NEWS

19 March, Wednesday

Full speed ahead into the new NLS season

The wait is over: after a four-month break, fans and participants alike are eager for the Nürburgring to get going again. The season opener of the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series promises pure excitement. Around 120 vehicles will take on the Green Hell over a distance of four hours at the 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt. More than 300 drivers from 29 nations will compete in racing cars from 19...
Full speed ahead into the new NLS season

19.03.2025

The wait is over: after a four-month break, fans and participants alike are eager for the Nürburgring to get going again. The season opener of the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series promises pure excitement. Around 120 vehicles will take on the Green Hell over a distance of four hours at the 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt. More than 300 drivers from 29 nations will compete in racing cars from 19 different manufacturers – what more could a motorsport heart desire? Tickets for the race are available from 25 euros at VLN.de/tickets. Admission is free for young people up to and including 14 years of age. Those who cannot be there live can follow the entire race day in a livestream at VLN.de. The Haupt Racing Team will contest its first race with the Ford Mustang GT3 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife at the NLS season opener. The two beefy US cars of the team from the industrial park at the Nürburgring are extremely well staffed: Nico Bastian, Arjun Maini, Dennis Olsen and Frank Stippler will take turns in the #2 car. The second Mustang with starting number #6 will be driven by Dennis Fetzer, Jusuf Owega, David Schumacher and Dirk Müller. “The whole team is looking forward to our first race weekend with the Ford Mustang GT3,” says HRT Managing Director Ulrich Fritz. “We couldn't have chosen a better place than our home track for the debut.”   The new BMW M4 GT3 EVO, fielded by ROWE RACING, is also making its Nordschleife racing debut. Augusto Farfus, 'Jesse Krohn', Raffaele Marciello and Kelvin van der Linde will take the #98 car into the race on Saturday. The BMW M4 GT4 EVO will also make its debut on the Nordschleife in the 2025 season, driven by customer teams. Among those contesting the full season are three influencers, 'Jimmy Broadbent', Steve Brown and '@mgcharoudin', who will be competing for the BILSTEIN by BLACK FALCON team together with Manuel Metzger. “I'm really looking forward to experiencing the EVO versions of our BMW M4 GT3 and BMW M4 GT4 for the first time in an official race on the toughest race track in the world,” says Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport. After a three-year break, Black Falcon is also entering a GT3 car in the Nürburgring Endurance Series again for the first time. Daan Arrow, Gabriele Piana, Ben Bünnagel and Mike Stursberg will take turns at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The Am quartet will face strong competition from équipe vitesse, JUTA RACING (both Audi R8 LMS) and the Rennazzo Motorsport team led by Thai drift legend Kiki Sak Nana in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, among others.   The GT3 Pro category features both well-known teams and newcomers. Manthey EMA is entering 'Grello', the legendary Porsche 911 GT3 R. Falken Motorsports and Dinamic GT are also relying on the rear-engined sports car from Zuffenhausen. Red Bull Team ABT are fielding a Lamborghini Huracán GT3, as is Konrad Motorsport. Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed are entering two Mercedes-AMG GT3s at the Nürburgring and Scherer Sport PHX are backing a proven performer in the shape of the Audi R8 LMS. REALIZE KONDO RACING with Rinaldi are making their debut with a Ferrari 296 GT3. The GT3 lineup is rounded off by an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 from Walkenhorst Motorsport and a McLaren 720S GT3 EVO from Dörr Motorsport. Both cars will compete in the Pro-Am category.   Champions go their separate ways The trio of champions from the 2024 season will go their separate ways from now on. Sven Markert will drive the BMW M240i Racing Cup of Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels with starting number #1. Toby Goodman is moving to AVIA W&S Motorsport and will share the cockpit of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS with Moritz Oberheim and Philip Miemois. Ranko Mijatovic will contest the 2025 season together with Tobias Wahl and Nick Wüstenhagen in the FK Performance Motorsport BMW M4 GT4. Eight vehicles have been entered in the BMW 325i Challenge by Goodyear, which has been newly established this year. The well-known NLS teams SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, rent2Drive-racing, Keeevin Sports and Racing, Eifelkind Racing, JS Competition and FK Performance Motorsport will face NLS returnees Dr. Dr. Stein Tveten motorsport. Other potential 'master classes' in which full points are awarded with seven or more cars are the VT2-F+4WD, VT2-RWD, SP10, SP8T and the two cup classes of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring.   Like father, like son In addition to the aforementioned David Schumacher, son of ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, another prominent 'son' is taking part in the 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt. Giuliano Alesi, whose father Jean celebrated successes in Formula 1 and DTM, is competing for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing with a Supra Evo GT4 in the SP8T class. Alesi is set to drive two cars in order to get as much track time as possible, and his father will certainly not miss the opportunity to keep his fingers crossed for Giuliano on site. Michael Bohrer has a very special race day ahead of him. For the first time, his eight-year-old son Jonas will be competing in a race on the same day and at the same location. While father Michael is piloting a Hyundai i30N for CSRacing together with Gerrit Holthaus, Jonas is taking part in the opening race of the 1st NLS Kart Slalom Championship. “I'm really looking forward to our very special racing premiere together,” says Michael Bohrer. “Jonas grew up at the Nürburgring. It's the first time we've been to a race day together, so it's something new. I also took my first steps in motorsport in the youth kart slalom and I think it's great that the NLS offers young people this opportunity.” On the helicopter landing pad in the paddock, the kart kids will be on the course from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., starting in five age groups with identical electric karts from Mach1.   Get your tickets now! Tickets for the opening race of the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series are available for 25 euros (children up to and including 14 years of age are free of charge) at vln.de/tickets and at the box offices. This includes access 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 positions on the starting grid will be determined in qualifying between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. During the pit walk starting at 10:20 a.m. and the visit to the starting grid starting at 11:10 a.m., fans will then experience motorsport with all their senses. Also present on Saturday will be the Nürburgring mascot 'Legend' and Sully from Monster AG. The race starts at 12 noon.

Nürburgring has a full calendar of events in 2025

12.03.2025

Ready for a full-throttle 2025: the engines will finally start up at the Nürburgring in March. And once again, the event calendar is full to bursting: 60 events make the Eifel race track a worthwhile destination for many good reasons well into the fall. Racing spectacle, festival summer, comedy evening or family outing: the Nürburgring will make hearts beat faster again this year. They belong to the Ring as much as the champagne shower on the podium: crowd-pullers such as the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the DTM, Rock am Ring, the Truck Grand Prix and the Oldtimer Grand Prix will once again attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Eifel this year. A fast-paced mix that includes around 60 public events between March and November alone. Major events alternate with hands-on motor sports and small after-work pleasures, such as the Nürburgring cycling and running club or the Afterwork Classics. One of the highlights will be the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. On the Corpus Christi weekend (June 19-22), well over 100 race cars will take on the ultimate challenge: 24 hours non-stop on the most demanding track in the world. A spectacle – also because of its passionate fans. Tens of thousands will be camping along the track, creating the unique atmosphere of the Ring. One new feature this year is a particularly family-friendly camping option in the new Family & Friends area. If you enjoy the thrilling and close racing on the Nordschleife, there are many other opportunities to experience racing action in the Green Hell throughout the year at the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series and the RCN circuit racing challenge. The International ADAC Truck Grand Prix is also a real experience. For decades, Germany's truckers have been celebrating Christmas with country music, camping and fast-paced racing. This year, the truckers will be on the loose from July 11 to 13. The traditional music festival has recently undergone a rejuvenation. The revamped Saturday evening program now features well-known party artists, and affordable single-day tickets are available for this event. Europe's most famous racing series, the DTM (August 8-10), will once again be a guest on the Nürburgring's sprint track – and will shine with a wide variety of brands, familiar faces and thrilling racing. Or how about a journey back in time to the last century of motorsport? With the Nürburgring Classic (June 13-15), the BELMOT Oldtimer Grand Prix (August 1-3) and the ADAC 1000 km race (September 20-21), three events are dedicated to historic racing cars. Indoor events from comedy to sportsThere will be plenty of laughter and celebration off the track this year: Comedian Carolin Kebekus will be making a guest appearance in the ring°arena in the fall (September 20) with her celebrated Shesus tour. NightWash Live will also be bringing stand-up comedy to the Nürburgring again this year, on November 15. And at Darts am Ring, some of the world's best dart throwers will transform the ring°arena into a madhouse together with many celebrating darts fans on March 29 – just like at the big role model, the Ally Pally. The Nürburgring Family Day on October 26 and the Job Fair on November 7 and 8 round off the indoor highlights. And because the Nürburgring is not just about watching, other hands-on events are looking forward to motivated participants. Whether on two wheels at Rad am Ring (July 18-20), on foot at the Hotfoot Run (May 10), or with the powerful Gargenschatz at GRIP - das Motorevent (July 6). Speaking of garage treasures: Numerous tourist driving days are planned again for all petrol heads, during which anyone can drive on the ring. The Nordschleife and Grand Prix circuit will open their barriers on well over 100 days.

Nürburgring highlights in March

06.03.2025

From the first tourist drives to the start of the endurance series and the darts gala – the Nürburgring is starting the new season at full throttle. March 2025 marks the official start of the motorsport season at the Nürburgring. With a variety of events that will thrill both motorsport and entertainment fans, life returns to the legendary race track. From the first Touristenfahrten (tourist drives) to exciting races and thrilling indoor and entertainment events, the Nürburgring offers a diverse program in March. A brief overview of the highlights: Touristenfahrten open Nürburgring season | March 8On Saturday, March 8, 2025, the gates of the Nordschleife will open for the first time this year for the popular Touristenfahrten (tourist rides). The offer gives you the opportunity to experience the “Green Hell” with your own car and feel the fascination up close. For Nürburgring fans from all over the world, the time of waiting will then come to an end. On the second and third weekends in March – March 8 and 9, and March 15 and 16 – the legendary track will be open all day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. After that, there are opportunities to drive the track yourself almost every day. 20.832 kilometers, 73 corners and 300 meters of elevation change per lap are the numbers that make the Nürburgring experience so unique for visitors. Opening of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie | March 22The official starting signal for the motorsport season will be on March 22, 2025 with the first race of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). Teams and drivers from various classes will compete against each other in the four-hour 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt on the demanding combination of the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife. This year, the championship includes ten races on eight event weekends. The two ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers will again count towards the NLS. New, however, is the NLS-Light event, in which vehicles of the SP9, SPX, SP-Pro and Cup 2 classes are not allowed to compete. Fans can look forward to exciting racing action and a diverse field of participants. Tickets are available through the official Nürburgring website. Darts at the Ring Gala | March 29, 2025“Darts am Ring” will be back in 2025! A real highlight of the darts world awaits spectators in the ring°arena. World champions Gerwyn Price, Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross will be there. Fans can also look forward to ‘The Rockstar’ Joe Cullen, ‘Titan’ Dirk van Duijvenbode and Germany's number one, Martin Schindler. The Darts Gala is much more than just an ordinary tournament – it is a festival for all those who want to experience the sport and its unique flair as closely as never before. With spectacular throws, an electrifying atmosphere and a lively ambiance, “Darts at the Ring” will be an unforgettable event in 2025 as well. Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring | March 29 The Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) will also take place for the first time in 2025 on March 29, 2025. As part of the popular grassroots sports series, ambitious drivers have the opportunity to prove their skills on the legendary track. At the same time, a regularity test (RT) will be held, in which the focus is not on speed but on consistent lap times. Highlights in March 2025:from March 8: Tourist DrivesMarch 22: ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-SerieMarch 29: Darts at the Ring GalaMarch 29: Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) & Gleichmäßigkeitsprüfung (GLP)

DNLS | Full speed ahead into the second half of the season

13.02.2025

The second RAVENOL 3h race on Saturday, February 15, will mark the start of the second half of the season of the digital Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. When almost five dozen cars take up the race over the 180-minute distance in the virtual Green Hell at 1 p.m. sharp, excitement is guaranteed, as the decision in the championship is drawing closer. A preliminary decision will not be made, because there are no strike results in the winter season 2024/2025. The digital race day will be livestreamed from 11:30 a.m. on VLN.de. In the overall standings, two teams from SCHERER eSPORT are in the lead. The #116 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and the #269 Renault Clio have each notched up two class wins. William Chadwick and Luca Alpert won alongside regular driver Raphael Rennhofer in the 911, while Sven Winter and Michael Teusch triumphed twice in the Clio. As in the real ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecke-Serie, the DNLS features multi-class action. New this season is the Clio SP3 class. It forms the counterpart to the significantly faster and more spectacular GT3 cars in the SP9. And even though the power is much lower – in the class of compact sports cars from France, exciting racing is on offer. “We always have to keep an eye on the mirrors from the second lap onwards when we are on the D-Zug and the GT3 pack flies past us. Above all, we have to make sure that we still take the momentum with us everywhere,” says championship leader Teusch. ”We reach our top speed of around 215 km/h in the Fuchsröhre. We don't have a chance of getting up to that speed on the Döttinger Höhe. The Clio lacks a bit of power at the top end. Plus, we're running without ABS, which means that the rear wheels tend to lock up. That makes driving the Clio extremely demanding, but it's always a lot of fun.” BS+COMPETITION leads the field in the SP9 class. European Truck Racing Champion Norbi Kiss and Felix Quirmbach finished second in the Mercedes-AMG GT3's digital counterpart at the season opener and went on to win the second race on February 1. AMG Team Apex Racing is in second place – with a respectable seven-point gap. Gordie Mutch has taken a liking to DNLS during his most recent guest start. The Briton, who won the 2022 Praga Cup and finished tenth in the 2024 British GT4 Championship, is replacing Elias Seppänen as a real driver at Apex Racing. Sebastian Øgaard, a young talent, is taking his place in the simulator for Pole Promotion Esports, the team around DTM champion René Rast and Alexey Nesov. The Dane has twice finished on the podium in the GTWC Silver Cup in 2024. After a break of one race, Tim Heinemann returns to the virtual cockpit of the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Team Nitro x Falken. The 27-year-old sim racing pro made his DTM debut in 2023 and last year, with Falken Motorsports, claimed victory in the real-life ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecke-Serie. Falken Simracing leads the championship in the GT4 class SP10. Lucas U. Müller and Benedikt Hitz drove the BMW M4 GT4 to third and first place, and with a one-point lead, they are just ahead of SimRC. In the Mercedes-AMG GT4, Corentin Guinez and Marvi Strehl finished second twice.The second RAVENOL 3-hour race is the third of four rounds in the 2024/2025 winter season. NLS presenters Patrick Simon and Olli Martini will open the livestream on VLN.de on Saturday at 11:45 am from the virtual studio at the Nürburgring with a pre-show and a summary of the practice session. The virtual starting lights will turn green at 1 p.m. for the three-hour race. The livestream can be accessed here.

Dream start for AMG Team Apex Racing at the DNLS opener

21.12.2024

The season opener of the digital Nürburgring endurance series was a festival for every motorsport fan. In the RAVENOL 3-hour race, Alejandro Sánchez and Elias Seppänen in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 of AMG Team Apex finished just 0.27 seconds ahead. Last year's champion Norbi Kiss and Felix Quirmbach of BS+COMPETITION had to settle for second place. In third place, Sami-Matti Trogen and Vasilios Beletsiotis of AMG Team Williams completed a perfect triple victory for Mercedes-AMG. Apex Racing had two reasons to celebrate, as victory in the SP10 class also went to the virtual racing team from Great Britain. In the Cup 2 and SP3 classes, drivers from SCHERER eSPORT were at the top of the podium. In qualifying, Alexey Nesov secured pole position in the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Pole Promotion Esports, managed by René Rast. However, because he did not maintain the specified speed in the last few meters before the start, race control imposed a penalty. The two AMG teams took the lead and fought a thrilling duel for victory over long stretches of the race. “In the end, we had a little more pace in some sections,” said Sánchez. “We were able to take advantage of that and ultimately take the victory.” Reigning ADAC GT Masters champion Seppänen, who completed the first stint as a real driver, added: “I got off to a good start and benefited when the Porsche received the penalty. We managed to save fuel in the early stages, so we didn't have to make an additional stop at the end. In the end, it got really tight, but Alejandro had it well under control. That was a perfect race.” After 24 laps, pole-sitter Nesov was flagged down in fifth place together with Constantin Tscharf behind the best-placed BMW M4 GT3 of the MAHLE RACING TEAM. Sixth place went to the Ferrari 296 GT3 from Impulse Racing by GTÜ. The two Ford Mustang GT3s from M&J Downforce took seventh and eighth places. The Cup 2 class of the Porsche Esports Endurance Trophy Nürburgring was also hotly contested. In the Manthey one-make cup, the two Porsches of SCHERER eSPORT were the measure of all things, as they were last year. Raphael Rennhofer and William Chadwick took first place ahead of last year's champions Luca Alpert and Julian Reimer. Luca Kita and Luis Beilicke rounded off the good team result for Apex Racing in third place. “After just missing out on the title last season, winning the opener today was a dream start to the new season,” said Rennhofer. “The field is extremely strong again this year. It was very difficult to hold our own, especially in the first stint, because you can't get a gap with the slipstream.” Chadwick analyzed the secret of their success: “We managed to handle the tires and fuel the best.” The maximum points in the newly created PEETN Am drivers' standings went to Michael Lerchbacher and Christopher Wolfgruber, who drove the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to tenth place in the class for Austrian Simracers. The decision in the GT4 class SP10 was only made in the last few meters. On the penultimate lap, Aaron Wazquezz and Maxence Godinho took the lead. In the final lap, they managed to open up a small gap that their pursuers could no longer close. DNLS champions from Season 5, Corentin Guinez and Marvin Strehl, took second place in the Mercedes-AMG GT4 from SimRC, ahead of Lucas U. Müller and Benedikt Hitz in the BMW M4 GT4 from Falken Simracing. “A fantastic start,” said Wazquezz. “We had a good qualifying and were very happy with our race pace. We also managed to stay out of trouble. So, despite a small problem at the last pit stop, we were able to secure first place in the end.” The maiden victory of the Renault Clio in the SP3 went to Sven Winter and Michael Teisch of SCHERER eSPORT. The duo beat Leon Harhoff and Lean Weigel of smillaesports x Entropy and Christopher Limprecht and Merlin Marc Wolf of Wollf Motorsport Simracing. “That was mega fun today,” said Teisch. ‘We had a bit of bad luck because we took a hit on the first lap and our steering wheel has been crooked ever since. Fortunately, this didn't affect the pace.’ The big challenge in the smallest DNLS class – as in multiclass racing in real NLS – is to read traffic as best as possible while still concentrating on your race. Teisch explains: “It's always exciting when a D-train of Cup Porsches or something like that flies past you. You have to drive carefully, but not too much, so that the lapping driver can still see what you're doing. That's not that easy with the Clio, because on the Nordschleife you have an extremely high proportion of full throttle and especially in direct duels in the class you can never let the slipstream tear away. The second race of the Digital Nürburgring Endurance Series is scheduled for February 1, 2025.

A gift for the fans: the season opener in DNLS

20.12.2024

The Christmas tree is aglow with lights, biscuits and a hot drink are ready and waiting, and the comfy sofa invites you to linger... Only one thing is missing for complete happiness: thrilling racing in the Green Hell. The time has finally come: the Digital Nürburgring Endurance Series kicks off on December 21 with the RAVENOL 3-hour race. At 11:45 a.m., VLN.de will start the livestream and provide answers to the most important questions: How will DTM champion Mirko Bortolotti fare in his debut in the DNLS in the Dörr Esports Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO? How will the Ford Mustang GT3 fare on the Nordschleife during its first kilometers of racing? Can last year's SimRC champions also shine in the GT4 class? And how close will it be in the SP3 with the Renault Clio? While construction work is currently taking place on the real Nürburgring-Nordschleife, the unique asphalt strip that winds so unmistakably through the gentle hills of the Eifel is presented at its best in the iRacing racing simulation. The BMW M4 GT3, Ferrari 296 GT3, Ford Mustang GT3, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO, Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3 R are ready to go in the GT3 class SP9 for overall victory. Well-known teams from the real NLS will be competing again this year: Haupt Racing Team by GnG, Mühlner Motorsport/XSmilla, Dörr Esports and Falken Simracing. They will be competing against strong simracing teams such as BS+COMPETITION and the AMG teams Williams and Apex Racing. In addition, esports teams of well-known racing drivers will also be taking part: M&J Downforce with Marek Böckmann and Jan Philipp Springob, Pole Promotion Esports with René Rast and Nürburgring eSports with Marc Hennerici and Andy Gülden. The line-up is rounded off by other interesting constellations: DTM champion Bortolotti will be taking the wheel for Dörr Esports and Benjamin Leuchter will be starting for Falken in the Porsche 911 GT3. It will be a thrilling fight for the overall victory. The Cup 2 class has new features. In the Porsche Esports Endurance Trophy Nürburgring, which is organized by Manthey, there will be a pro and an amateur driver classification for the first time this year, in addition to the normal class classification. What is particularly interesting is that one of the winners of the real PETN, Lucas Daugaard from Denmark, is classified as an amateur in the virtual world for AVIA W&S Racing. Other teams from the NLS are SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, pb Performance by GnG, Halder Motorsport, Scherer eSport and Team75 Bernhard by SimRC. After the entries were received, the organizers were faced with a huge problem: there was simply too much interest in this class, so the teams had to qualify in advance for the 2024/25 season. iRacing allows a maximum of 64 participating vehicles in one race. Even though some of the top teams failed to qualify and will not be able to participate, fans can still look forward to exciting races, because the line-up is fast and, above all, close. The same applies to the GT4 class SP10, by the way. Here, too, the protagonists had to go through a pre-qualification. This was not a problem for Falken Simracing, Dörr Esports and Nürburgring eSports, as well as for the simracing professional teams BS+Competition, Team Heusinkveld and Coanda eSports. Last year's champions have decided to move up to the GT4 class this year. Marvin Strehl and Corentin Guinez will start for SimRC in the Mercedes-AMG GT4. There will be a major revival in the SP3 this winter season, which will be contested with Renault Clio this year. Long-standing NLS fans will remember the years when the Renault Clio Cup enriched the Nordschleife races. Interesting teams will also be competing in the virtual comeback. For example, Tomas Enge Racing, led by the former Formula 1 and DTM driver from the Czech Republic. Last year's VT2 class runners-up, WolfMotorsportSimracing, are competing again. Also competing are RACE SIM Zone, with RCN driver Nadia Brülisauer and the Eifel Racing by GTÜ kart and sim racing circle, who are also planning to compete in real-life Nordschleife racing in the medium term. Presenters Olli Martini and Patrick Simon will open the livestream on VLN.de on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. from the virtual studio at the Nürburgring with a pre-show and a summary of the practice sessions. The virtual starting lights will switch to green at 1 p.m. for the three-hour race.

Adrenalin fights for its seventh title in a row

16.11.2024

The new champions of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie are Sven Markert, Ranko Mijatovic and Toby Goodman. In the BMW M240i Racing of the Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels, the trio took their sixth class victory in the eighth race and crowned their season with the title in the most popular national racing series in 2024. The last victory of the year went to Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf in the 56th ADAC Barbarossapreis. Lucas Auer and Mikaël Grenier prevailed in a thrilling finish against Morris Schuring and Ayhancan Güven in the Manthey-Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. For much of the 2024 season, team principal Matthias Unger had not believed that he would celebrate a seventh consecutive title. In the end, Markert, Mijatovic and Goodman achieved the seemingly impossible. The trio had already had a crash barrier contact during Friday's test due to ABS problems on the Cup BMW. The mechanics did everything they could to get the car ready for the race. They succeeded, but there was another slight impact in training. The adrenaline team also overcame this hurdle with flying colors. In the race, there was only one chance for Markert, Mijatovic and Goodman. They needed to win their class to overtake Joshua Bednarski, Lucas Daugaard and Moritz Oberheim in the AVIA W&S Motorsport Porsche Cayman at the top of the table. But even with the victory in the bag, Adrenalin would have been left empty-handed if W&S had clinched a class win. After 15 laps, the Cayman retired with a technical defect. Markert, Mijatovic and Goodman, meanwhile, drove to a commanding class victory and were able to celebrate at the end. “After our retirement at NLS3, we had almost written off the championship,” said Goodman. ‘The fact that we are still at the top now shows that you can never give up and always have to keep fighting, even when the situation seems impossible.’ Markert added: ”We would never have won this title without the strong performance of Adrenalin Motorsport. The guys fought harder today than we drivers did. They deserve great praise.” Mijatovic had also resigned himself to finishing as runner-up: ”Our opponents were really unlucky in the last race and today. In my particular case, though, I have to say that luck hasn't always been on my side either. Today was different and I'm really proud.” “Nevertheless, we are very satisfied with the season,” said Patrick Wagner, team manager of AVIA W&S Racing. ”With the Cup 3 classification in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring and the championship in the ADAC GT4 Germany, we have achieved more than we had expected at the beginning of the year. Winning the championship in the NLS would have been the icing on the cake and we are disappointed. But next year we will give it another go.” Toby Goodman won the NLS Junior Trophy in addition to the championship title. In his debut year, the 22-year-old Briton beat W&S driver Daugaard. Michael Eichhorn, who drove the Cupra Leon from Auto Thomas by Jung Motorsport, won the counterpart – the Gentleman Trophy, which was held for the first time this year. Involved in the title fight for a long time, Daniel Mertens and Joshua Hislop consoled themselves by winning the production car trophy. The Hyundai i30N from Team Mertens Motorsport was the most successful car under the NLS's own regulations for production-based racing touring cars. Desiree Müller secured the Ladies Trophy in the BMW 325i from Eifelkind Racing. Second place in the finale was not enough for Manthey Racing to win the NLS Speed Trophy. Even though it did not start, the Porsche 911 GT3 R #4 from Falken Motorsports took the top car classification. Exciting fight for the last victory of the dayMercedes-AMG Team Landgraf celebrated its maiden victory in the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series at the season finale. Lucas Auer and Mikaël Grenier started from pole position to take the victory. The Mercedes-AMG duo led the field for 20 laps. Grenier and Morris Schuring, who shared the Porsche 911 GT3 R from Manthey-Racing with Ayhancan Güven, were separated by 32.034 seconds at the finish line. However, it was still close at the beginning of the last stint. Not only was this the first victory for Landgraf, but Grenier and Auer were also standing at the top of the podium for the first time. Grenier also celebrated the first victory for a Canadian in the 48-year history of the championship. Marek Böckmann, Nico Bastian and Adam Christodoulou, who were driving the PROsport Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3, celebrated third place. “That was a very smooth race for us from qualifying to the chequered flag,” said Grenier. ”My first stint was a bit tricky in traffic and I had some problems keeping the pace because I was driving cautiously. In the end, we had a perfect strategy, which was the foundation for our victory today.” Schuring was pleased with the podium finish on his debut: ‘I'm very satisfied with my first race with the legendary Porsche 911 GT3 R ’Grello'. In the end, I had some bad luck with a Code 60 phase, in which, unlike Mikaël, I lost time because he was still able to pass through before the flags were shown. Otherwise, it might have been exciting again.” Bastian was also pleased with the second podium finish in a row: ”It's fantastic to end the season in third place. Especially for the team, this is very important with a view to the coming season. And the guys from PROSport have done a great job after the last few races were not quite optimal. The victory also goes to the crew.” The Up2Race celebrated a dream debut in the SP9. The team with which Timo Glock earned his Nordschleife permit fielded an Audi R8 LMS GT3 for the first time. Pierre Lemmerz, Philippe Charlaix and Michel Albers took victory in the Am class at the first attempt. The Pro-Am class went to Michael Heimrich, Arno Klasen and Sascha Steinhardt, who also drove an Audi R8 LMS GT3 for équipe vitesse. The champions of the 2024 season will be crowned on December 14 at the Bitburger Event Center at the Nürburgring during the big 'Night of Champions'. A week later, the Digital Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie will start the winter season 24/25 with the first of four races.

NLS is the best racing series 2024

14.11.2024

The ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie was voted the best national racing series of 2024 by readers of the German car magazine sport auto. In the context of the 'sport auto Awards', the Nordschleife championship, which has been held since 1977, received the most of the almost 10,000 votes cast. The DTM and the ADAC GT Masters were among the other series to be voted for. At the festive awards ceremony on the evening of November 13, 2024, VLN Sports Director Christian Vormann accepted the award from Michael Samak, Board Member Markets and Revenues at Motor Presse Stuttgart, and Sport-Auto Editor-in-Chief Marcus Schurig. “Due to the tense situation in our dispute with the race track operator last winter, we had fewer appointments than usual in 2024 and, in addition, a significantly shorter period of preparation,” says Vormann. ”It's overwhelming that the fans are honoring our efforts to maintain Nordschleife racing in the usual way in this way.” Mike Jäger, who was unable to attend the award ceremony due to a VLN shareholders' meeting taking place at the same time, adds: “My sincere thanks go to the readers of Sport Auto who voted for us. Personally, I am very pleased that we had the fans on our side even in this difficult year. Of course, thanks are also due to the entire team behind the VLN, our motivated staff at the office and at the events, the organizing clubs, our participants and partners, and a large number of helpers and service providers. Everyone has fought side by side with us to put together an attractive racing season for 2024 despite all the imponderables – including a direct competitor – and to communicate this positively to the outside world. This is a great motivation for everyone to continue on the chosen path.” The ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie had already won awards from 2014 to 2019, when it was still known as the 'VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring'. At the time, the category was called 'Best National Mass Sports Series'. The grand finale of the 2024 season takes place this Saturday. The 56th ADAC Barbarossapreis will not only decide the championship title, but many other classifications are still open. Admission tickets are available from 22 euros (children up to 14 years of age are admitted free of charge).

New faces and old acquaintances at the season finale

13.11.2024

The season finale of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie will make history in more ways than one. The tradition-rich Nordschleife championship will conclude its 2024 racing season on November 16, unusually late. Nevertheless, a diverse field of participants is getting ready to take on the Green Hell one more time this year. The championship decision is also at the center of attention. Can the Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels turn the tide again? Or will the championship leaders from AVIA W&S Motorsport seal the deal and win the first championship title for Porsche in the NLS?  The provisional entry list for the 56th ADAC Barbarossapreis includes 85 entries. “We are very satisfied with the quality of the field. There are some great cars in the line-up and we are in for a thrilling race,” says NLS Director of Motorsport Christian Vormann. “Quantitatively, of course, the number of entries does not meet our expectations. But that was clear to us after we were assigned this late date.” What Vormann describes as “great vehicles” makes the hearts of motorsport fans beat faster. After ten years, Dörr Motorsport is finally bringing a McLaren back to the Nordschleife. Ben Dörr shares the cockpit of his 720S GT3 EVO, with which he made his DTM debut this year, with Marvin Kirchhöfer. PROsport-Racing is entering an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with a professional line-up for the first time. Marek Böckmann, Nico Bastian and Adam Christodoulou will take turns at the wheel of the British supercar. For the first time, Up2Race will field an Audi R8 LMS GT3 for Pierre Lemmerz and Philippe Charlaix. The team, in whose BMW M240i Racing ex-Formula 1 star Timo Glock obtained his Nordschleife license, is happy to take on the new challenge. With next year in mind, 'Grello' will return to the Nordschleife one more time. The Porsche 911 GT3 R from Manthey Racing will be driven by Ayhancan Güven and Morris Schuring. For the 19-year-old Dutchman, it will be his first race with a GT3 car on the Nordschleife. “When I was asked if I wanted to drive ‘Grello’, I didn't have to think about it for a second. This is really something special,” says Schuring. A victory would see him follow in his father's footsteps. In 2015, Gerwin Schuring won the season finale, which was shortened due to fog, in a Porsche Cup car. “Of course, it would be fantastic if I could also do well there and continue the tradition,” says Morris Schuring. Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf will also be competing again to cover a few more Nordschleife kilometers at the end of the year. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is strongly fielded with the two performance drivers Lucas Auer and Mikaël Grenier. Scherer Sport PHX will also be taking advantage of this fact. Frank Stippler and Markus Winkelhock will take turns at the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO 2. Meanwhile, Team ADVAN x HRT will contest the final Nordschleife race with the Mercedes-AMG GT3. Dennis Fetzer, Finn Wiebelhaus and Salman Owega will reach for the stars one more time before the team from the industrial park at the Nürburgring switches to the Ford Mustang GT3 next year. Showdown for the championshipIn addition to the fight for the last victory of the year, the focus is also on the championship decision. After the bad luck of the championship leaders Joshua Bednarski, Lucas Daugaard and Moritz Oberheim, who were unable to compete in the Porsche Cayman of AVIA W&S Motorsport after an accident during Friday's test, the decision will now be made at the finale. “Our goal is to win the NLS championship after taking the title in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring,” says team manager Patrick Wagner. With their fifth victory in the seventh race, Sven Markert, Ranko Mijatovic and Toby Goodman kept their title chances alive in the BMW M240i Racing of the Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels. “Of course, it would be incredibly nice if we were actually able to defend the title in the final race,” says team manager Matthias Unger. “However, it's still out of our hands and we'll have to wait and see what the competition does.” The match point lies with AVIA. The trio currently has 90 points on the credit side. Adrenalin can catch up on the missing 15 points with another victory. If they succeed, Markert, Mijatovic and Goodman would draw level. Then the number of victories will decide the championship. In this case, Bednarski, Daugaard and Oberheim would also have to win their class in order to be at the top according to the rules that apply when there is a tie. Tickets are available for 22 euros (children up to 14 years of age are admitted free of charge). This includes access to the open grandstands on the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten spectator areas, the paddock, the pit lane, the starting grid and the ring°werk motorsport experience museum. Positions on the starting grid will be determined between 8:30 and 10 am. During the pit walk starting at 10:20 a.m. and the visit to the starting grid starting at 11:10 a.m., fans will experience motorsport up close.