With the publication of the schedule, the ADAC TOTAL 24h Race has set important framework dates for this year's edition: For four days from 24 to 27 September, there will be plenty of first-class motorsport at the Nürburgring, which will again include the FIA WTCR World Championship rounds. In the meantime, last year's winner Audi has been the first manufacturer to name its driver squad: Twelve drivers - nine of them 24h winners - are to bring the sixth overall victory to Ingolstadt in the prestigious battle twice around the clock. No easy task - after all, there are likely to be strong factory entries from the BWM, Porsche and Mercedes-AMG camps as well. Extensive coverage directly from the track is in the pipeline for the fans: via the livestream and in the broadcast on free-TV partner NITRO, they will be able to follow the action on site in every detail.

The fans of the 24h race play an important role for the organisers. That's why there will be an extensive livestream in any case, where the action on the Nürburgring can be followed at any time. The production with numerous onboard perspective shots, the cameras around the track and the additional reporters in the paddock and pit lane will capture every detail of the weekend. On free TV, media partner NITRO will start a broadcast marathon, to which the experienced motorsport journalists from RTL will probably also contribute. And those who have secured their tickets in advance will of course not be left out in the rain. If the race has to be held without visitors, tickets purchased will remain valid for 2021. Alternatively, they can be returned for a refund of the purchase price via the respective advance booking office.

Audi lays its cards on the table: top squad wants the pot
From a sporting point of view, a race weekend is in the offing that can compete with the exciting editions of previous years: Last year's winner Audi has already announced the line-up with which the customer teams are to fight for the Nordschleife crown. The line-up of the three top cars of Audi Sport Teams Phoenix, Land and Car Collection is excellent. Last year's winners Phoenix, for example, are sending three of the four winning drivers from 2019 to the start with Pierre Kaffer / Frank Stippler / Frederic Vervisch, who will be joined by DTM star Nico Müller for 2020. With three victories in the 24h race, Markus Winkelhock is the most experienced driver in the Car Collection squad, sharing the wheel with two-time winner Christopher Haase, among others. Christopher Mies, a two-time 24h winner, is also driving for Land, while colleagues René Rast and Kelvin van der Linde have each been at the top of the podium once. However, the statistics of the past years speak against the Ingolstadt team, as no manufacturer has managed to win two editions in a row since 2014/2015. And what's more, Porsche (victory in 2018) and Mercedes-AMG (winner in 2016) as well as BMW (last victory in 2010) will also be doing everything they can to bring the coveted trophy home.

Top qualifying in two sections for the first time
The schedule of the 24h weekend is largely unchanged: It starts with the two qualifying sessions on Thursday (24 September), during which the teams and drivers can prepare for the 25.378 km long combination of Grand Prix circuit and Nordschleife for a total of four and a half hours. Friday is dominated by the final battle and the grid positions: After a one-hour third qualifying session at noon, the top qualifying session will start at 17:50. The rules of this individual time trial for the best grid positions have been refined once again and the procedure has been divided into two sections. The big constant: The best Nordschleife drivers get the opportunity to push their sports equipment to the limit on free laps and thus prove the ultimate potential of driver and vehicle. The reward is not only pole position, but also the coveted Glickenhaus trophy for the fastest driver on the longest and most demanding race track in the world. On Saturday, the race finally gets underway: After a one-hour warm-up at noon, the race starts twice around the clock at 15:30.

FIA WTCR is second highlight of the weekend
This year, the programme of the ADAC TOTAL 24h Race is entirely focused on the sport on the track: Due to the Corona, the popular fan highlights, such as the Adenauer Racing Day on Wednesday or the Falken Drift Show on Friday evening, will be cancelled. Instead, there will be plenty of excitement and action on the track. From Thursday morning (8:00 a.m.), the wheels will be turning at the Ring, with the RCN (Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring) performance test traditionally kicking things off. New this year is the ADAC Formula 4, which will hold its three races on the Grand Prix circuit on Friday and Saturday. There will also be a trip back in time again with the ADAC 24h-Classic, whose three-hour race is a highlight on Friday (start: 9:55 am). The TCR touring cars of the FIA WTCR enrich the programme with two exciting sprints: On Friday (4:40 p.m.) and Saturday (10:00 a.m.), it's off to the world's longest race track for three laps each. The start at the 24h race is the second round of the World Touring Car Cup after the season opener at the Salzburgring on the second weekend in September.