Amer Malas 
Porsche’s customer teams and the 911 GT3 R have already given a demonstration of their force in the so-called ‘Qualifiers’ in mid-April. Falken Motorsports celebrated two victories, while Manthey EMA finished both races on the podium. Moreover, Dinamic GT, Lionspeed GP and Herberth Motorsport will each field one ca. 415 kW (565 PS) GT3 racer from Weissach.
“We began preparing for 2024 straight after last year’s 24-hour race,” said Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“We worked hard alongside the manufacturers to understand last year’s tyre damage. After in-depth analyses, we applied the appropriate measures. The start of the 2024 season showed that we did a good job together. Our teams and drivers are happy with the vehicle balance. Now we need to sort out the race procedures and focus on getting through the race without making any mistakes. Lap time performance alone is not the main priority. Teamwork, managing overtaking in a big field of 130 cars, the right tyre choice for different conditions and ensuring that the driver feels good in the car will be the keys to success.”
The commitment of Porsche customer teams goes far beyond participation in the top SP9 class for GT3 vehicles. Thirty-nine other racing cars from the German manufacturer are registered in ten different classes. This means that Porsche has by far the largest contingent of entries in the race. The most popular model is the 911 GT3 Cup, 14 of which will compete in the dedicated Cup2 category.
“Porsche is again clearly the most well-represented brand at the Nürburgring 24-hour race this year. This shows that we continue to enjoy high trust among our partners and customers and that our products are well established on the market,” said Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport.
“I’m confident that the six Porsche 911 GT3 R will perform strongly against the tough competition in the top SP9 class. The customer teams are extremely professional with first-class drivers crewing all the cars. Our customers will undoubtedly deliver some gripping racing in other categories too, like in the fiercely competitive Cup2 class with the 911 GT3 Cup and the Cup3 class with the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.”
The race and the legendary ‘Green Hell’
The 24-hour race on the Nürburgring will be contested for the 52nd time. After the debut event in June 1970, the race twice around the clock was cancelled three times: in 1974 and 1975 due to the oil crisis at that time and in 1983 due to construction work. Since 2005, the race has been held on a 25.378-kilometre combination of the historic Nordschleife and the modern Grand Prix circuit. The racetrack features more than 70 corners, including the famous steeply-banked ‘Karussell’. The steepest incline of the undulating course has a gradient of 18 percent with the steepest downhill section at a maximum of 11 percent. On the 2.6-kilometre ‘Döttinger Höhe’ straight, the racing cars achieve a top speed of over 280 km/h.
The format is also special: twelve cars already made it into the Top Qualifying session at the first two races of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) season and in the two ‘Qualifiers’. Manthey’s ‘Grello’, the two 911 GT3 R from Falken Motorsports and the identical models fielded by Herberth Motorsport and Lionspeed GP are already eligible to take part in this spectacular individual time trial for the 17 best grid positions. Dinamic GT is the only team to still fight for a spot in the shootout.
TV coverage and live-streaming of the 24-hour race
The German free-TV channel Nitro will broadcast the Eifel classic live for the entire 24 hours. The pre- and post-race reports include two additional hours of broadcasting. The official race website provides a free live stream and live timing at www.24h-rennen.de/live-en/. The crowds at the track can access the latest information at any time via the track announcer or on Radio Nürburgring on the VHF frequency 87.7 MHz
About the Author
Hani Joudi 
