- BLACK FALCON Team 48 LOSCH (#148) wins Race 1 and KKrämer Racing (#121) Race 2 in the Cup 2 class
- AVIA W&S Motorsport (#962) collects big points with wins in both races in the Cup 3 class
- ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers part of the PETN-classification for the first time
Nürburg. With the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PETN) had two more races on the programme for the season as part of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). For the first time, the two preparatory races for the Nürburgring 24 Hours counted as part of the NLS and were therefore also counted for the classifications in the PETN. Both races covered a distance of four hours on the 25.378-kilometre combination of the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife, which is also raced in the endurance classic. BLACK FALCON Team 48 LOSCH with Steve Jans, Noah Nagelsdiek and Tobias Müller won Saturday's race in the Cup 2 class, while AVIA W&S Motorsport (#962) with Joshua Bednarski, Lucas Daugaard and Moritz Oberheim topped the podium in the Cup 3 class. In race two, KKrämer Racing (#121) with Christopher Brück and Michele Di Martino crossed the finish line first in the Cup 2 class. The Cup 3 class was again won by the trio from AVIA W&S Motorsport (#962).
Both NLS2 class winners repeat triumph in Saturday's race into the dark
In preparation for the night at the 24-hour race, race one of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers went on into the darkness until 9.30 pm. As in the second race of the NLS season opener, Steve Jans, Noah Nagelsdiek and Tobias Müller won the Cup 2 class in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) of BLACK FALCON Team 48 LOSCH (#148). After 26 laps, the trio crossed the finish line ahead of Daniel Blickle, David Jahn and Tim Scheerbarth from AVIA W&S Motorsport (#120). They were followed in third place by Mühlner Motorsport (#124) with Moritz Kranz and Peter Terting. The amateur drivers' classification was won by Mustafa Mehmet Kaya and Mike Stursberg with PRO-driver Gabriele Piana from BLACK FALCON (#103). Second place in the AM-classification went to Karsten Krämer and Fidel Leib from KKrämer Racing (#112), who were supported this weekend by PRO-driver Jan-Erik Slooten. The podium was completed by Marcel Hoppe and Tobias Vazquez-Garcia from Mühlner Motorsport (#123), who also won the Gentlemen drivers' classification as the best-placed AM-only driver pairing.
In the Cup 3 class, the class winners from the second round AVIA W&S Motorsport (#962) with Joshua Bednarski, Lucas Daugaard and Moritz Oberheim also repeated their triumph and finished Saturday's race in first place after starting the race from pole position. In the 25 race laps, they were able to open up a lead of 2:00.893 minutes over second-placed Edoardo Bugane, Mads Gravsen and Harley Haughton from Sorg Rennsport (#949). Third place went to Adrenalin Motorsport (#930) with David Griessner, Roland Froese and Stefan Kruse. Froese and Kruse also secured victory in the Cup 3 amateur drivers' classification. Horst Baumann and Markus Schmickler finished second with PRO-driver Stefan Schmickler from Schmickler Performance (#950) ahead of Oleksii Kikireshko and Rüdiger Schicht with PRO-driver Alexander Fielenbach from Sorg Rennsport (#969). Victory in the Cup 3 Gentlemen drivers' classification went to the father-son pairing of Constantin Berz and Marcus Berz from Schmickler Performance (#970).
KKrämer Racing (#121) wins Cup 2 class and AVIA W&S Motorsport (#962) again Cup 3 winner
Sunday's race started at 1 pm in spring-like temperatures and was once again characterised by exciting duels in both classes. Christopher Brück and Michele Di Martino crossed the finish line in their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) from KKrämer Racing (#121) in the lead after 4:02:38.252 minutes ahead of Ben Bünnagel, Arne Hoffmeister and Moritz Kranz from Mühlner Motorsport (#122). Third place went to the previous day's winners Steve Jans, Noah Nagelsdiek and Tobias Müller from BLACK FALCON Team 48 Losch (#148), who started Sunday's race from pole position. First and second place in the amateur drivers' classification again went to Mustafa Mehmet Kaya and Mike Stursberg with PRO-driver Gabriele Piana from BLACK FALCON (#103) and Karsten Krämer and Fidel Leib with PRO-driver Jan-Erik Slooten from KKrämer Racing (#112).
„This weekend was perfect with two wins. The Eifel weather was good to us, and we left the car in one piece. I am glad to have Gabriele Piana back in the car, as he is definitely pushing the car forward in the Cup 2-class which is one of the most challenging classes. I am satisfied with my performance but there is still room for improvement”, reports Mustafa Mehmet Kaya, driver of BLACK FALCON (#103).
New on the podium on Sunday were Paul Meijer, Tiago Monteiro and Jan Jaap van Roon with PRO driver Tom Coronel from Max Kruse Racing (#127). The winning driver pairing in the Gentlemen drivers' classification was Ralf-Peter Bonk and Marco van Ramshorst from pb performance (#106).
Unbeatable in the Cup 3 class this weekend was the trio of Joshua Bednarski, Lucas Daugaard and Moritz Oberheim from AVIA W&S Motorsport (#962). Once again, the trio started the four-hour race from pole position and saw the chequered flag 35.933 seconds ahead of Sorg Rennsport (#959) with Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter, who had to retire from Saturday's race due to an accident through no fault of their own.
"Saturday got off to a great start with pole position and the race also went very well for us - Joshua and Lucas did a great job. Unfortunately, Sorg Rennsport had some bad luck and had to retire after an accident, so we were able to manage the lead well and bring it home. Things continued perfectly for us on Sunday. I was able to take pole position again and we also won the second race. We have now won three out of four races, but it will still be an exciting season, as the 959 and we have about the same pace," summarised Moritz Oberheim from AVIA W&S Motorsport (#962).
The podium was once again completed by Horst Baumann, Markus Schmickler and Stefan Schmickler from Schmickler Performance (#950). Baumann and Markus Schmickler also secured another victory in the amateur drivers' classification. Alex Koch, Niklas Koch and Anton Ruf from Smyrlis Racing (#953) finished second on the podium for the first time, ahead of Oleksii Kikireshko and Rüdiger Schicht with PRO-driver Alexander Fielenbach from Sorg Rennsport (#969). Koch, Koch and Ruf, as the best-placed AM-only driver pairing, were also honoured as winners in the Gentlemen driver classification.
Next on the programme for some PETN teams and drivers is the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring. They can compete in the Cup 2 and Cup 3 classes under the same technical regulations. The endurance classic on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife will not be counted towards the classifications of the PETN, instead, a separate classification will be issued. The next NLS race will take place on 22 June. This will cover a distance of six hours and will be awarded one and a half times the number of points.