Falken Motorsports took a one-two in the opening race of the 2025 NLS topping an astonishing Porsche 1,2,3,4 as early race tyre choice threw a curve ball to the leading runners.
Sven Müller and Morris Schuring took the chequered flag in their #3 Porsche 911 GT3 R with a lead of 3.068 seconds over their teammates Dorian Boccolacci and Nico Menzel in the #4 Falken Porsche.
Completing the podium were Ayhancan Güven and Thomas Preining in the #911 Manthey-Racing ‘Grello’, with Matteo Cairoli and Bastian Buus in the #54 Dinamic GT-Porsche completing a stunning top four lock-out – Rowe Racing’s #98 BMW was ‘best of the rest in fifth.
Frank Stippler achieved the first surprise of the day in qualifying: In the Audi R8 LMS of JUTA RACING, he secured the first pole position for the racing team with a time of 7:51.530 minutes.
There was disaster though for the other car Stippler was slated to share as Nico Bastian suffered a serious off at Pflanzgarten in qualifying in the #2 HRT Ford Mustang, the car was badly damaged and withdrawn from its debut NLS race, Bastian mercifully able to climb out of the wreck unaided.
After the start, Stippler initially defended his lead. A brief rain shower between practice and the race though turned the opening phase into a tire thriller. At the end of lap one, the Abt Lamborghini took the lead as Stippler led a group of SP9 runners into the pits to switch from wets to slicks – including both Falkken Porsches.
“The beginning was difficult because we started the race on rain tires and came into the pits to change to slicks immediately after the first lap,” said Schuring, who celebrated his first NLS victory ten years after his father. ‘Gerwin’ won the 2015 season finale in the Black Falcon Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR – his last non-GT3 victory. “But that later proved to be the right decision, because the strategy worked perfectly.” Müller added: “From 15th place on the grid to first, that’s how you work.”
Even though he ultimately finished ‘only’ in second place behind his teammates, Menzel was satisfied: “You couldn’t have had a better start to the new season.”
DTM champion Preining was also pleased to have ultimately secured a podium finish. After a spin in the AMG Arena on lap one, the Manthey duo fought their way forward step by step from the back of the first starting group. “After the turbulent start, finishing third was unexpected,” said the Austrian. “We were on the right tires from the start, saving us a pit stop.” There could though have been disaster for the #911 after Preining suffered an ‘off’ on dropped oil and brushed the barriers.
The surviving #17 GetSpeed AMG, Dörr’s McLaren #69, and the Abt Lamborghini crossed the finish line in sixth to eighth places.
The winners of the Pro-Am class were Daan Arrow, Gabriele Piana, Ben Bünnagel, and Mike Stursberg in the Black Falcon 911, ninth overall with the pole-sitting JUTA Audi completing the overall top 10.
The Konrad Lamborghini of Danny Soufi retired after colliding with a Porsche Cayman and Maro Engel’s GetSpeed AMG retired out on the circuit after a strong run.
Notable class results went to Fabian Vettel, second in AT3 in the #76 VW Golf GTi, Ugo de Wilde, 3rd in BMW M240i Cup and to the Sim racer/ influencer trio of Jimmy Broadbent, Misha Charoudin and Steve Brown who, together with Manuel Metzger took the win in SP8T in the #150 BMW M4 GT4.
Both Toyota Gazoo Racing Supra GT4s were disqualified.
Moran Gott is the first ‘Driver of the Race’
BMW 325i driver Moran Gott was the first winner of the new-for 2025 NLS ‘Driver of the Race’.
The Israeli contested the race solo in a car he had built himself over the past six weeks.
His race was not without incident, the #107 car needed an accident repair during the race in the pits of Sorg Rennsport, who were on-site to maintain the car, and even a puncture in the closing stages didn’t stop Gott from finishing the race strongly to be ranked fourth in his class. “Normally, I want to be honored when I win,” said Gott. “Today, a lot of things didn’t go perfectly – and yet I still wanted to keep going. To be recognized for this makes me a little proud.”
The decision for the ‘Driver of the Race’ is made jointly by the NLS race management, the ILN Drivers’ Association, and the track announcer. The trophies are donated by the Nürburgring Long Distance Interest Group (ILN).
The first victory in this year’s newly created BMW 325i Challenge by Goodyear went to Jonas Spölgen and Eugen Becker. Second place went to Juha Miettinen, Dan Berghult, and Oliver Frisse of Keeevin Sports and Racing. Simon Sagmeister, Jürgen Huber, and Dirk Vleugels rounded out the class podium.
Pics by ‘Frozenspeed’
