• Second consecutive 1-2 in VLN for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport 
• Repeat of the previous year’s success in 6-hour race 
• Class victory in SP8T

Like in the previous year, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport has claimed victory in the 6-hour race at the Nürburgring. The BLACK FALCON Team AutoArena Motorsport with starting number 6 wins the ROWE 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen ahead of the sister car with starting number 16. In the process, the two Mercedes-AMG GT3s secured the performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach the second consecutive 1-2 in the VLN. Victory in the SP8T class by BLACK FALCON crowned the successful day in the Eifel.

In the rainy qualifying in the morning, the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Teams already secured themselves very good grid positions for the six-hour race. Driving the #6 Mercedes-AMG GT3, Maro Engel (GER) claimed pole position. Second place on the grid went to the Rooster Rojo J2 Racing GetSpeed Performance entry with starting number 23. Luca Stolz (GER) posted the sixth-fastest time behind the wheel of the #16 BLACK FALCON car. The #2 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3, originally qualified fifth, didn’t take part in the race. At the end of qualifying, Philip Ellis (GER) had slid off the track in the wet conditions. The damaged car couldn’t be repaired in time for the race. 

In the race, Engel maintained his lead after the start. From fifth on the grid, Adam Christodoulou (GBR) already made up several positions in the first corners already and was up in second place as he headed out onto the Nordschleife. Christodoulou came in for the driver change slightly earlier than the opposition and teammate Stolz benefited to take the lead at the track that had dried out in the meantime and to extend his margin with a faultless drive. Patrick Assenheimer (GER) kept the sister car with starting number 6 in second place. With two hours remaining, there was only one car that was able to keep up with the two Mercedes-AMG GT3s. Hubert Haupt (GER) then took over the leading car (#16) from Stolz and extended the lead even further at the start of his stint. Behind him, Engel, who had taken over again from Assenheimer (GER) staged a thrilling battle for second place as the top three closed up more and more.

The final pit stop brought a preliminary decision: while Haupt handed the car to Christodoulou, Engel still stayed out on track and built up the decisive margin to be still clearly in the lead after his final scheduled stop. He then dominantly completed the final laps to bring first place home, securing the BLACK FALCON Team AutoArena Motorsport (#6) its second consecutive race win in the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft. Driving the number 16, Christodoulou crossed the finish line 35 seconds later and rounded out the 1-2. Like in 2018, a Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Team stood on the top step of the winners’ podium after the longest VLN season round.

The #23 Rooster Rojo J2 Racing GetSpeed Performance Mercedes-AMG GT3 with the line-up of Janine Hill (GBR), Fabian Schiller (GER) and John Shoffner (USA) was in contention for victory in the SP9 Pro-Am class for a long time and eventually scored a top ten finish in ninth place overall and second in class.

A class win for the BLACK FALCON Mercedes-AMG GT4
For the third time this season already, the #155 BLACK FALCON Mercedes-AMG GT4 secured victory in the SP8T class. The quartet of Mustafa Mehmet Kaya (TUR), Gabriele Piana (ITA), Reinhold Renger and Stephan Rösler (both GER) drove the undisputed victory home. Meanwhile, there was bad luck for the #162 BLACK FALCON Team IDENTICA sister car that also was on course for a class win, but had to make a pit stop following a puncture in the final hour of the race and lost a lot of time in the process.

The VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring season continues with the sixth round, the RCM DMV Grenzlandrennen, on 7 September.

Maro Engel, BLACK FALCON Team AutoArena Motorsport #6: “It was an unbelievably tough race until the very end. I am overjoyed that it has worked out with victory. Winning a VLN race is always difficult and then the season highlight on top of that, that is quite something special. Thanks to Patrick, he was super as a driver! Many thanks to the BLACK FALCON team. Being up front with both cars: a mega achievement. Today, we have made some promotion for motorsport!”

Patrick Assenheimer, BLACK FALCON Team AutoArena Motorsport #6: “Again, we have put in a very good performance and we were rewarded for it. This time, Maro drove more than I, last time out it was the other way round. Eventually, the result was again a strong performance by the entire team.”

Luca Stolz, BLACK FALCON #16: “Adam got in a super start. He moved up into second place straight away and staged a nice fight with Maro. In the third stint, we attempted an undercut. That didn’t work out as there was a code-60 that then ended. There, we comparatively lost a lot of time. These 40 seconds were missing for victory at the end. But finishing second in the six-hour race here is really super. With first and second place for BLACK FALCON, it really was a great day!”

Hubert Haupt, BLACK FALCON #16: “Wining again here after the last year would have been nice. But I am also very happy with second place. I am still massively enjoying it. And as long as I am able to keep up, as it showed today, I will go on.”

Fabian Schiller, Rooster Rojo J2 Racing GetSpeed Performance #23: “We were in an excellent position with second place on the grid, but at the wet track, we weren’t as fast as our opponents. The stints after that were solid, we had a good pace. Janine and John both have done a good job and we can be happy with the top 10 result.”

* excerpt subject to confirmation by the organisers