ADAC GT Masters to race in front of big crowds at the popular ADAC Truck Grand Prix. Porsche duo Jannes Fittje and Nico Menzel lead the championship. DTM champion joins the field at the Nürburgring with Project 1.

An abundance of horsepower at the Nürburgring, and the ADAC GT Masters is in the thick of the action: from 14th to 16th July, the Eifel region will be firmly in the hands of truck enthusiasts at the ADAC Truck Grand Prix. Round three of the 2023 season in the ADAC’s iconic GT series will feature on the support programme at the 36th staging of this popular event. Jannes Fittje (Langenhain) and local favourite Nico Menzel from Kelberg are in the hot seat following their victory in race four of the season at the Norisring. The Porsche duo from Huber Motorsport travel as championship leaders to the legendary circuit in the Eifel Mountains, where they will come up against some new opponents. Project 1 will run a BMW M4 GT3 with Sandro Holzem (Polch) and two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann (Fürth) at the wheel. Paul Motorsport is also set for its first outing of the season with a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo. Schnitzelalm Racing is making its ADAC GT Masters debut with a Mercedes-AMG GT3, while Nordpass by Juta Racing lines up with two Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2. TV partner Sport1 is broadcasting all the races live and in full on free-to-air TV.

The action comes thick and fast in the ADAC GT Masters: following the scorcher at the Norisring, the international field hardly has time to catch a breath before the next showdown on the shorter 3.629-kilometre layout of the Nürburgring. It has been hard to predict a winner this so far this season, as four different driver pairings have made it onto the top step of the podium in the first four races of the year. However, success at Germany’s only street circuit has put Fittje and Menzel in pole position as championship leaders. “We want to push hard again at the Nürburgring and stay at the top in the Drivers’ Championship. Our goal is to keep the title race alive for as long as possible. Unlike the Norisring, this circuit has more overtaking manoeuvres again. It is definitely an advantage that Nico is very familiar with the track,” says Fittje. The race in the Eifel region is a very special one for his team-mate Menzel: the paddock is just a 25-minute drive away from the 25-year-old’s home in the small municipality of Kelberg. The two races at the Nürburgring are also a home outing for Haupt Racing Team, whose Mercedes-AMG cars are housed just six kilometres away in Drees.

In comparison, Paul Motorsport has a somewhat more laborious journey from Dresden in Saxony. However, that was never going to put the Lamborghini team off making its first appearance of the 2023 season. Alternating at the wheel of the Italian super sports car will be Maximilian Paul (Dresden) and Simon Connor Primm (Großschirma). “We are pleased to be back on the ADAC GT Masters grid and are looking to follow on from last year’s success,” says driver and team manager Paul in his role as driver and team manager. The 23-year-old finished on the podium on four occasions in 2022. 18-year-old Primm lines up in the ADAC GT Masters for the first time. He already knows what it takes to win races, however, having already claimed one victory at the opening round of this season’s ADAC GT4 Germany in Oschersleben.

Project 1 arrives in the Eifel with a BMW M4 GT3 and drivers Holzem and two-time DTM champion Wittmann. “We are already looking forward to the races at the Nürburgring. The field in the ADAC GT Masters guarantees fantastic racing. Our driver pairing brings together a talented youngster in Sandro and the experience of Marco. That is a great combination for our team. I believe in our team spirit and that we can achieve a good result,” says team manager Hauke Ewald ahead of the event in the Eifel Mountains.

Schnitzelalm Racing enters completely uncharted territory this weekend: together with drivers Marcel Marchewicz (Schwetzingen) and Colin Caresani (NL), the team is taking on the challenge of the ADAC GT Masters for the first time. “We are very motivated and will try to make life difficult for the others. As a private team, we are particularly keen to show the established AMG teams what we are capable of. The ADAC GT Masters is the ideal platform for us, as it offers young international drivers the opportunity to go up against established drivers,” explains team principal Thomas Angerer. It is no coincidence that they chose the Nürburgring for their first appearance in the series: Niederzissen, the team’s headquarters, lies just 30 kilometres from the racetrack. Lithuanian team Nordpass by Juta Racing lines up with another Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2. The two regular drivers Jonas Gelžinis (LT) and Jonas Karklys (LT) have already contested two races in the ADAC GT Masters. Justas Jonusis (LT) and Simas Juodvirsis (LT) share the cockpit in the second Audi GT3 car.

The drivers can prepare in competitive conditions in the two free practice sessions at the Nürburgring on Friday. One day later they are back on track for the battle for the best grid positions (10:15) and race five of the season (15:10). By the end of qualifying (09:05) and race two on Sunday (15:10), we will know who leads the ADAC GT Masters going into the second half of the season. As well as on Sport1, the sessions will also be shown on the free YouTube channel @adacmotorsports on Saturday and Sunday.