The Nürburgring is gearing up for a weekend dedicated entirely to motorsport enthusiasm. The 57th Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy not only marks the third round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, but also serves as a meeting point for tradition, technological innovation and international top-class competition. From the first steps in kart slalom to thrilling multi-class racing on the Nordschleife, the event provides a stage for every facet of motorsport. Tickets are available from €25 at VLN.de/tickets. Children aged 14 and under get in for free. Those unable to attend in person can follow the race day via the free live stream on VLN.de.
Racing debut: The HWA EVO.R comes to life
A highly emotional moment at NLS3 is the global racing debut of a car that bridges the gap between a glorious motorsport tradition and state-of-the-art high-end technology: the HWA EVO.R. In the SP-X class, the team from Affalterbach is sending two prototypes (start numbers 61 and 62) into the Green Hell. This outing marks a historic milestone for HWA: the first in-house model in the company’s history is taking to the world’s toughest race track under competitive conditions for the very first time. The HWA EVO is a modern homage to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II, a style icon of the early nineties. Yet beneath the striking silhouette, limited to just 100 units, lies a completely new development. Car number 61 will be driven by Evald Holstad, Christian Gebhardt and Sebastian Asch. The sister car, number 66, will be shared by Luca Ludwig, Jamie Green and Lance David Arnold. HWA CEO Martin Marx describes the significance of the project as follows: “We are delighted that things are getting underway with NLS3. For us, the series is the ideal platform to bring our many years of experience under extreme conditions to bear. At the same time, this campaign holds special significance for us because, as a team, we are working on a project that drives us forward. With the HWA EVO.R, we are using this environment to further develop the car in a targeted manner and prepare it optimally.”
The return of the ‘old lady’: An emotional revival of the BMW Z4 GT3
A particular highlight of the 57th Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy is the return of an absolute crowd favourite to the Green Hell. Peter Posavac is bringing the legendary BMW Z4 GT3 (car number 40) back onto the tarmac of the Nürburgring, promising spine-tingling moments in the pit lane. The project is a labour of love, fuelled by the overwhelming response from the motorsport community. “It’s incredibly emotional and shows what motorsport can achieve,” says Posavac, describing the wave of support from fans and former colleagues. After the last races in 2018 and 2019 ended prematurely, the team still has a score to settle with the Nordschleife. Nevertheless, the team is proceeding with caution: For NLS3, the initial focus is on tyre homologation and crucial test laps to ensure they are fully prepared for the year’s major highlight. Posavac emphasises with great anticipation: “I’m absolutely thrilled to get the old lady back on the grid.” Together with Michael Funke, he will bring the V8 sound of the “Zetti” back to life in the SP9 AM class.
Promotion to the top class: Kamui Kobayashi in the KCMG GT3
A familiar face in a new role is the Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi. The former Formula 1 driver, World Endurance Champion and Le Mans winner remains loyal to Team KCMG, but will be stepping into the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with start number 47 for the 57th Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy. Back in 2024, Kobayashi completed his mandatory laps for the DMSB Nordschleife Permit in a Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo2. This outing now marks his next step into the SP9 PRO class. To ensure a smooth transition to the significantly more powerful GT3 car amidst the dense traffic of the NLS, Kobayashi will be supported by an experienced line-up. He will share the cockpit with Jesse Krohn, Edoardo Liberati and David Pittard, who all have extensive endurance racing experience on the Nordschleife. Kamui Kobayashi describes his first GT3 outing in the Green Hell as follows: “It will be an incredible experience to drive a GT3 at the Nürburgring. Before my DPN outings in 2024, I had never been to the Nordschleife. So it was impressive to see it in real life, with no expectations whatsoever. This circuit is one of the most demanding and exciting in the world, and I can’t wait to make my SP9 debut with KCMG at NLS3.”
A global horsepower extravaganza: the giants of the entry list
The international nature of the Nordschleife is clearly reflected in the provisional entry list, which includes around 350 drivers from 37 nations. SRS Team Sorg Rennsport fields the largest contingent with ten cars, followed by Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels, which is represented by nine cars. Black Falcon is also fielding a strong fleet of seven cars. AsBest Racing, Giti Tire Motorsport by WS Racing and W&S Motorsport are each entering five cars, with the line-up ranging from TCR racers to Porsche Cup models and BMW Cup cars. The field of major teams is rounded off by teams such as Max Kruse Racing and PROsport racing, each of which contributes four cars to the high total of 139 registered cars.
Supporting young talent: Start of the NLS Kart Slalom Championship season
Following last year’s huge success, the 2026 NLS Youth Kart Championship is entering its second season. Under the forward-looking motto “From kart slalom to circuit racing on the Nordschleife”, MSC Adenau and the VLN are pursuing the shared goal of supporting young talent at an early stage and offering them long-term prospects in motorsport. The first of a total of three rounds this season will take place on Saturday, 11 April 2026, in the Historic Paddock. Young drivers born between 2005 and 2019 will compete in a total of six age groups to prove themselves in the slalom kart. The competition starts at 10:00 am with Class 1. The first day of racing will conclude with an awards ceremony at 5:30 pm in the Nürburgring Media Centre, where the top five drivers in each age group will be honoured.
Building a bridge to the virtual world: Honouring the DNLS champions
A special gesture highlighting the close connection between real-world and digital motorsport will take place during the break between practice and the race. The spotlight will be on the champions of the Digital Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (DNLS) for the 2025/2026 winter season, as well as the winners of the 2025 Community Cup, who will receive their official honours on 11 April. The past season marked a milestone, as participants were able to have their racing experience credited towards the DMSB Permit Nordschleife for the first time. Among those being celebrated is Team BS+COMPETITION, which confidently secured the overall title across all classes with a perfect record of four wins in four races. In the premier SP9 class, the Falken Simracing team will be honoured, having secured the championship following a dramatic finale. Also called to the podium will be the new champions of the Porsche Cup class (PEETN) from Team EMM Esports, as well as the title-holders of the SP10 class from Team SimRC.
Tickets for the third event of the anniversary season, the 57th Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy, cost €25 (children up to and including 14 years of age go free) and are available at VLN.de/tickets and at the ticket offices on the day. This grants access to the open grandstands on the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive spectator areas of Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, as well as the paddock, the pit lane and the starting grid. The qualifying session, taking place between 8.30am and 10am, will determine the best positions on the starting grid. During the break between qualifying and the race, fans will have plenty of time to experience the cars up close: with a ticket, they can head to the pit lane for the Pit Walk from 10.20 am, before the starting grid beckons with even more hands-on motorsport action from 11.10 am. The start of the four-hour endurance race is at 12 noon. The live stream on VLN.de begins at 8.15 am. In addition, there is ‘Radio Nürburgring’ on rpr1.de and in the RPR1 app.
