The Ferrari 296 GT3 has won the 51st installment of the Nurburgring 24 Hours, lapping the circuit a record 162 times.
The #30 Ferrari 296 GT3 of Frikadelli Racing took victory at the 2023 ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring, covering a record-breaking 162 laps and 2538 miles (4085km) on its N24 debut. A total of 136 cars tackled the 25.4km loop, with plenty of action knocking numerous contenders out along the way.
Fighting for overall victory were 33 contenders in the SP9/GT3 class, with the new Ferrari 296 GT3, 992 Porsche 911 GT3R and returning BMW M4 GT3, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 and Audi R8 LMS GT3 competing alongside. The likes of the Toyota GR Supra GT4 and Vantage AMR GT4 featured in the SP 10 class, with evo magazine’s own Jethro Bovingdon in the #73 BMW M4 GT4. The rest of the grid consisted of everything from TCR to GT2 and Cup cars, with close-to-production privateer contenders like the SP3-class Dacia Logan also sharing the circuit – Olaf Beckman’s famous 1988 ‘Foxtail’ Opel Manta even rose from the ashes after a fire shortly before last year’s event, making it the entire 24 hours.
The increasingly popular customer touring cars, or TCR cars, are also becoming more common at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, with Hyundai, Cupra and Audi just some of the car manufacturers producing race-ready touring cars for sale. These machines fall within the regulations of multiple racing series’, and are therefore able to be entered into the N24.
It’s this variety, as well as the sheer number of cars on track that makes up some of the magic of the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Keep reading below for a brief overview.
The Nürburgring 24 Hours as we know it first appeared on the motorsport calendar in 1970, organised by the ADAC, or the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club, if you want to be specific. Before 1970, endurance racing events on the Nürburgring were far more sporadic, made up of 12, 24, 36, 84 and even 96 hour events that weren’t overseen by a single governing body.
Today, the race is held on the Nordschleife, or north loop, integrating the GP circuit on its southern edge. The Nürburgring has a sinister reputation, and part of its difficulty is the varied weather conditions that tend to douse the track in rain, fog and sunshine in unequal measure, and often all at the same time on different parts of the track.
The Nürburgring 24 Hours show
There is a tangible excitement when it comes to 24-hour endurance races, and the Nürburgring 24 Hours is no different. Aside from the racing, the journey to the track, party-like atmosphere and trackside camping (if that’s your thing) all contribute to the experience. Typically, there are hotels around the track for those who prefer Egyptian cotton and bathroom suites to quick-dry microfibre towels and a short walk in the woods, but whatever your preference or budget, the N24 is one of the truly great experiences in motorsport.