– One driver will hope more than any other on Saturday that the 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal race of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) starts on time (NLS 2026 here in the livestream!): Dylan Pereira is attempting a crazy double this weekend with two races located 475 kilometers apart as the crow flies.
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In addition to the NLS, where he starts as a favorite to win in the SP9 Pro-Am class with the Black Falcon Porsche #48 (Assenheimer/T. Müller/Pereira), the Luxembourger also competes in the two GTWC sprint races in Magny-Cours (here in the livestream!). Here he shares an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II from Team Attempto with Alex Aka. The duo triumphed twice in the Gold Cup in Misano and are fighting for the title.
Double duties are not uncommon for sports car drivers, but usually they take place over much shorter distances. Or there is an aircraft, as with DTM drivers who commuted by airbridge between Le Mans and Zandvoort in 2024 and 2025. That option is not available to Pereira.
On Friday evening, he will drive at least 600 kilometers by car from Magny-Cours back to the Nürburgring, where he will do qualifying and the starting stint on Saturday, and then drive back to Magny-Cours again.
Logistical tightrope walk on four wheels
The schedule for this race weekend reads like a high-speed timetable: After the pre-test on Thursday in Magny-Cours, Pereira will complete the first free practice in France on Friday noon. Immediately afterwards, he will drive north by car to the Nürburgring, where he is expected around 10:00 p.m.
“On Saturday morning, I get a special briefing at 7:30 a.m. In qualifying, I then drive four or five laps on the Nordschleife to get back into rhythm. If we still need a time at the end, I will do a flying lap on new tires,” Pereira explained in an interview with Motorsport-Total.com.
Shower after the stint? No time!
Immediately after qualifying, the Luxembourger heads to the NLS starting grid. Pereira will do the starting stint in the Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) and possibly a second stint depending on the race situation. But as soon as he gets out of the cockpit, every second counts.
“I have to get out of the car immediately after the stint and head to Magny-Cours. There is no time to shower – absolutely none! It starts right away,” Pereira makes clear. “You never know what happens on the way. A one-hour traffic jam can always occur. Every minute we can save, we have to use. If necessary, I’ll shower only after the race in Magny-Cours.”
With an estimated driving time of seven hours, there is hardly any buffer. Arrival at the Magny-Cours paddock is planned around 8:30 p.m. – exactly 30 minutes before the start of the first GTWC sprint race at 9:00 p.m. From 9:25 p.m., Pereira must be ready to drive to take over the second half of the twilight race after the mandatory driver change from Aka.
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A crucial advantage on this ride: Pereira does not have to drive the road car himself. “My father drives me. Otherwise, it would be much more difficult. That way I can sleep a bit calmly on the way and still not miss anything.”
Race stream in the car and setup via smartphone
During the long highway drive, Pereira will not lose sight of the action at the Nürburgring. “We have seven hours of driving, which means the NLS race will still run for five hours after my handover. I will watch the race live on YouTube, support the team, and stay in contact via WhatsApp.”
At the same time, preparations for the night GTWC stint in Magny-Cours are already underway in the back of the car. Since he misses the second free practice on Friday evening, he keeps close contact with Aka:
“On the way there [Friday evening], I will coordinate with him and ask how the car has changed. Is there more oversteer or understeer? That way I know exactly what to watch out for. After two or three laps in the race, you have built your own feeling anyway.”
However, the marathon does not end there: On Sunday, Pereira returns to the usual rhythm in Magny-Cours – this time with qualifying and starting stint in the second GTWC race. These races then take place again at usual times – qualifying in the morning, 60-minute race in the afternoon. (Serious fire accident of Pereira at the GTWC 2024 in Barcelona)
The 29-year-old is the only driver taking on the double burden. “Basically, it was clear from the start that there would be a scheduling conflict,” Pereira explains the situation.
“We had to decide what makes more sense. But since we can fight for titles in both championships, I looked more closely at the schedules and said: This works, it could somehow be managed!”
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The Luxembourger’s unusual idea was by no means met with deaf ears by his employers. “Both teams fully support me and want the best for me. If one had said ‘You only drive for us,’ it wouldn’t work. But it was an extremely easy decision to go along with it.”
