What a weekend. NLS. Check. ADAC GT Masters. Check. DTM. Check. BMW M2 Cup. Check. In addition, Deniz Undav, who plays for the German national team, scored twice in the FIFA World Cup group-stage match against Côte d’Ivoire.
While some World Cup stadiums rely on climate control, the Eifel region showed itself from its best summer side during round six of the Nürburgring Endurance Series, the 1st Eifel Trophy.
Air temperatures reached 31 degrees Celsius, with track temperatures climbing well beyond 50 degrees. The extreme conditions led to multiple caution periods. Of the 109 cars that started the race, 79 were classified.
We are Nordschleife: Large Parts of the NLS Field Rely on KW Racing
One of the defining characteristics of the NLS is the wide range of different cars competing on track at the same time. Within this field, our KW suspensions brand, with its KW Racing suspension systems and dampers, is one of the major players in this environment.
Factory-equipped vehicles include the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo, BMW M240i, BMW M2, BMW M4 GT3, BMW M4 GT3 Evo, BMW M4 GT4, BMW M4 GT4 Evo, Lamborghini Temerario GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT4, Mercedes-AMG GT4 Evo, Porsche 911 GT3 R, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo 2023, and Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo 2, all running KW Racing kits.
Beyond that, many large and small teams in the production-based classes also rely on our KW Racing hardware because they trust it.
KW Racing customers not only secured multiple class wins and podium finishes, but also dominated the overall result at the 1st ADAC Eifel Trophy. The entire overall podium was made up of KW-equipped cars.
The yellow-and-black Dunlop Porsche 911 GT3 R (#17) took victory by just 0.139 seconds. Nico Menzel and Sven Müller shared the driving duties in the SP9 PRO entry.
Running right in the slipstream of the winning Porsche, the BMW M4 GT3 Evo (#77) from Schubert Motorsport closed in and secured second place. Jens Klingmann and Robin Frijns shared the cockpit and were also competing in the SP9 PRO class.
Third place went to the Pro-Am lineup of 48 Losch Motorsport by Black Falcon. Patrick Assenheimer, Tobias Müller, and Dylan Pereira guided their Porsche 911 GT3 R (#48) onto the remaining podium spot.
The Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo (#35), which had started from pole position, initially led the race as well. However, Christian Krognes and Mateo Villagomez lost the lead during the first round of pit stops and fought back to fourth place. In the end, they took the checkered flag in fifth overall.
The top ten in the overall classification were rounded out by the Hankook Porsche 911 GT3 R (#30; drivers Jong Kyum Kim, Michael Kitgaard Christensen, and “Recardo”) in sixth place and the Gamota Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo (#23, Antal Zsigo, Moritz Kranz, and David Jahn) in seventh.
KW Racing Customers Celebrate Podium Finishes in DTM
While the NLS ran at the Nürburgring, the Lausitzring hosted DTM, ADAC GT Masters and the BMW M2 Cup. Shortly before the start of Saturday’s DTM race, changeable weather brought a cloudburst that cooled things down, with the air temperature dropping below the 30-degree mark.
While many drivers started on rain tires, some of our KW Racing customers took the risk of starting on slicks and, for that reason, were unable to match the pace of the field.
As the track began to dry, the race evolved.
Shortly before the pit window opened, pole-setter Nico Thiim in the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo (#7) from Comtoyou Racing had moved back into the lead. On lap 14, Marco Mapelli in the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 (#10) from Red Bull Team Abt and Ricardo Feller in the Porsche 911 GT3 R (#90) from Manthey came into the pits; Ben Dörr also pitted for a tire change in the McLaren.
While the tires were being changed, events escalated and a full-course yellow was called. The pit stops during the yellow period gave the trio an advantage of more than 20 seconds over the leading Aston Martin (#7) of Nico Thiim. That did not change through to the finish.
Marco Mapelli in the Red Bull Team Abt Temerario GT3 (#10) crossed the line first. The first victory for Lamborghini’s new DTM race car. Ricardo Feller in the Manthey Porsche (#90) finished third.
Because both Marco Mapelli and Ricardo Feller had been running faster than the permitted 80 km/h during the yellow period, each of them was later handed a 15-second time penalty. That dropped the Temerario from first to second place. Ricardo Feller remained third even after the penalty.
Nicki Thiim finished fourth in his Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage (#7). Marco Wittmann also delivered an excellent result. With his charge from 18th on the grid to fifth overall, he secured important championship points for himself and the Schubert Motorsport team.
Kelvin van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3 Evo, #3, Schubert Motorsport), Thomas Preining (Porsche 911 GT3 R, #91, Manthey), Maximilian Paul (Lamborghini Temerario GT3, #19, TGI Team by GRT), and Nicolas Baert (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, #8, Comtoyou Racing) finished in tenth, twelfth, 14th, and 16th.
Our KW Racing customers also celebrated a podium finish at Lausitz on Sunday. Nicki Thiim (#7, Comtoyou Racing) finished second by just 0.413 seconds, securing Aston Martin’s first podium finish in the history of DTM.
The Lamborghini Temerario GT3 entries, introduced for the 2026 DTM season, also turned in an excellent performance. Running KW V7 Racing dampers, the Lamborghini teams finished fifth (Mirko Bortolotti, #63, TGI Team by GRT) and sixth (Luca Engstler, #130, Red Bull Team Abt) to put both cars in the top ten.
Marco Wittmann (#11, Schubert Motorsport) brought his BMW M4 GT3 Evo home in eighth place. Right behind him in ninth was his teammate Kelvin van der Linde (#3, Schubert Motorsport).
Thomas Preining (#91, Manthey) finished tenth in the yellow-and-green Grello Porsche. The Land Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R (#29) driven by Bastian Buus, which retired on Saturday, was classified in 12th place.
Ricardo Feller (#90, Manthey) drove his Porsche 911 GT3 R to 13th place on Sunday, and the second Red Bull Team Abt Lamborghini (#10, Marco Mapelli) came home in 15th. The second Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo (#8, Comtoyou Racing), driven by Nicolas Beert, was classified in 17th.
BMW M2 Cup Makes Its Lausitzring Debut
The new BMW M2 Cup also appeared at the Lausitzring during the DTM weekend, and we also equip the BMW M2 Racing with our KW Racing suspension systems. Every BMW M2 Racing car features the same specification, from suspension and tires to engine output.
The new M2 Cup presents itself as a development series for young drivers looking to establish themselves in GT and touring car racing. Michael Schrey of Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport won both the Saturday and Sunday races.
ADAC GT Masters: BMW Teams Celebrate on Saturday and Sunday
Sandro and Juliano Holzem (Schubert Motorsport) won their first ADAC GT Masters race on Saturday. In the BMW M4 GT3 Evo (#56), the twin brothers finished 3.141 seconds ahead of their fellow BMW drivers Tim Zimmermann and Leyton Fourie (#11, FK Performance Motorsport). For Schubert Motorsport, it was the team’s 14th victory in ADAC GT Masters.
On Sunday, Tim Zimmermann and Leyton Fourie hit back and put their BMW M4 GT3 Evo (#11) on the top step. With an advantage of 5.574 seconds, they celebrated their second win of the season and moved into the championship lead.
Photos: Gruppe C Photography
