Stefan Beyer and Carl-Friedrich Kolb are PETN Cup 3 Amateur Drivers' Champions

Meuspath. In the penultimate race of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring season, Stefan Beyer and Carl-Friedrich Kolb from Sorg Rennsport (#949) were able to decide the championship in the PETN Cup 3 amateur drivers' classification early. After the race distance of four hours, a second place was enough for the duo to stand unassailable at the top of the Cup 3 AM standings. With another win the PETN Cup 3 champions Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter from Sorg Rennsport (#959), who had already been determined at the last race, still have a chance to win the NLS overall classification. In NLS8, 24 cars competed in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring. With 14 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) in Cup 2 and 10 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS (982) in Cup 3 class, the PETN once again represented two of the strongest classes in the field of participants in the NLS.

In qualifying, Tobias Müller of KKrämer Racing (#121) set the fastest lap time in Cup 2 class. With a best time of 8:15.574 minutes, he also placed the #121 on grid position six in the overall field. In Cup 3 class, Fabio Grosse was again fastest. Driving the number 949 car from Sorg Rennsport, he took first place on the grid with a time of 8:40.094 minutes on the 24.358-kilometre combination of the short Grand Prix circuit loop of the Nürburgring GP circuit and the Nordschleife. Grosse started the eighth NLS round for the first time in both Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS (982) from Sorg Rennsport (#949 and #959). The sister car, with which he had already won the Cup 3 class, placed teammate Heiko Eichenberg in third place.

No decisision in the PETN Cup 2 championship

Full points payout at NLS8 for KKrämer Racing (#121) with Christopher Brück, Moritz Kranz and Tobias Müller: next to the victory in Cup 2 class, the trio also secured the additional championship point for the pole position as well as the one for the fastest lap. The team also saw the chequered flag in sixth place in the NLS overall standings. AVIA W&S Motorsport (#120) with Paul Harkema and Tim Scheerbarth followed 26.576 seconds behind. Both Cup 2 teams stayed on the lead lap of the overall winner over the entire four-hour distance. Third place went to Ben Bünnagel and Noah Nagelsdiek from Black Falcon Team IDENTICA (#102).

„We are super happy with the race. We scored maximum points, which was important for the championship. In the difficult conditions in the middle of the race, I had to take a bit of risk out, but thanks to the team's good work, we were able to drive the car home in first place," Moritz Kranz summarised.

In the Cup 2 team- and driver´s classification, no decision has yet been made in the penultimate race of the season. The leading team until then Max Kruse Racing (#100) with Benny Leuchter and Nico Otto were left without points due to a collision. *

The Cup 2 Amateur Drivers' classification was won by Mustafa Mehmet Kaya and Mike Stursberg together with PRO-driver Gabriele Piana from Black Falcon Team TEXTAR (#103). With this win Kaya and Stursberg secure the vice-championship. A first podium in the classification went to Simon Balcaen and Jörg Viebahn from PROsport Racing (#104) with a second place ahead of Peter Bonk and Marco van Ramshorst from pb performance (#106).

PETN Cup 3 champions continue to win with important points for the NLS overall standings

The trio of Heiko Eichenberg, Fabio Grosse and Patrik Grütter from Sorg Rennsport (#959), who had already won the championship in Cup 3 class at the 12h Nürburgring, once again finished at the top of the podium. They thus collected important points with regard to the NLS overall standings - only four points are missing on the leaders Philipp Leisen, Oskar Sandberg and Daniel Zils of Adrenalin Motorsport from the VT2-R+4WD class. The decision will therefore be made in two weeks' time, at the last race of the season in the NLS.

„A perfect result with another victory - everything went right again today. In the NLS overall standings, however, it remains exciting. We will continue to give everything in order to win this classification as well. But as always on the Nordschleife, a bit of luck is also needed," explains Fabio Grosse, reigning PETN Cup 3 champion.

The other two podium places remained tight until the end. Second place went to Horst Baumann, Markus Schmickler and Stefan Schmickler of Schmickler Performance (#950) closely followed by Christopher Rink and Francesco Merlini of Smyrlis Racing (#952), who crossed the finish line just 0.509 seconds behind the runners-up.

The champions of the PETN Cup 3 amateur drivers' classification have been decided

For Stefan Beyer and Carl-Friedrich Kolb, supported by PRO-driver Fabio Grosse, a second place in the Cup 3 amateur drivers' classification at NLS8 was enough to decide the championship. In the penultimate race of the season, the duo is unassailable in front and thus brings Sorg Rennsport both championship wins in Cup 3 class.

"We are incredibly happy about the championship win. This year we made a conscious decision to put together an AM line-up. We are super happy that this plan has worked out after all these years," says Stefan Beyer, who has been competing in Cup 3 class since 2017, which was held under the name "Cayman GT4 Trophy by Manthey Racing" until 2021, about his first PETN championship success.

Horst Baumann and Markus Schmickler finished ahead of the champions with PRO-driver Stefan Schmickler of Schmickler Performance (#950), but the points were not enough to catch Beyer and Kolb in the final race of the season. The podium was completed by Leonard Oehme, Moritz Oehme and Niklas Oehme from Team Oehme (#944), the second podium success in a row for the three brothers.

The final race of the season in the NLS will take place in just under two weeks, on 8 October 2023. The 47th DMV Münsterlandpokal will again cover a distance of four hours. 
  
*provisional result

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