Round three of this season’s ADAC GT Masters at the Nürburgring produced some fascinating facts and stories. Here is the Paddock Radar from the ADAC Truck Grand Prix in the Eifel.
A regular at the Nürburgring
Last weekend’s event saw the ADAC GT Masters visit the Nürburgring for the 20th time. The circuit in the Eifel region actually hosted the series twice in the 2008 and 2012 seasons. Since its debut in 2007, races have been held on five different track layouts.
Big support for Max Reis
Max Reis from Haupt Racing Team was able to count on plenty of support. The driver from Ramstein brought more than 80 members of his fan club to the Eifel in two coaches. The free service came courtesy of the driving school, which the 17-year-old has supported since the start of the year. “I am very proud of this community. As a newcomer to the ADAC GT Masters, it is quite something to have so many fans,” said Reis, full of appreciation for his fan base.
Twins on a high at Team Joos by Twin Busch
Team Joos by Twin Busch lines up with a pair of twins in this year’s ADAC GT Masters: Michael and Johannes Kapfinger. However, the drivers are not the only twins in the set-up. The two owners of the title sponsor are also twins. The men behind the company Twin Busch are brothers Marc and Dennis Busch, who also shared a cockpit in the ADAC GT Masters in 2017.
Presentation ceremony on the big stage
After the race at the Nürburgring, the three top duos drove their cars round to the paddock, to park up on the show stage, where fans had gathered to welcome the successful drivers to the presentation ceremony. Many spectators took the opportunity to watch the podium ceremony up close, and to sample some of the champagne shower, courtesy of Schumacher Wines.
Schumacher celebrates with Schumacher
Motorsport victories are celebrated with bubbly. This tradition was started by US racing legend Dan Gurney after his victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967. However, celebrating with your own sparkling wine is surely a first. After winning both races, David Schumacher sprayed those joining him on the podium with bubbly from his father Ralf’s winery. Schumacher Selection has been a partner of the ADAC GT Masters since 2019.
Event set against a grand backdrop
For the second year in a row, the ADAC GT Masters formed part of the support programme for the ADAC Truck Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. The event in the Eifel once again attracted 130,000 visitors over the course of the weekend. In front of packed grandstands, the GT3 cars thrilled the big crowds around the Grand Prix circuit at the Nürburgring.
Festival atmosphere
The ADAC Truck Grand Prix at the Nürburgring is both a motorsport event and a festival. On the Friday evening, 81-year-old country legend Tom Astor took to the stage. On the Saturday, acts including Isi Glück and Peter Wackel ensured there was a great atmosphere on stage for the Mallorca Party in the packed Müllenbachschleife.
Sprint and endurance format goes down well
The ADAC GT Masters lined up with a new race format for the first time at the iconic circuit in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. On the Saturday, an 80-minute endurance race was held for the first time in the championship. This included two mandatory pit stops, with one driver changeover and a tyre change. The different tactics employed by the teams meant the spectators witnessed exciting action right down to the finish. The new format was well received by the drivers, teams and media representatives. “We believe the new race format is a plus for the series! The tyre change and refuelling added important tactical elements in the endurance race, which makes it more varied for us teams and more exciting for the fans. It also differentiates the ADAC GT Masters more clearly from the DTM, which is another important point. There are obviously a few things that still need improving after its first event, but we feel positive about the premiere,” said Niclas Königbauer, Managing Director Walkenhorst Motorsport, referring to the new race format in the ADAC GT Masters.
Double qualifying record
The opening qualifying session at the Nürburgring event saw Tim Zimmermann, at the wheel of a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 for Grasser Racing Team, set a new ADAC GT Masters qualifying record of 1:25.219 minutes. Zimmermann was 0.012 seconds faster than his Chilean team-mate Benjamin Hites, who set the previous record last year. However, the new benchmark did not last long: David Schumacher (Haupt Racing Team) beat it by a further 0.317 seconds in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in Sunday’s qualifying, putting him on pole position for the second time since making his debut in the series in Oschersleben.
Additions to the Pro-Am class
The Pro-Am class welcomed more entries at the third event of the year, and with them new opposition for multiple class winners Alex Fach and Alexander Schwarzer: Nico Hantke and Chandler Hull (Walkenhorst Motorsport-Aston Martin Vantage GT3) have changed class for the rest of the season, as have Pablo Schumm and Jonas Karklys (Liqui Moly Team Engstler by NordVPN). Together with guest starters Coach McKansy and Gerhard Tweraser, four teams battled it out for the class victory. “Being classified in the Pro-Am category is of great benefit to Chandler and Nico, as they can now back up what they showed at the first attempt at the Nürburgring,” said Managing Director Jörg Breuer. “We also now have shorter stationary times for this car during the pit stop, which means we have more chance of better individual results in the overall classification.”
XXL lead car
The GT drivers lined up for their warm-up laps behind an XXL lead car on the Saturday and Sunday. The combination of the GT3 cars and the mighty Pace Truck, which appropriately takes on the role of safety car at the ADAC Truck Grand Prix, made for an extraordinary image.
Successful guest starters
A total of three cars were making guest appearances in round three of this season’s ADAC GT Masters at the 3.629-kilometre circuit in the Eifel Mountains. The most successful of those was the car of Julian Hanses and Marcel Marchewicz. The Schnitzelalm Racing drivers promptly picked up a trophy for third place on Saturday. They may not have made it onto the podium in the second race of the weekend, but fourth place was another very commendable result.
