6H Nürburgring: Suspense to the end 🎥
DRAMATIC FINALE It was not until the last lap that the decision on overall victory was made at the VLN season highlight. When the Octane-Ferrari, which had been leading for a long time, ran out of gas, two Audi R8s passed. The highlights of the 6-hour race in less than three minutes. In the finale, the Swiss Octane-Ferrari had no chance against the two Audi cars due to lack of fuel. A total of 14 lead laps [...]
The highlights of the 6-hour race in less than three minutes. In the finale, the Swiss Octane-Ferrari had no chance against the two Audi cars due to lack of fuel.
A total of 14 leading laps went to the account of the Ferrari 488 GT3 of Octane 126 from Wallisellen. Because Simon Trummer and Jonathan Hirschi were in action in the European Le Mans Series at Le Castellet (where the Bernese achieved 5th overall), only the Germans Luca Ludwig and Björn Grossmann took turns at the wheel.
One round too long
Because of a daring fuel strategy, the Swiss team had to tremble at the end. The reason is explained by its final runner.
Luca Ludwig: "From the third lap of my stint, we had to save fuel. We chose a bold strategy. In the end, the race literally got longer and longer. With about a minute to go I crossed the start-finish line after eight laps. On the last lap I couldn't push anymore and had to let both Audi cars go. In the end, though, I'd rather finish third than coast without fuel."
Double victory for Audi teams
Mattia Drudi, Christopher Mies and Kelvin Van der Linde in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 celebrated the 25th Nordschleife victory for Land-Motorsport. At the finish, their lead over brand colleagues Mirko Bortolotti, Robin Frijns, Christopher Haase and Markus Winkelhock from Car Collection was just under four seconds after 41 laps completed.
The third Audi with Nico Müller as one of the four drivers, which also had a strong driver line-up, retired in the fourth hour without having taken over the lead beforehand.
16 leadership changes in six hours
In total, the lead changed no fewer than 16 times over the course of the longest VLN race of the season, which lasted six hours. In addition to the three first-placed teams, six other squads collected lead kilometers.
Fourth overall was the best of the many Mercedes-AMGs with Raffaele Marciello from Ticino and the Germans Maximilian Götz, Maximilian Buhk and Fabian Schiller. Philip Ellis from Zug finished sixth overall with his three German Mercedes partners.
Dress rehearsal for the 24-hour race
With a gap of less than three minutes, Patric Niederhauser in the Car Collection Audi had to settle for 11th place. With around 40 GT3 sports cars and 156 teams starting, the fifth round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (formerly VLN) was the best attended so far.
Many were practicing for the upcoming Nürburgring 24-hour race, which will not take place until September 24-27 due to the postponement - probably only with a limited number of spectators, as was the case for the first time in 2020 on Saturday.
Second victory in a row for Jasmin Preisig
In the "Snow White", as they call the VW Golf GTI TCR at Max Kruse Racing, Jasmin Preisig came with the Germans Andy Gülden and Benny Leuchter, as on August 1, to victory in the eight-car class SP3T. Tom Coronel (NL) and Leuchter also ensured another double victory with the second Golf.
Once again, the Ferrari 488 GT3 with Nikolaj Rogivue was also clearly ahead in the SP9-Am class. His team racing one GmbH also benefits from Octane 126's development work with Ferrari.
Fast Porsche boss
Ivan Jacoma took two trophies home to Ticino. With the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS, Kai Riemer, Horst Baumann and he took the second victory over eleven opponents in the Cup 3 class at this year's second event.
Due to an offense in qualifying (overtaking under yellow), the trio had to start from last place, which they made up for with a good strategy from the Schmickler team and consistently fast lap times in the race. As a result, they also lead the 2020 Cayman GT4 Trophy by Manthey-Racing, which only started at the fourth race.
Along the way, the head of Centri Porsche Ticino (Lugano and Locarno) took turns with Mauro Calamia and Roberto Pampanini in a production Cayman. With them Jacoma drove to second place in the V5 class.
Drive and arrive
Max Langenegger and Bernhard Badertscher only had to pay attention to the technology and clean driving with a constant look in the rearview mirror. It's not quite that simple, as numerous accidents prove. So they brought their unique private Peugeot RCZ over the 33 laps as deserved solo winners in the SP2T class.
In the first start of the season, Manuel Amweg finished second in the SP3 class occupied by three Toyota GT86s, as did Herbie Schmidt with one of three Opel Astra OPC in the class reserved for these cars and Marco Timbal on a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS powered by gas in the AT class of alternative fuels.
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