The grid will be formed:
1. Adam Christodoulou Mercedes #4
2. Fred Makowiecki Porsche #912
-1 lap gap-
3. Hubert Haupt Mercedes #6
4. Maxime Martin Aston Martin #007
5. Yelmer Buurman Mercedes #5
Other class lead battles on the same lap
Cayman Cup #303 Moritz Krans / #302 Timo Mölig
BMW Cup #244 Marc Ehret / #256 Tristan Viidas
ProductionV5 #144 Adrenalin BMW 325 / #148 Team Weser-Ems Porsche Cayman
Also of note – #22 Ferrari is on the verge of the top 10
Pace lap, safety car lap then green flag waved with 90 minutes left on the clock despite very thick fog.
Buurman spins on the start, with the whole field bunched finding a spot to rejoin into is going to be a nightmare. It was the Mercedes at the front who got the jump over the Manthey car
In the Cayman Cup, Timo Mölig got ahead and quickly built a gap while the #144 Adrenalin car kept the lead in V5, but the Cayman was not far behind.
A nice battle for honour and nothing more going on between Peter Terting in the TCR Hyundai and the #201 Lady’s KTM X-Bow with Terting quicker in the twisty bits but unable to live with the KTM on the power.
The lead pair still nose to tail half way through lap 2, #912 much better on the brakes but perhaps biding his time?
#148 seen off at Karussell – Team Weser-Ems Porsche Cayman seemingly giving an end to their chance for a class win.
Martin reporting damage in the #007 but clearly not slowing him down as the Aston is still right with the Black Falcon Mercedes.
Photo: Gruppe C Photography
Contact for the lead in the Dunlop Kurve, Christodoulou nerfed off into the gravel but able to rejoin.
Manthey leads the Nurburgring 24 hours on lap 2 of the dash with just over an hour to go.
At Galgenkopf, Christodoulou got too ambitious and ended up brushing the barrier, minimal damage but has let the Porshce get away for now.
In the BMW cup 5 class, Tristan Viidas in the Sorg Rennsport car has got past and built a healthy lead over Marc Ehret in the #244 Bonk machine.
The fight for 3rd is dangerously close into the Döttinger Höhe – Yelmer Buurman having recovered and 2 Mercedes face 1 Aston Martin with no room for any of them, but somehow Maxime Martin gets the vintage Vantage through onto the podium.
Fred Makowiecki is absolutely flying in the lead, looks like an 8 second lead over Christodoulou – but of course, they will both need to make a pit stop before the end (or is Black Falcon trying to eek out the fuel?)
Very heavy rain & fog has returned on Schwalbenschwanz, but on the other side of the track it has almost stopped – this is a difficult situation for everyone.
Oliver Kainz has got his Ferrari into the top 10 as we see the #831 TCR Hyundai again into the pits with attention to the engine bay as the team car lost it into the gravel at the Yokohama-S – a proven car at speed this weekend but the reliability is just not there.
A slow zone has been called for as the customer Manthey #12 has gone off on the exit of Schwalbenschwanz.
The #5 Mercedes blasts past the Aston Martin for 3rd – minimal fight given, so the question turns to possible fuel saving here as well.
#912 Manthey pits with 11 minutes left on the clock, the #4 follows him in so for all the clever talk it just comes down to who is fastest on track.
Small amount of drama on the final lap as #5 Mercedes gets back onto the lead lap, but at the end it was Makowiecki just easing his way to the chequered flag as Manthey takes another victory at the Nurburgring 24hr.
Black Falcon Mercedes would take 2nd & 3rd with Aston Martin in 4th using the last generation model.
