The night got off to a turbulent start at this year’s 24-hour race: numerous incidents and the associated recovery and clean-up work repeatedly caused Code 60 zones. It was not until 12:30 a.m. that the Nordschleife was cleared for racing again. Throughout this phase, the Manthey Porsche #911 and the Rowe BMW #98 shone with a consistently fast, accident-free performance. Both led the field into the new day at midnight and were still ahead an hour later. The #14 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG, which had been battling for second or third place, had to bow out of the leading group after failing to continue the race following a pit stop.
#1 Haase / Ludwig / Winkelhock (Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II)
11:11 p.m.: The team has stopped the repair attempt on the Audi.
11:38 p.m Team Manager Ron Moser: “It was something electric, unfortunately we can’t find exactly what the reason was. Luca Ludwig is not to blame. It was too risky for us to maybe hit again, so we decided to park the car. It wasn’t our weekend, but we’ll come back stronger and go all-out again next year.”
#7 Soufi / Paul / Elkmann / Lefterov (Lamborghini Huracan GT3)
11:44 p.m Team boss Franz Konrad: “At the moment we are quite satisfied. The car runs according to plan. We also make our stops as scheduled. At the beginning we had a few problems with the tyre pressure. At the moment, we have that well under control. If it continues like this, it looks good.”
#11 Heyer / Härtling / Fittje / Brück (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
11:19 p.m. has been made ready for use again by the Schnitzelalm team and will now start into the night
#14 Engel / Martin / Schiller / Stolz (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
00:52 a.m. Pit stop with tire change, after driving off the car had to be pushed back with Maro Engel in the cockpit who had just gotten in. The team looks at the right rear wheel and pushes the car into the pits. Fabian Schiller: “Apparently we have no more propulsion. I’m at a loss for words. It was two and a half hard hours out there. There were some hairy scenes, people who only drive 60 instead of 120.”
00:55 a.m. Maro Engel has got out and taken off his helmet.
#17 Aron / Auer / Christodoulou / Grenier (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
00:12 a.m. have fallen short of the pit stop time and receive a time penalty of 46 seconds
00:49 a.m. came into the pit lane: After serving the time penalty, it was on to the team for a stop and driver change – Lucas Auer out and Mikael Grenier in.
#34 Krognes / Pittard / Thiim / Drudi (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO)
11:27 p.m.: Christian Krognes: “There was a lot going on. We were well on our way. We are slowly but surely getting through the night. In the morning we have to see where we stand.”
#44 Boccolacci / Heinemann / Marschall / Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
00:03 a.m. comes to the pit stop – Dorian Boccolacci drives a double stint.
#45 Perel / Fernandez Laser / Jefferies / Neubauer (Ferrari 296 GT3)
11:59 p.m. comes straight to the pit stop with driver change to Thomas Neubauer
#48 Arrow / Bünnagel / Kaya / Piana (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
00:29 a.m. Must change the high-pressure fuel pump.
00:50 a.m. is pushed into the pits by the team.
#54 Bastian / Cairoli / Hartog / Sturm (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
11:36 p.m. The Dinamic Porsche will replace the front fender because the headlight has a defect – that shouldn’t take long.
#63 Haupt / Assenheimer / Kolb / Müller (Ford Mustang GT3)
11:35 p.m. Ptatrick Assenheim has handed over the Ford to Vincent Kolb, who has a double stint ahead of him. “It went great for me. I also drove a double stint and thus had the honour of being allowed to drive during the day and then into the night. It’s always a special feeling. I only had to pit once more because I had contact with a GT4 at the beginning of my second stint. I was already halfway past him when he started to give in. That’s why there was a puncture on the rear right. But otherwise the car is undamaged and runs great.”
#64 Olsen / Maini / Stippler / Owega (Ford Mustang GT3)
00:02 a.m. Team boss Ulrich Fritz: “That went super stupid for us after we had fought our way up well. We were unlucky at the beginning with a puncture. The red flag helped us in the fights back and we had established ourselves in the top 5. Now the accident has occurred, and the car is quite damaged. It’s also not worth repairing. But the important thing is that Frank Stippler is doing well. With the other two cars, we’re doing well in the Pro-Am, but there’s still a long way to go. It’s a huge dream for us to win here with a new brand. We are doing everything we can to achieve this. It’s still early in the project and we didn’t have the perfect preparation, but that’s a question of expectation management. But it’s a good start, the cars are fast. And we’re stepping on the gas to learn as much as possible for next year.”
#76 Preisig / Hochwind / Gebhardt / Vettel (VW Golf GTI Clubsport 24h)
00:15 a.m. and #140 are in the Schwalbenschwanz area next to the track. The AT3 Golf from Max Kruse Racing is on the grass after the small carousel, the PROSport-Aston Martin a little further on the asphalt.
#80 Neuffer / Höpfer / Brandl / Sacchi (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
00:25 a.m. Pit stop and driver change to Benedikt Höpfer
#84 Reicher / Klien / Siedler / Hofer (Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II)
11:36 p.m. has problems after the pit stop because a roller board was forgotten under the car and the car drove almost straight into the pit wall.
11:42 p.m. comes to the pits for a short refueling stop
#88 van Dam / Schrick / Sasaki / Kubo (Subaru WRX )
11:36 p.m. comes in and is pushed into the pits
11:41p.m. Tim Schrick: “In the triple right I had contact with a car that I had just overtaken. Actually, there was enough space, but somehow there must have been a misunderstanding. I got a blow at the rear left and tried not to hit the crash barrier hard if possible. This is now the result. We had a very small crash barrier contact before, due to a code 60 that was covered and where there was almost a rear-end collision.”
00:17 Uhr Der zwischenzeitlich mit drei Runden Vorsprung Führende Subaru WRX steht nach wie vor an der Box und hat inzwischen seine Führung in der Klasse SP4T zum ersten Mal an diesem Wochenende verloren.
#98 Farfus / Krohn / Marciello / van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3 EVO)
00:36 a.m. Pit stop with driver change, Jesse Krohn takes over from Raffaele Marciello
#169 Dörr / Posavac / Weishar / Schädler (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4)
11:28 p.m . leaves the track in Breidscheid.
#170 Kinoshita / Tischner / Tönges (Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2)
00:40 a.m. stands with technical defect in the area of Quiddelbacher Höhe
#175 Himmels / Alboretto / Hites / Viebahn (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4)
11:37 p.m. comes in to stop and Jörg Viebahn gets in
11:41p.m. Yannik Himmels: “I was able to drive a clean stint and I think I even stayed out a lap longer than planned. We are in second place in the class and hope that we can attack the first. It was super fun to drive in the dark. Next time I’ll go into the car at 5 a.m.”
00:55 a.m. is in the carousel area
#179 Scheibner / Charlaix / Sander / Hahn (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4)
00:24 a.m. Heiko Hahn: “My double stint was exhausting, it was still warm at the beginning. In addition, many yellow phases and code 60. But it was awesome. I drove into the night, and the transition at the light was difficult. It was nicer to drive in the dark. We haven’t made any big preparations for tomorrow’s heat. I’m going to drink a lot, but the car? He has to get through it.”
#277 Müller / Groth / Rupp / König (BMW 318ti (E36))
11:24 p.m. Mika König: “We changed something on the car earlier and it was really good. That was my first time in the dark. I’m still gaining experience. But it was a lot of fun.”
#300 Kriese / Starck / Kaffka (Dacia Logan )
11:18 p.m. Martin Kaffka: “That was my first outing in the race and it went pretty well. Even though the spotlights shone up into the treetops, I gave the team the wrong instruction. I’m actually a SimRacer. And there are animations that also animate the fireworks and the Ferris wheel. And now I was able to experience it live. The smell of the grill, the fireworks and how the people on the sidelines celebrate. It’s so blatant that you can now experience it in real life. That’s unbelievable.”
00:55 a.m. is in the Falken-Bogen area.
00:59 a.m. The Dacia is now towed into the pits. According to the team, the first assumption based on the radio messages is clutch damage.
#310 Klingmann / de Wilde / Weerts / Bräutigam (BMW M2 Racing (G87))
00:29 a.m. Ugo de Wilde: “A great stint. The traffic was enormous, there was a lot of yellow and code 60 – and that was during my first night stint. The atmosphere around the track was a great experience. Of course, you stay focused. Our goal is to drive a high pace without unnecessary risks. My next stint is at 6:30 a.m., so now it’s time to rest a bit.”
#317 Fischer / Goodman / Sauerbrei / Tan (MINI John Cooper Works Pro)
00:44 a.m. Markus Fischer: “The atmosphere outside is terrific. The track itself is relatively fine. The car runs well. I hope that it will continue like this for us.”
#414 Köppen / Schaflitzl / Rings / Pydys (Porsche 911 Carrera)
11:27 p.m. comes to the pit stop, Alexander Köppen gets in.
#440 Bohemian / Ebener / Kramer / Müller (Porsche Cayman CQ11)
00:26 a.m. came into the pit lane and was pushed into the pits by the team – the radiator and a tyre are broken.
00:32 a.m. the team is making the last preparations to go out. Florian Kramer joins in.
#633 Kreutzpointner / Kreutzpointner / Hrubesch / Wlömer (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
00:22 a.m. Alesia Kreutzpointer: “I had a very nice stint. The track is simply unique at night. You see the fans and the lights everywhere. That’s just the coolest thing you can do. There were relatively many accidents outside. The tyre is still a bit lubricating.”
#644 Fugel / Fugel / Oestreich / Coronel (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
11:50 p.m. Marcel Fugel: “The fan crowd around the track is incredible. It’s a lot of fun to drive here and we had a great stint. We have to keep driving consistently and make sure the car stops.”
#665 Eisberg / Mache / Küpper / Link (BMW M240i Racing Cup)
00:00 a.m. Pit stop – Maximilian Eisberg gets in.
00:13 a.m. Luca Link: “It was difficult – my first night stint in the first 24-hour race. It is very difficult to estimate when the cars will come from behind and at what speed. Of course, the 240i is not the fastest. But to see the fans and the party on the sidelines and to enjoy the atmosphere was amazing. The many accidents and Code 60 phases are difficult for the strategy when trying to keep up with the car in front. Maybe that’s typical in this phase, when many drivers go into a double stint and concentration wanes at some point. My next assignment is around 4:00 a.m., so I will probably be able to enjoy the darkness again.”
#680 Reinhard / Van Der Sanden / Berger / Kolb (BMW M240i Racing Cup)
11:55 p.m. Torben Berger: “It’s insanely cool here. This is my first time at the Nürburgring 24 Hours and it’s also the first time I’ve really driven at night. That’s mega crass. Fireworks, fire, flashing lights everywhere in the Brünnchen. Unbelievable, and it’s mega fun. This is the first time we’ve been together in this driver combination. So far, the race is going smoothly after we had a few problems with the cardan shaft in qualifying. But the guys then gave their best overnight and now we’re still in P2.”
#718 Griesemann / Griesemann / Adorf / Volte (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS M)
11:56 p.m. , the team will make a pit stop, with Yves Volte taking over the AT Cayman.
00:01 a.m. Georg Griesemann reports after his stint: “That was great. A night stint is always something special on the Nordschleife. The fans outside, it’s crazy what they’ve rebuilt. I have the impression that the race is very, very fast. But unfortunately there have also been many accidents. My own pace was quite good.”
#786 Nana / Breuer / Mutsch / Schmidtmann (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2)
11:41 p.m. comes to the pit stop – Thomas Mutsch gets in.
11:42 p.m. The team has taken off the bonnet and is working in the front area
11:48 p.m. Dieter Schmidtmann: “This was my first stint. Driving into the dark is always exciting. There is little going on on the route. Nevertheless, many accidents and a lot of stuff that does not belong on the track. There were a few dicey situations. But it’s gigantic how the fans celebrate.”
#888 Partl / Weidinger / Wolter / Rebhan (BMW M4 GT4 EVO (G82))
11:57 p.m. Jörg Weidiger: “At the beginning I had a bit of a hard time finding the performance window of the car. We were minimally too low with the tire pressure. Later it fit. There were also many caution phases at the beginning, which got better later. We will now make a strategy for how to proceed.”
#901 Grütter / Grosse (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
00:01 a.m. In third place in the Cup2 class is the only duo in the race who face the hurdle of competing in the race with only two drivers.
#909 Ertl / Ertl / Ertl / Benndorf (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (991))
00:20 a.m. Pit stop with driver change for the SP7 leading family team. Lukas Ertl takes over the wheel.
00:24 a.m. Matthias Bendorf: “It was difficult: my first 24-hour race and the first stint in the dark. You have to memorize the braking points anew. But the longer you ride, the better it gets. There’s still a lot to learn, but I’ll get there. Of course, you also see the fireworks and the campfires, which is very cool. Now I can rest a little and continue at 3:00 a.m.”
00:45 Maxi Ertl: “Lucas just got in and only drove two laps. But then it no longer had any braking effect. I hope that the problem can be fixed quickly.”
#911 Estre / Güven / Preining / Pilet (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
11:29 p.m. comes to the pit stop: Ayhancan Güven gets out and Thomas Preining enters
11:46p.m. Ayhancan Güven: “We had a bit of bad luck with the power outage. We then decided that I would stay in the car and drive into the night. Even though it’s night, it’s still hot. Tyre management is not easy. I had a few problems in the first stint. It’s a bit crazy outside and a lot has happened. There was the critical mement with the Cup Porsche, which had spun in turn 2. Luckily, I had seen that on the big video wall. That’s why I hadn’t pushed hard and luckily I was able to avoid it. There had not yet been a flag or a call from the team.”
00:45 a.m. Pit stop of the leader with tyre change, Thomas Preining remains in the cockpit
#927 van Roon / Coronel / Meijer / van Buren (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
11:54 p.m. Rudy van Buren: “That was my first stint in the dark ever. I’m getting used to the lights in the mirrors. But it was a cool experience. It looks like the fans are having a great party. I’ll get back in in an hour and a half.”
#939 Shao / Schicht / Linden / Graberg (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
00:02 a.m. stands at a 90-degree angle to the crash barrier after impact in the Metzgesfeld area
#962 Bednarski / Zulauf / Stegmann / Moritz (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
00:00 a.m. The leading Lorenz Stegmann currently drives by far the fastest times in the class and is the only one under ten minutes. The lead is thus increasing from lap to lap.
#978 Finken / Sander / Choi / Handrick (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982)*)
11:25 p.m. is to the left of the track after the impact in the Wehrseifen approach area
#982 Krombach / Peitzmeier / Duffner / René (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
11:49 p.m. After a collision with another vehicle, it hits post 205 (Hohenrain). After a moment of shock, the wounded Cayman can limp on.
00:01 a.m. has now arrived at the pits after the accident and is being repaired.
00:33 a.m. Fabian Peitzmeier: “I was a bit optimistic about an overtaking manoeuvre at the end of the Hohenrain chicane. Unfortunately, I encountered relatively little grip off the line, couldn’t hold the car anymore and had to avoid another car across the grass. Unfortunately, I hit a tire pile straight ahead. We can repair the car, but the loss of time is of course immense. That crashes our race.”
