Season opener of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring with record starting field

• 33 cars to compete in first PETN race in 2026
• Nine participants in the PETN Talent Pool 2026
• Exciting paddock activities in the PETN Village
• Eight championship rounds as part of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie

Meuspath. The Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PETN) kicks off its fifth season on Saturday, 14 March, as part of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) with a record-breaking starting field. A total of 33 cars will compete in the first race of the season, including twelve Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Cup 2 and 21 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS in Cup 3 class. The Porsche one-make series is once again offering a Talent Pool, in which nine talented drivers will be supported on their way to professional motorsport. In 2026, the PETN will also expand its presence in the paddock. In a newly created event area, the one-make series will offer attractive activities throughout the season utilising contacts from the Manthey network, among other things. With eight rounds, the championship's race calendar remains unchanged.

„We are thrilled to be kicking off the fifth PETN season with a record starting field – especially with the Cup 3 class so well represented with 21 starters. Fielding the strongest class with a seven-year-old car shows that the Cayman is proven and ideal for motorsport on the Nordschleife. It's a great start to what promises to be an eventful season. With the Talent Pool, we are continuing to focus on young talent this year – the field of participants is promising and we are excited to see what we can teach the talents, but also what we can learn from them. Over the winter we have worked on planning the PETN Village. We are excited to see the response and hope to create a meeting place in the paddock where everyone can not only follow the race but also experience various activities," explains Julia Klee, Project Leader Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring.

Support for nine young drivers in the PETN Talent Pool

Following its introduction last season, the PETN is continuing its Talent Pool this year. A total of nine talented drivers will receive specific support from the Porsche one-make series in various workshops and training sessions. The kick-off event ahead of the first race weekend will include a visit to Manthey in Meuspath and training in the simulator.

The international line-up in the Talent Pool is divided between both classes. The four participants from the Cup 2 class are Ryan Harrison (USA), Ben Koslowski (Germany/USA), Raphael Rennhofer (Austria) and Leon Wassertheurer (Germany) from Team Black Falcon. In the Cup 3 class, Peder Saltvedt (Norway) and Henry Lindloff (Germany) from Smyrlis Racing, Calvin de Groot (Netherlands) and Darian Donkel (Germany) from SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, as well as Lorenz Stegmann (Germany) from W&S Motorsport are part of the Talent Pool.

Niklas Koch, participant in the Talent Pool 2025, will receive separate support from the one-make series this year as the PETN Junior. The 24-year-old was appointed Junior by a committee based on his driving development and soft skills and will receive training as a Porsche instructor, among other things, this year. His racing team will receive additional incentives.

Event area in the paddock with various offerings

In order to bring spectators closer to the one-make series, the PETN is expanding its presence in the paddock this year. The PETN Village offers spectators, teams and drivers the opportunity to watch the race live, while also providing entertainment with various activities and exhibitors from the Manthey network. With special offers for children, the PETN is particularly aiming to reach families.

The PETN Village also provides space for various exhibition vehicles. These include a Porsche 911 Cup (992.2) in the new PETN communication design. Before the vehicle joins the Cup 2 class in the 2027 season, teams, drivers and spectators will have the opportunity to take a closer look at the new model.

PETN championship rankings 2026

This year's racing calendar again comprises eight rounds, with seven four-hour races and one six-hour race. The 24-hour race and the associated 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers are not part of the championship, but teams can participate in the classes Cup 2 and Cup 3 under the same technical regulations as usual. Manthey will continue to provide technical and spare parts support for these events, and special rewards will be awarded to the successful teams and drivers.

PETN will only make changes to the rankings for amateur drivers. The reference lap time used to classify drivers will be reduced by one second in both classes. At the same time, a two-stage reference lap time will be introduced. If an amateur driver beats this second stage once, they will automatically be upgraded to PRO driver status. In addition, the PETN is adjusting the prizes in the rankings. Successful drivers from the AM driver rankings will receive prize money in addition to trophies at this year's annual awards ceremony.

The PETN season opener will take place on 14 March. The 71st ADAC Westfalenfahrt will start at 12:00 and cover a distance of four hours.

PETN Calendar 2026:

14/03/2026 – PETN1
28/03/2026 – PETN2
11/04/2026 – PETN3
20/06/2026 – PETN4
01/08/2026 – PETN5
12-13/09/2026 – PETN6+7
10/10/2026 – PETN8

Press contact:

Jona Kläsener

PR & Social Media Manager
E-Mail: j.klaesener@manthey-racing.de