Preview NLS-6h Race: Several New Projects, Title Battle in a Heated Phase

– With good weather prospects, a look at the participant list promises a highly exciting and varied field: From brand-new GT3 projects to emotional comebacks to unique stories from grassroots motorsport, everything is represented. ()

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At the 6-hour race, fans can expect a historic highlight on the Nordschleife: An exclusively designed Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport bridges history, architecture, and modern customer racing as a rolling work of art. The special aspect lies in the lived family spirit of the brand: For the first time, the Porsche Heritage and Museum team, the motorsport experts from Weissach, and Team 75 Motorsport work hand in hand for a joint race entry.

It is a tribute to the GT4 customer racing history and at the same time the farewell of the very last mid-engine race car of this series built in Zuffenhausen, whose design picks up the futuristic design language of the Porsche Museum. The spectacular anniversary vehicle is driven by two true Nordschleife icons and Porsche brand ambassadors: Timo Bernhard and Jörg Bergmeister.

The two longtime companions bring concentrated Eifel experience – Bernhard has already celebrated 10 overall wins in the NLS, Bergmeister has entered the winners’ list twice. Now, for the first time, the two Nordschleife record holders share the cockpit of a GT4 race car and are eager to compete – after all, the Eifel circuit is one of their favorite tracks.

Passion and rev sound in the Civic Type R

A maximum contrast to the factory-supported anniversary project is provided by the entry of Mark Giesbrecht, Frank Kuhlmann, and Michael Flehmer, who perfectly represent the incomparable diversity and grassroots character of the NLS. The trio consists of true Nordschleife veterans: Flehmer leads the group with an impressive 42 class wins and crowned his career in 2014 with the NLS overall title alongside Rolf Derscheid.

Giesbrecht and Kuhlmann complete the experienced team – both have already celebrated 26 class wins each in the series. That their tried-and-true Honda Civic Type R is even rolling at the 6-hour race in the Eifel is an emotional turnaround in the season plan – and possibly just the beginning for the remaining racing year, as Giesbrecht explains:

“For us, it is basically a retirement from retirement. Originally, we wanted to start in the DHLM this year but had to postpone it due to scheduling reasons. After half a season of inactivity, we simply couldn’t rest. On short notice, we are now racing the 6-hour race – and if all goes well, we will definitely add one or two more races this season. Everyone on the team was immediately fired up – and we are very excited to present the fans at the Nordschleife with a real 2-liter Group H car again.”

Ralf Aron attacks again after injury break

A strong and emotional statement awaits fans in the GT3 class: About five months after his serious accident at the Bathurst 12 Hour, Mercedes-AMG Performance driver Ralf Aron returns to the racetrack. The 28-year-old Estonian, who suffered two vertebral fractures in February, makes his comeback at the seventh NLS race in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 of the Mercedes-AMG Team Winward.

That the time is right for this, Aron emphasizes noticeably relieved after the most intensive rehab months: “The motorsport community gave me incredible strength during this time. After rehab and intensive training, everything felt exactly right again from the first moment during the tests in May. All the more, I am looking forward to my first race entry now.”

In the cockpit, he shares the car with the newly crowned 24h Nürburgring winner Luca Stolz, who celebrates his 31st birthday right on race weekend.

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New GT3 projects with long-term ambitions

Speaking of GT3: The top category of the NLS sees further growth at the season highlight. In addition to the established big names, several teams are entering with fresh projects – many of them with a long-term perspective. ERA Motorsport, a team from the USA that is active in IMSA among others, makes an exciting debut: The team brings a Mercedes-AMG customer racing car (GT3 EVO) to the Nordschleife for the first time and fields a strong trio in SP9 Pro-Am with Kyle Tilley, Adam Christodoulou, and Jake Hill.

Also a real eye-catcher in SP9 Am is the return of Dörr Motorsport: The team relies on the spectacular McLaren 720S GT3, piloted by brothers Ben and Phil Dörr as well as Nordschleife legend Volker Strycek. A milestone is also set by the reigning NLS overall winner FK Performance Motorsport: After winning the title last year, the team from Bremen celebrates its GT3 debut on the Nordschleife. The BMW M4 GT3 Evo is driven by a high-caliber quartet around BMW factory driver Dan Harper, Leyton Fourie, Maxime Oosten, and Pavel Lefterow.

Meanwhile, Joos Sportwagentechnik is making the long-term leap into SP9 Am. The team fields a Porsche 911 GT3 R for team owner Michael Joos, Nordschleife veteran Fidel Leib, and Marco Lamsouguer. And the ambitions go far beyond the 6-hour race, as Michael Joos emphasizes:

“Since our test last year, we have been working on our own GT3 program on the Nordschleife. We are now contesting the remaining four NLS season races with the 911 GT3 R. Our goal is to gain as much experience as possible to lay a solid foundation for a long-term commitment in the series.”

Finally, the team up2race provides visual and sporting brilliance, making its NLS debut with its gold-colored Porsche 911 GT3 R – affectionately called “Goldy.” In SP9 Pro-Am, DTM star and ex-sim racer Tim Heinemann shares the cockpit with former professional footballer Oleksii Kikireshko, whom Heinemann also coaches.

Permit-A hunt at Four Motors

The sustainable team Four Motors also provides a highlight in the participant list at the 6-hour race: In the Bioconcept car #420 (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport), an international trio shares the cockpit. With Australian WEC driver and Le Mans class winner Yasser Shahin, reigning Porsche Junior Marcus Amand from France, and Italian Enzo Trulli – son of former Formula 1 pioneer Jarno Trulli – three extraordinary careers come together.

For all three drivers, the seventh NLS race is also an important test of maturity: They complete their DMSB Permit Nordschleife A on the Bioconcept racer to secure the highest clearance for future entries in the top classes of the Green Hell.

Qualifying takes place on Saturday morning from 08:30 to 10:00. Afterwards, fans have the opportunity to experience the vehicles and drivers up close during the pit walk from 10:20 in the pit lane and the subsequent grid walk from 11:10 on the starting grid. The six-hour race starts at 12:00. Those who cannot follow the spectacle on site can watch the race live on Motorsport-Total.com.

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