The 65th ADAC Reinoldus-Langstreckenrennen delivered four hours of top-class endurance racing for fans at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and culminated in a dramatic finish. After completing 27 laps, Schubert Motorsport claimed overall victory in round eight of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. Jens Klingmann, Jordan Pepper and Ugo de Wilde crossed the finish line in their BMW M4 GT3 EVO with a razor-thin advantage of just 0.308 seconds. Tim Heinemann and Morris Schuring secured second place in the Falken Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, while Dominik and Marcel Fugel, together with Benjamin Leuchter, completed the overall podium for Max Kruse Racing in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II.

Their third-place finish was a historic achievement. In addition to a commanding victory in the AT 1 class, the trio became the first team ever to claim an overall podium finish with a GT3 car powered by E20 fuel.

Qualifying once again highlighted the exceptional competitiveness of the series. The top twelve cars were separated by just ten seconds. Pole position went to Antal Zsigo, Moritz Kranz and David Jahn in the Gamota Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO with a lap time of 7:53.343 minutes. Dunlop Motorsport faced a setback after Nico Menzel and Flynt Schuring were demoted from eighth to eleventh on the grid following a collision early in qualifying. Nevertheless, they produced an impressive recovery drive to finish fifth overall, behind the fourth-placed Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL.

Strategic Pit Stops and Changing Race Leaders
The fight for victory remained wide open throughout all 27 laps. Immediately after the start, Jordan Pepper took the lead for Schubert Motorsport in the AMG Arena, overtaking the pole-sitting Gamota BMW. During the opening stages of the race, the two BMWs exchanged positions in a series of thrilling battles, including a bold overtaking manoeuvre at Schwedenkreuz.

Different pit stop strategies ensured that the overall lead changed hands several times throughout the race. Max Kruse Racing's Audi R8, which eventually finished third, temporarily led the field thanks to extended first and third stints. Reflecting on the historic result, Benjamin Leuchter said: “This is huge for us. We are the first AT GT3 car to stand on the overall podium in a field featuring 27 GT3 cars. That makes us incredibly proud, and I’m simply happy that things finally came together for us without any bad luck.” His teammates Marcel and Dominik Fugel were equally delighted: “The three of us really delivered today. Considering that this is not our full-time profession, it wasn't too bad at all.”

Following the first round of pit stops, Falken Motorsports moved into the lead and later returned to the front once again. Morris Schuring reflected on the close battle: “That was great racing. I lost a little time while lapping an Aston Martin, which may have made the difference, but it was a lot of fun.” Tim Heinemann added:
“That was exactly the kind of racing the fans want to see: close and hard-fought. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough for us in the end, but we're still very satisfied.”

Early drama struck in the AMG Arena when the Haupt Racing Team Ford Mustang GT3 of Vincent Kolb and Frank Stippler collided with the BLACK FALCON Team EAE Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by Daan Arrow, Mustafa Mehmet Kaya and Mike Stursberg. Despite a spin, the BLACK FALCON Team EAE car fought back to secure a commanding SP9 Am class victory and finish eleventh overall. The Mustang was forced to retire. Meanwhile, 48 LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON celebrated victory in the SP9 Pro-Am class with Patrick Assenheimer, Tobias Müller and Dylan Pereira in their Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO, finishing sixth overall.

The battle for overall victory was ultimately decided after the final pit stop cycle, when Schubert Motorsport regained the lead on lap 24. During the closing laps, Heinemann and Schuring put relentless pressure on the leading BMW and remained within striking distance until the chequered flag. Schubert Motorsport held firm, however, crossing the finish line 0.308 seconds ahead after four hours of racing.

Race winner Jens Klingmann summed it up perfectly: “That was motorsport at its very best, exactly what we as drivers want and what the fans want to see. At NLS6 we lost by two tenths of a second, and today we won. On the Döttinger Höhe I felt fairly confident, but traffic made it incredibly close again. That makes this victory all the more rewarding.”

The Oschersleben-based team had even more reason to celebrate on Saturday, as Marco Wittmann claimed victory in the first DTM race at the Sachsenring in a BMW M4 GT3.

Photo Finish in the BMW M2 Class and Success in the Cup Categories
The excitement was not limited to the battle for overall victory. The BMW M2 class also produced a dramatic photo finish. After four hours of racing, Ranko Mijatovic secured victory for Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport in the BMW M2 Racing, edging out Marc David Müller and Henrik Seibel by just 0.352 seconds.

In the highly competitive CUP2 class for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, BLACK FALCON Team ZIMMERMANN dominated proceedings. Alexander Hardt, Benjamin Hites and Benjamin Koslowski claimed class victory and finished an impressive 13th overall.

Championship Fight Remains Wide Open
The leading title contenders continued to match each other blow for blow. Edoardo Bugane, Yannick Fübrich and Sven Markert extended their perfect season record by securing another class victory for Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels in the BMW M240i Racing Cup.

However, their closest rivals, Alexander Fielenbach and Oskar Sandberg, also delivered a flawless performance by winning the CUP3 class for Smyrlis Racing in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS. With both title contenders scoring maximum points, the championship standings remain unchanged at the top.

Straight Back Into Action
Teams and drivers will not have much time to recover, as the 66th ADAC ACAS Cup takes place tomorrow. Fans attending the event can once again look forward to a full day of Nordschleife action.

Tickets are available for €25 per day, with free admission for children up to and including the age of 14. Tickets grant access to the grandstands, paddock, pit lane, starting grid, and the popular spectator areas at Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten.

Sunday's schedule mirrors Saturday's programme. Qualifying begins at 08:30, followed by the Pit Walk at 10:20 and the Grid Walk at 11:10, before the four-hour race gets underway at 12:00.

Fans watching from home can follow all the action from 08:15 via the livestream on VLN.de or tune in to “Radio Nürburgring” on rpr1.de and via the RPR1 app.