It has become a good tradition that the VLN endurance racing championship Nürburgring honours the successful drivers in a separate event. More than 600 guests attended the big prizegiving ceremony, which took place on 21st November in the Bitburger Event-Center at the Nürburgring, to render homage to the title winners and to the popular grassroots series.
Amongst those were also the managing directors of the Capricorn Nürburgring GmbH, Carsten Schumacher and Adam Osieka. “I know from many discussions that, casually speaking, both of them are fans of the VLN”, said VLN chief representative Karl Mauer in his welcome speech. “Both have an interest in the further development of the VLN and that it is the series through which the Nürburgring and in particular the Nordschleife defines itself.”
A voice which is very well known by all the true VLN fans guided the visitors through the evening programme. Track commentator Lars Gutsche had a lot of work to do during the evening. It was finally a huge number of drivers to be called to receive their trophies. The new VLN Champions Dirk and Tim Groneck were of course celebrated in an outstanding manner. The brothers received standing ovations which lasted several minutes for their ‘coup de main’ in the Renault Clio. Cups were also awarded to the Walkenhorst-Team which won the VLN Speed Trophy with the BMW Z4 GT3, to the two Junior champions Michele Di Martino and Moritz Oberheim as well as to the winner of the VLN Production Car Trophy, Stefan van Campenhoudt. In addition to the make cups of BMW, Opel and TMG, trophies were also distributed to the various class winners. And – last but not least – Daniele Schmid from Austria was awarded a special prize as the best lady driver of the season 2015.
Gutsche finally got some time to breath when the show acts started to perform on the stage. Amongst others, the travesty show ‚Red Shoe Boys‘ provided first-class entertainment before the ‚Flying Bananas‘ started their acrobatic dancing show. The Event Center was however by far not closing down after the official programme. The visitors were dancing until late at night and the season was appropriately concluded with one or another cold drink.
