The 24H Series made its first appearance at the famous German Nürburgring with its 12-hour race split into two six-hour segments.
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GT3, GT4, TCE and GTX cars, together with the Porsche 992 category, hit the asphalt of the Nürburgring this weekend as part of the 24H Series. The home team, GetSpeed Team PCX #28, headed into the race as the championship leader with a six-point advantage over HOFOR Racing #11. However, after the race, the championship standings look quite different.
As we have already seen this season, the race was split into two segments — the first six hours took place on Saturday from 12:00 to 18:00 local time, while the second six-hour segment was scheduled for Sunday at the same time.
The pole-sitting GetSpeed Team PCX maintained the lead after the start, however, the Proton Porsche #73 soon started to close the gap. The Porsche was right behind the Mercedes' diffuser until GetSpeed decided to make its pit stop. The Proton Porsche pitted a few laps later and rejoined the track just ahead of the Mercedes. When the new BMW of the HAAS team also came into the pits, the #73 crew took the lead of the race.
Drama then struck the #28 GetSpeed Mercedes as Jordan Boisson lost control of the car and hit the barriers during the restart after a Code 60 period. The team had to repair the damage, which cost them eight laps.
The Proton #73 led the majority of the first half of the race until another Code 60 period was called. Due to a miscommunication, Proton driver Luck pitted twice in quick succession and lost the race lead, allowing the #88 car to move ahead.
This happened just moments before the red flag stopped the race with 40 minutes remaining due to a heavy crash involving the #921 car. Bednarski was fortunately uninjured after the horrifying accident, but the race was not restarted.
On Sunday, the sunny weather disappeared and clouds surrounded the track, with light rain expected later on. However, the race started in dry conditions.
The leading Up2Race #88 Porsche lost the race lead in the opening corners when the Proton #73 slipped past and retook the lead. Later, the predicted rain hit the track, but it did not cause any major issues.
As the race progressed, the Mercedes of GetSpeed Team JR286, which had started the second part of the race from sixth position, was promoted to the lead. A rather unusual moment occurred for the ARC Bratislava Lamborghini Huracán when its rear wing suddenly detached on one side. This cost the team valuable time in the pits and a strong result, as they had been running in a fifth position.
As the twelfth hour of the race approached, the battle for second place reached its peak, with the Mercedes of Viper Niza Racing chasing down the black Porsche of Up2Race. Despite the pressure, Grosse, behind the wheel of the Porsche, successfully defended second place.
When the chequered flag fell, the Mercedes of GetSpeed Team JR286 crossed the finish line first. The "silver" position went to the Up2Race Porsche, while "bronze" belonged to Viper Niza Racing. Proton Competition #88 finished fourth, followed by the Audi of Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport in fifth.
The Nürburgring hosted the penultimate round of the 24H Series, as the final "big one" in Barcelona is scheduled for 18–20 September. This time, it will not be a 12-hour race split over two days, but a full 24 hours of constant racing.
Race Results:
