PIXUM Team Schubert driver Claudia Hürtgen (41) is acquiring something of a reputation for winning home races in the ADAC GT Masters. Born and bred in Aachen, she already has one winner's trophy from the current campaign for her victory at Spa-Francorchamps, just over the border in Belgium. Now she and her Austrian co-driver Dominik Baumann (20) have collected another piece of silverware at the Nürburgring. With eight out of 16 races now complete, this latest win for Hürtgen and Baumann has elevated them to the top of the Super Sports Car League standings.

Toni Seiler (55) from Switzerland and ex-DTM star Jeroen Bleekemolen (31) from the Netherlands finished second in their Callaway Competition Corvette, a result that also makes Seiler a clear winner in the Gentleman classification. The remaining podium spot went to the PIXUM Team Schubert BMW partnership of Max Sandritter (24) and Jörg Müller (43) who were made to work hard for their third place on the last few laps. "We were spot on today," said a well satisfied Hürtgen afterwards. "In fact, we couldn't have improved on this performance in any way. Our car was a pure joy to drive."

Götz and Rast forced to retire after contact in the opening lap

Two of the championship favourites had a catastrophic start to the second race. René Rast (26), who was leading the championship after the first seven races, clattered his Prosperia C Abt Racing Audi R8 into the back of the Polarweiss Racing Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG driven by defending champion Maximilian Götz (27). This incident ended the race prematurely for both the Mercedes-Benz and the Audi.

Jeroen Bleekemolen was building up a comfortable lead over Dominik Baumann. However, the Dutchman's good progress was halted in the fifth lap when Nicolas Armindo's Team Geyer & Weinig EDV - Schütz Motorsport Porsche leaked radiator coolant at a major intersection on the track. With several cars sliding about in ungainly fashion on the spill, the safety car was deployed and the Corvette's lead was cut back.

After the restart, Bleekemolen defended well and was still in first position going into the compulsory pit stop. Bleekemolen's team-mate Toni Seiler carried the lead over into the second stint but soon came under pressure from Hürtgen. The BMW driver passed Seiler with a neat move to sail away at the front. Hürtgen continued to pull away from the Swiss veteran, opening up a 9.2-second lead over Seiler and Bleekemolen at the finish and securing her fifth ADAC GT Masters win. "Being top of the standings at the season's halfway point is a good sign for the rest of the championship," said a delighted Baumann after his second win of the season. "We made a lot of changes to the car overnight, and it felt completely different to drive today."

There was a fierce battle for third during the last few laps of the race. The duel involved Diego Alessi (41) in the second Callaway Competition Corvette, Frank Kechele (26) in the Lambda Performance Ford GT and Max Sandritter in the PIXUM Team Schubert BMW Z4. Sandritter was ultimately the beneficiary of the scrap between Alessi and Kechele, taking the third podium spot. Alessi and team-mate Daniel Keilwitz (24) were fifth behind the Tonino powered by Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 driven by Michael Christensen (22, Denmark) and Robert Renauer (28). Frank Kechele and Dominik Schwager (36) came home sixth ahead of Andreas Wirth (28) and Christian Hohenadel (36) in yet another Callaway Competition Corvette.

Nielsen extends lead in Gentlemen stakes

After moving to the top of the overall standings in the Gentlemen class following yesterday's race at the Nürburgring, Porsche driver Christina Nielsen (21) of Denmark supported by Farnbacher Racing team-mate Sean Edwards (26, GB) extended her advantage with a second-place finish. Nielsen is now seven points clear of Munich-based Rene Bourdeaux (38) who finished fourth in the Tonino powered by Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911. Remo Lips (31) from Switzerland who shares the cockpit of a Callaway Competition Corvette with ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Lennart Marioneck (24) finished third in the Gentlemen classification on Sunday.

Only a short break before action restarts in Austria next weekend

The Super Sports Car League will be heading straight to Austria for the next race. Next weekend, the second half of the ADAC GT Masters' season will be getting underway at the Red Bull Ring, a circuit that will be back on the Formula 1 calendar from next year. (Saturday and Sunday's races will be broadcast live on kabel eins from 12:00 CEST)