Black Falcon Team IDENTICA #102 and W&S Motorsport #962 celebrate their first PETN wins in 2023 at the season finale

Meuspath. In the final round of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring 2023 season, two driver teams were able to claim their first victory of the season. After five podium finishes Ben Bünnagel, Noah Nagelsdiek and Gabriele Piana from Black Falcon Team IDENTICA (#102) took first place in Cup 2 at the season finale. Likewise, Philip Miemois and Niclas Wiedmann of W&S Motorsport (#962) rewarded themselves with their first victory in Cup 3 class. The ninth race of the season as part of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) went over a distance of four hours. A total of 28 vehicles competed in the PETN with 13 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) in Cup 2 and 15 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS (982) in Cup 3 class. 

Early Code 60 phases and the arrival of light rain meant that for Saturday morning's qualifying session, only the start phase made best times possible on the 24.358-kilometre combination of the short Grand Prix circuit loop of the Nürburgring GP track and the Nordschleife. With his first timed lap of 8:16.243 minutes, Tobias Müller placed the number 121 car of KKrämer Racing on pole position in Cup 2 class. With David Griessner, the Cup 3 class saw a new pole setter at NLS9. For him as well, the first lap with a time of 8:45.872 minutes was enough to secure the first grid position for Adrenalin Motorsport (#930) and his teammates Stefan Kruse and Florian Wahl. Both driver crews were thus able to claim the additional championship point at the last PETN race.

Double victory for Black Falcon in the Cup 2 classifications

After 29 laps, final driver Gabriele Piana from Black Falcon Team IDENTICA (#102) crossed the finish line in first place in Cup 2 class and in tenth place overall. In the course of the four-hour race, his teammates Ben Bünnagel and Noah Nagelsdiek constantly fought in the front ranks of the Cup 2 class. In the final hour, Piana was finally able to overtake Hendrik Still from Team Mathol Racing (#107) and did not relinquish the lead. With a gap of 5.544 seconds Still, who shared the cockpit of the #107 with Arne Hoffmeister, crossed the finish line in second place. KKrämer Racing (#121) with Christopher Brück, Michele di Martino, Moritz Kranz and Tobias Müller followed in third place. 

„It was a great way to end the season. The victory shows the development we have made throughout the year. Especially in the second half of the season, we improved a lot. Funnily enough, I was saying on Friday that it was a shame that we hadn't been able to win after so many podiums. Now to go into the winter break with a win feels great,” sums up Ben Bünnagel, driver of car number 102. 

The team from Meuspath was also victorious in the Cup 2 AM-Drivers' championship. Mustafa Mehmet Kaya and Mike Stursberg from Black Falcon Team TEXTAR (#103) finished the season finale with victory number five in the Cup 2-AM classification. At NLS9, the duo was supported by PRO-driver and double starter Gabriele Piana. 

„We are very happy that we ended the season with another win. Many thanks to my teammates, the whole Black Falcon crew, all the mechanics – they were amazing and very supportive throughout the year”, says Mustafa Mehmet Kaya, vice champion in the Cup 2 AM-driver´s classification. 

The second Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) from KKrämer Racing (#112) followed in second place. The car was driven by Alexander Akimenkov, Karsten Krämer, 'SELV' and PRO-driver Alexey Veremenko. Peter Bonk and Marco van Ramshorst from pb performance (#106) completed the podium.

In the team and driver standings of the Cup 2 class, no championship decision has been reached yet after the last race of the season, as there is still only a provisional race result for NLS8. It depends on the result whether Max Kruse Racing (#100) with Nico Otto or KKrämer Racing (#121) with Christopher Brück and Moritz Kranz become champions in the class. A decision is expected in the next few weeks.

W&S Motorsport breaks Cup 3-champions' winning streak

Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter from Sorg Rennsport (#959) finished the last five races of the season as winners and have already been Cup 3-champions since the 12h Nürburgring. But in the last race of the season they had to concede defeat. Philip Miemois and Niclas Wiedmann of W&S Motorsport (#962) defended the lead against the closing Cup 3-champions until the very end and were the first to see the black and white checkered flag after 27 laps with a margin of 6.928 seconds. In the process, the trio from Sorg Rennsport narrowly missed out on the title in the NLS overall standings and finished second, only four points behind.

„The season actually started quite well, but then some bad luck followed us. Today we were finally the ones who had a bit of luck, so despite an unexpected pit stop on the last lap, we were able to take our first victory. In the end, we were able to show that we had the potential to be among the front runners. Next year we will be attacking the very front,” said Niclas Wiedmann from W&S Motorsport (#962).

Another podium finish went to Smyrlis Racing (#952). Francesco Merlini and Christopher Rink finished the season finale in third place, securing themselves and the team the vice-championship in the Cup 3 drivers' and team classification.

In the amateur driver classification of the Cup 3 class, the brothers Leonard Oehme, Moritz Oehme and Niklas Oehme from Team Oehme (#944) were once again at the top of the podium with a second victory of the season. They were followed by Horst Baumann with PRO-driver Stefan Schmickler from Schmickler Performance (#950) in second place and Erik Braun, Alex Fielenbach and Rüdiger Schicht from Mathol Racing (#955) in third.

„The whole team has done a great job over the season. It was a great way to end the season, to finish at the top of the AM-standings for the second time. The plan is to compete in the PETN again next year and maybe attack in the PRO-classification," says Leonard Oehme.

This means that the second season of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring as a Porsche one-make series is over. The final event of the season will take place on 18 November with the NLS annual awards ceremony. The winning teams and drivers of the PETN will be honoured there.

Press contact:

Jona Kläsener

Junior PR & Content Manager
E-Mail: j.klaesener@manthey-racing.de

Laura Claesgens

Consultant Corporate Communications
E-Mail: l.claesgens[at]manthey-racing.de