Within the 136 cars that are on the entry list for the May 18th-21st ADAC TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Nürburgring, the SP9 class features 33 entries (all potential overall winners) representing the best GT3 manufacturers: Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche. Many of them will be competing with factory teams or factory-supported entries.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring NLS2 2023. #34 BMW M4 GT3 by Walkenhorst Motorsport driven by Jakob Giermaziak and ‘Jesse Krohn’, #44 BMW M4 GT3 by BMW Junior Team driven by Daniel harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen.

BMW M4 GT3 scored 3 victories on the Nordschleife in the first three races of the Nordschleife Langstrecke Serie (NLS 1: Martin / Vanthoor with Rowe Racing #99, NLS 2: Giermaziak / 'Jesse Krohn' with Walkenhorst Racing #34, NLS 3: Harper / Hesse / Verhagen with BMW Junior Team # 44).

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring NLS2 2023. #30 Ferrari 296 GT3 by Frikadelli Racing Team driven by Earl Bamber, Nick Catsburg and David Pittard.

GetSpeed-Mercedes-AMG #2 with Adam Christodoulou / Daniel Juncadellaand (Race 1 / Saturday) and the Frikadelli-Ferrari 296 GT3 #30 with Earl Bamber, Nick Catsburg, David Pittard and Felipe Fernandez Laser (Race 2 / Sunday) won the qualifying sessions on 22 and 23 April.

Lots of IMSA and WEC factory drivers as well as the PRO drivers who were in Monza for the first round of the GTWorldChEu will meet at the Nübrugnring for the 51st edition of the 24 hours of Nürbugring.

Let's review the forces at work by Manufacturer.

Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo

Last year's winner, Audi Sport Team Scherer PHX with Frederic Vervisch (last year's winning driver), Mattia Drudi, Ricardo Feller and Dennis Lind will run with Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II #1 . Sister car #40 will be driven by Mike Rockenfeller who drives the #5 JDC Miller Porsche 963 in IMSA, Timo Scheider and Martin Tomczyk.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring NLS2 2023. #5 Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II Scherer Sport PHX driven by Frank Stippler and Renger Van Der Zande, #16 Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II Audi Sport Team Scherer PHX driven by Fred Vervisch, Mattia Druid and Dennis Lind.

Scherer Sport PHX also features #5 with Renger van der Zande, who won in Laguna Seca in IMSA with Cadillac Racing, and Alexander Sims, who won the 12 hours of Sebring with Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R. Markus Minwkelhock and Michele Beretta will drive sister R8 LMS GT3 Evo II #16.

Audi Sport Team Car Collection #22 and Audi Sport Team Land #39 are two other pretenders for overall victory.

Aston Martin Vantage

Two Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 entries with the experienced Dörr Motorsport (#69) and the Pro-AM team Prosport-Racing (#28). Darren Turner will be the only Aston Martin official driver representing the British manufacturer on board of #69. Other Aston Martin Works drivers are competing with competition: Thiim with Lamborghini #27 and Pittard with Ferrari #30.

BMW M GT3

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring NLS2 2023. #34 BMW M4 GT3 by Walkenhorst Motorsport driven by Jakob Giermaziak and ‘Jesse Krohn’, #44 BMW M4 GT3 by BMW Junior Team driven by Daniel harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen, #99 BMW M4 GT3 by Rowe Racing driven by Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus and Nick Yelloly

BMW M Motorsport claims a 21st overall victory with 6 BMW M4 GT3 and 14 BMW M works drivers among 3 teams; the BMW Junior Team (who won NLS3) with #72, Walkenhorst Racing with the starting numbers #100 / #101 / #102 as well as Rowe Racing with the traditional starting numbers #98 and #99. Here, one of last year's winners, Dries Vanthoor, (thus making a brand change from the Audi camp) will co-drive #98 with Maxime Martin. Both won NLS1 this year. Six BMW Works drivers who compete for BMW Team RLL in IMSA will be split among the two ROWE cars: Connor De Phillippi (USA), Philipp Eng (AUT), Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Marco Wittmann (GER) and Nick Yelloly (GBR).

Neil Verhagen (#72 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RMG): “This is now my third Nürburgring 24 Hours in a GT3 car – and it remains the biggest challenge you can face in motor racing. However, every year I gain more experience together with my team-mates Dan and Max, and I want to use that to get the very best out of our package this time. As a team, we have improved from race to race this season. I am now really looking forward to a very special weekend with a fantastic atmosphere.”

Dries Vanthoor (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing): “I am very much looking forward to starting this race with BMW M Motorsport for the first time. I have won it twice in the past and am obviously determined to do so for a third time with the BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing and my team-mates. I believe we are very well prepared, but we cannot afford to make any mistakes at all, as this race is tricky. A lot can happen, particularly in the night. We simply have to get through it well.”

Philipp Eng (#99 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing): “I am very happy that we line up with a very experienced and well-versed team. We drivers know each other very well from the IMSA series, as well as many GT3 races. ROWE Racing is extremely experienced on the Nordschleife and has almost always been in contention with at least one car in the 24-hour race. Although preparations have not been ideal for our car, I really hope that we can get the win. I think the BMW M4 GT3 has earned that, as has everyone in the team and at BMW M Motorsport.”

Jesse Krohn (#101 BMW M4 GT3, Walkenhorst Motorsport): “I don’t think we could be better prepared. In the three races we had in the run-up to the 24 Hours, we have learned an incredible amount about the car and the tyres. I really benefit from sharing the car with genuine Nordschleife specialists, who have taken me to a different level on this track. Walkenhorst Motorsport is also doing a magnificent job. Now it is all about putting what we have learned into practice on the race weekend, and surviving the 24 hours in the ‘Green Hell’. It will definitely be another crazy race, but I am hugely looking forward to it.” Source: BMW Group

Ferrari

Ferrari will bring three cars of the newly developed Ferrari 296 GT3: #19 by racing one, #20 by WTM by Rinaldi Racing, and #30 by Frikadelli Racing Team who demonstrated their ambitions with victory in the second 24h Qualifiers race in April. It was the 296's first race win worldwide with Earl Bamber (co-driving the Cadillac Racing V-Series. R in WEC Hypercar), Nick Catsburg (leading the LMGTE AM class with Corvette Racing in WEC), and David Pittard (Aston Martin factory driver) and Felip Fernandez Laser.

Lamborghini

Last year's winner Kelvin van der Linde (with Audi) will drive the #27 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2 for Abt Sportsline with Jordan Pepper and Nicki Thiim (Aston Martin factory driver). The second Lambo in the field (#7) is entered by Konrad Motorsport.

Mercedes-AMG GT3

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring NLS2 2023. #12 Mercedes-AMG GT3 by Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed driven by Adam Christodoulou, Maximilian Götz and Fabian Schiller. #8 Mercedes-AMG GT3 by Mercedes-AMG Team Bilstein driven by Raffaele Marciello, Luca Stolz and Philipp Ellis.

The trio of drivers from GetSpeed, who finished second and third in last year's 24h, have been retained as such: Adam Christodoulou will team up with Maximilian Götz and Fabian Schiller in the cockpit of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #2. Maro Engel, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella drive the #3 sister car. The latter also recently showed top form at the 24h Qualifiers at the end of April, when he took a win and a second place in the two races, together with Christodoulou.

Mercedes-AMG Team Bilstein also features two Mercedes-AMG GT3 with #4 and #6. Schnitzelalm Racing Gmbh also has 2 entries with #10 and 11. CP Racing presents one GT3 (#21).

Porsche 911 GT3 R

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring NLS2 2023. #911 Porsche 911 GT3R by Manthey EMA driven by Kevin Estre and Thomas Preining. #21 Porsche 911 GT3R by Rutronik Racing driven by Matteo Cairoli and Julien Andlauer.

Seven Porsche 911 GT3 R are also on the shortlist as candidates for top positions at the 24h. At the 24h Qualifiers, the 911 of Manthey Racing (#911) ended in second place in the first of the two races, while colleagues from Falken Motorsports (#44) also clinched a podium finish in the second heat.

The Grello (#911) features a serious quartet for victory with WEC Porsche 963 drivers Christensen, Estre and Makowiecki, together with Preining.

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “I’m super excited about the Nürburgring 24 Hours and can’t wait to drive the ‘Grello’ again. I think we still have a score to settle after the early retirement last year. The preparations went okay, but we still lacked a bit of performance. Let’s see what tweaks we can still make before the race.” Source: Porsche

Olsen, Cairoli and Andlauer (recent winner at Laguna Seca in IMSA) will co-drive the #96 Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Lionspeed by Car Collection Motorsport (24) also features IMSA Porsche drivers like Campbell, Jaminet and Pilet.

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 911 GT3 R #24): “We’re about to take on the toughest race of the year. Often, it’s the ever-changing weather conditions that top off the already very strenuous driving on the Nordschleife. Our preparation wasn’t quite ideal because we got very little track time with our team Lionspeed by Car Collection. But the performance is there: We’re already safely in the ,Top Qualifying 2’ with our car, so we can concentrate fully on working on the setup in all the sessions before the shootout for the best grid positions. Let’s see how well we do in the race.” Source: Porsche

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