2022 NLS 6: 12 Hours of Nürburgring Qualifying
The 12 Hours of Nürburgring (NLS6), the sixth race of the Nürburgring-Langstrecken-Serie, is for many teams and drivers a preparation of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring 2023 as both drivers we met testify.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 12 Hours of Nürburgring 2022.
Vanina Ickx participates to the 12 hours race with Pit Lane - AMC Sankt Vith driving the Toyota GT86 Cup #270 with Jacques Derenne, Bruno Barbaro and Olivier Muytjens in the SP3 class for cars of less than 2.000 ccm which are the GT3 or GT4 cars with the smallest engine.
CRR : It is very nice to see you back as a driver, but you did not chose the easiest track…
Vanina Ickx : Thank you, it is my preferred track. I like to race here.
CRR : Are you happy of the test you just did ?
Vanina Ickx : I’d like to get a dry track to have some fun
CRR : I’m surprised because a wet track is better for a small car against the more powerful ones !
Vanina Ickx : the engine has almost no couple so we have always to stay in very high regime…
CRR : Why the 12 hours race
Vanina Ickx : in order to participate to the 24 Hours of Nürburgring one have to run one NLS race prior to the 24 hours, so this race is the one for me. The 24 Hours race will be different though with a lot more traffic and driving the night with the lights of the cars in your eyes is very tricky.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 12 Hours of Nürburgring 2022.
CRR : I guess you must be looking regularly the rear mirror ?
Vanina Ickx : continuously…
Stay tuned for more with Vanina Ickx
We met Alessio Picariello who is driving Falken Motorsports #3 Porsche 911 GT3 R.
CRR : Congratulations for your podium at Hockenheim last weekend
Alessio Picariello : Thank you, it was nice because the team did not have a great year so far
CRR : What is your program for the end of the year
Alessio Picariello : 12 hours off Nürburgring this weekend, the ELMS race in Francorchamps in 15 days, the GTWorldChEu GT3 race at Barcelona next month and finally Portimao with ELMS mid-October.
CRR : For the 12 hours you are part of a strong lineup Falken Motorsports #3 Porsche 911 GT3 R and the number of pro cars is rather limited
Alessio Picariello : Yes, Jaxon (Evans) and I are familiar with the track for the two other drivers (Joel Eriksson and Sven Müllerit’s new but they are professional drivers and should cope with it very quick. If it rains, it is not sure we can go for the win as we have not been able to test and develop rain tires since the 24 hours of Nürburgring last year. We therefore take this race as a test and development race for the tires in preparation of the 2023 24 hours of Nürburgring
The session was dominated by Jakob Giermaziak driving Scherer Sport Team Phoenix Audi R8 LMS GT3 #16 in front of Christian Krognes driving Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 #34. Both will start from front line the 12 Hours of Nürburgring at 2:30 pm.
