourth place on the all-time list of best drivers in the 49-year history of the traditional racing series, behind Volker Strycek (135), Johannes Scheid (134) and Daniel Zils (113). The 55-year-old car dealership owner from Dornstadt is celebrating his comeback at the ADAC Ruhrpott Trophy. Schall last competed in the NLS in 2022. Together with Julian Reeh and Valentin Lachmayer, the veteran will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the SP7 class (24-hour specials with a displacement of over 3,500 cc). On the race track, he will meet up with his daughter Janina, among others. The 20-year-old will compete together with Carrie Schreiner and Beitske Visser in the BMW M4 GT4 of the ‘Girls Only Team’ from GITI Tire Motorsport by WS Racing.
Get your tickets now!
Tickets for the ADAC Ruhrpott Trophy are available for 25 euros (children up to and including 14 years free of charge) at vln.de/tickets and at the box offices. This will take you to the open grandstands at the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten as well as the paddock, the pit lane and the starting grid. The second round of the NLS Kart Slalom Championship will take place this time in the Historic Paddock at the Nürburgring. This time, a round of the ADAC Mittelrhein Slalom Youngster Cup will be held in parallel on the ‘helipad’ in the paddock.
The positions on the starting grid will be determined in qualifying between 08:30 and 10 am. Fans will then experience motorsport with all their senses during the pit walk from 10.20 am and the visit to the starting grid from 11.10 am. The Nürburgring mascot ‘Legend’ and the spectacular Racebot will also be there on Saturday. The race starts at 12 noon. The livestream at VLN.de starts at 08:15. There will also be ‘Radio Nürburgring’ at rpr1.de and in the RPR1.APP.
