The final hour of the Blancpain 1000 at the Nürburgring turned out to be an epic season finale with HTP Motorsport and Marc VDS Racing Team battling for the win – until Maximilian Buhk passed Maxime Martin with an opportunistic move and taking the win and the Blancpain Endurance Series title.
HTP Motorsport’s pad change was quick, but not quick enough to keep him in front of the Marc VDS Racing Team BMW of Martin. Martin got stuck behind Christopher Haase though and – after some gestures from the Marc VDS Racing Team pit wall – the Phoenix Audi moved over and Martin could pass.
By then Buhk had reduced the gap to Martin by just a couple of tenths and an epic battle for the lead and the title began. Buhk made several attempts into turn 1 to pass the Belgian driver and his BMW, but either Martin moved in front of him before Buhk had the chance to pass or he had enough momentum coming out of turn 1 to get the nose of his BMW in front of the Mercedes again.
With 35 minutes remaing the gap between Martin and Buhk was still only half a second, the distance between winning the championship or finishing as runner-up or even worse.
Shortly after Maxime Martin had been given a track limit warning for turn 4 Maximilian Buhk saw his chance. The #84 HTP Mercedes had two wheels on the grass in the rundown to the NGK-chicane and was then fast and close enough to pass Martin into the chicane. With 30 minutes left in the race it looked like the series had been decided!
Further down the field the two Nissans returned to the track and Lucas Ordonez pulled in front of his team mates, resulting in him virtually being the Pro-Am champion.
In the remaining minutes there were no changes anymore and after six hours Buhk crossed the line to take the win and the Blancpain Endurance Series Pro Cup Drivers title. Maxime Martin crossed the line 18 seconds behind Buhk, handing Marc VDS Racing Team the Teams title.
Despite SMP Racing winning Pro-Am the results of the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN cars meant they took the double; Ordonez winning the Pro-Am Cup drivers title and RJN taking the Teams title.
Sport Garage won the Gentlemen Trophy with their Ferrari.
Marcel ten Caat
