Porsche 911 GT3 R Teams Vie for Nürburgring 24 Hours Glory

Seven Porsche 911 GT3 R cars are poised to contend for overall victory at the 53rd Nürburgring 24 Hours, highlighting Porsche's significant presence as the most represented manufacturer in the 141-strong field. The endurance classic, held on the challenging Nordschleife, promises intense competition across multiple classes, with Porsche customer teams demonstrating strong form in recent qualifying events.

Porsche's Dominance on the Nordschleife

Porsche is set to be the most strongly represented brand at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, with 54 vehicles competing across various classes. This extensive participation underscores the trust placed in Porsche by its partners and customers, and the strong market position of its products. The focus for outright victory lies with the seven 911 GT3 R entries in the fiercely contested SP9 class.

• Porsche customer teams, such as Scherer Sport PHX, Manthey, and Falken Motorsports, have shown impressive performance in pre-race qualifiers.

• Beyond the SP9 class, 47 other Porsche race cars will compete in ten different categories, including the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport and the 911 GT3 Cup.

The Legendary Green Hell

The Nürburgring 24-hour race, first held in 1970, is renowned for its demanding 25.378-kilometer layout, which combines the historic Nordschleife and the modern Grand Prix circuit. This iconic track features 170 corners, including the famous Karussell, and significant elevation changes with gradients up to 18 percent uphill and 11 percent downhill. Cars can reach speeds over 280 km/h on the Döttinger Höhe straight.

• The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a key event in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, an unofficial GT3 world championship, which Porsche claimed in 2024.

Driver Expectations and Race Schedule

Drivers are eagerly anticipating the challenge of the Nürburgring. Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 GT3 R #16) describes the race as his favorite, emphasizing its exhausting yet exciting nature. Julien Andlauer (Porsche 911 GT3 R #33) aims for a top-five finish, with hopes for a podium or even a win. Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911) highlights the special experience of driving Manthey’s “Grello” and feels well-prepared after extensive track time.

Key Race Schedule:

• Thursday, June 19: Qualifying 1 (13:00 – 15:00 hrs), Qualifying 2 (20:00 – 23:30 hrs)

• Friday, June 20: Top Qualifying (13:20 – 14:30 hrs), Qualifying 3 (16:15 – 17:45 hrs)

• Saturday, June 21: Warmup (12:00 – 12:40 hrs), Race Start (16:00 hrs)

• Sunday, June 22: Chequered Flag (16:00 hrs)

Where to Watch

Fans can follow the Nürburgring 24 Hours live. German free-to-air channel Nitro will broadcast the entire 24-hour race, including pre- and post-race coverage. A free live stream and live timing are also available on the official race website, www.24h-rennen.de/live. Spectators at the track can tune into Radio Nürburgring on VHF frequency 87.7 MHz for updates.