+ IGTC joins German endurance classic for the first time
+ Complete Provisional Entry List
15 of the event’s provisional 130 entries will be eligible to score Intercontinental GT Challenge points at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring on May 30 – June 2.
SRO’s globe-trotting series is making its first appearance at the legendary Nordschleife, which follows the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour on this year’s IGTC schedule. Another twice-around-the-clock classic – the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa – takes place less than one month later before Indianapolis closes out the campaign in October.
But, for now, all eyes are on Eifel where 200,000 fans are expected to attend Germany’s endurance classic.
The 25-strong GT3 entry list is, predictably, bursting with German manufacturers. And it’s three of those – BMW, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche – that are battling for IGTC points as well as overall victory. Collectively, all of their SP9 entries are eligible to score IGTC points, but only each marque’s top two finishers will do so towards the manufacturers’ championship.
Porsche tops both the early manufacturers’ and drivers’ standings after one event and will also have a slight numerical advantage on home turf where six 911 GT3 Rs compete. Among them are Manthey EMA’s example, which features two thirds of its winning Bathurst line up: Laurens Vanthoor and Ayhancan Güven. Their co-driver down under, Matt Campbell, is with Renauer.
Reigning IGTC champion, Mercedes-AMG, has five entries at its disposal for a race that, incredibly given success elsewhere, it hasn’t won since 2016. Getspeed’s two factory line-ups – featuring Engel/Gounon/Schiller and Auer/Christodoulou/Ellis/Grenier – look particularly potent.
BMW, meanwhile, also has plenty of talent up its sleeve, although there are just three M4s in the race. Augusto Farfus is pulling double duty in ROWE Racing’s two examples, the second of which - #99 – features last year’s IGTC title contenders Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde.
There is also one driver, Antares Au, eligible to score IGTC Independent Cup points. The series’ drop score system permits amateur drivers to skip an IGTC round, hence the likes of Prince Jefri Ibrahim – who raced at Bathurst – not returning until Spa.