During the 24-hour qualifiers on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, The weather god showed his most beautiful side. Plenty of sun and optimal conditions for an exciting qualifying weekend on the most dangerous and notorious race track in the world.
Following the exciting season opener just a week prior, the action continued directly with the next double-header as part of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers. On April 13th and 14th, two 4-hour races were on the schedule. The highlight? On Saturday, the vehicles even drove into the twilight.
Concentrated GT3 Power at the 24h Qualifiers 2024
Naturally, crowd favorites like Falken Motorsport and Manthey EMA were also part of the action. But there was no mercy on the track, as a lot was at stake. Not only the paddock and the starting field were buzzing, but the spectators were also flocking around. A beautiful sight for a race event like this. There were also times when things were quite dismal. But this year, people found themselves amidst the familiar hustle and bustle and knew – it was starting again, pure 24h race feeling! This was also reflected in the numbers from the previous race weekend: „Even during the race weekend, we were overwhelmed by the response and the much positive feedback from our fans and participants,“ says VLN boss Mike Jäger. „This trend is now continuing online. The views in the streams show that we did many things right in terms of media coverage, public relations, and marketing in the run-up to the season. Interest in the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series is greater than ever before. We will consistently continue on this path.“
So, now let's get to the racing. Packed with snacks, cold drinks, sunglasses, and folding chairs, thousands of spectators spread out around the track. It was a spectacle and a true joy to see that there are still so many fans in motorsports. Of course, if not at the Nürburgring, then where?
For a motorsports enthusiast, it was a sight that could only be enjoyed. Livestreams were playing everywhere on smartphones, as there wasn't a speaker everywhere. The sausages were ready, the beer was kept cold, and the neck was slathered with sunscreen. It was ready to go! This was motorsport as it used to be. Pure, peaceful, and full of passion!
The most popular track sections? Of course, Brünnchen, Pflanzgarten, Hatzenbach – that's where the motorsport fans gathered, eagerly awaiting the start. Finally!
The results of the 2024 24h Qualifiers
After four hours of adrenaline, the pot went to Falken Motorsport, who did everything right with Tim Heinemann and Sven Müller in the Porsche GT3 R. With a sensational lead of 52.866 seconds, they left Julien Andlauer and Klaus Bachler behind, but this was short-lived as a 32-second time penalty ruined their plans. The reason for the time penalty was overtaking under a yellow flag – ouch. Much to the delight of the new second-place finishers Ayhancan Güven and Thomas Preining in the Elfer from Manthey EMA. Third place went to Audi drivers Frank Stippler, Christopher Mies, and Ricardo Feller in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II from Scherer Sport PHX.
„I won’t forget this day anytime soon,“ said driver Heinemann happily at the finish line. „Not only was this my first victory on the legendary Nordschleife, but also my first in GT3. It was also a great debut with Team Falken Motorsports. Now we need to build on this result in the 24-hour race.“ Teammate Thomas Preining was also very pleased with the result: „That was a great race. On the Nordschleife, it’s always a blast when there are intense battles—it’s not just great for me as a driver, but also for the fans. That’s why we’re here.“ Driver Preining is hoping for a good result in the individual runs during Top Qualifying: „I hope I have the chance to compete in Top Qualifying tomorrow. That would be an honor and the perfect touch.“ The team boss of Scherer Sport PHX spoke openly and honestly: „I think you could see today that we couldn’t keep up with the Porsches,“ said team boss Axel Randolph. „We were up front and drove a good race, but the Porsches are faster.“
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Photos: Michael Summerer