Markert and Harbeck seize RCN points lead at Nürburgring

The sixth round of the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) 2026 took place under ideal conditions, with sunshine, a dry track and cool temperatures. Nearly 170 competitors tackled the 15-lap "Rhein-Ruhr" endurance test on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Michael Luther and Markus Schmickler (BMW M4 GT4) claimed their third overall victory of the season. "The driving was fantastic at the start and lap times were really quick," Luther reported. "Later, as traffic built up and there were some incidents, we just had to manage our lead." David Vogt (Opel Astra TCR), partnered this time by experienced co-driver Marc Basseng, crossed the line 35 seconds adrift. "We learned a lot and were quick again," Vogt said. Reinhold Renger and Marc Andreas Riedl (Porsche Cayman GT4 CS) completed the podium.

The day's biggest story came in the championship standings. Sven Markert and Lars Harbeck (BMW 320i) won class H3 despite incurring a substantial time penalty for incorrectly executing their confirmation lap through a Code-60 zone. The Berlin pair's class victory was enough to move them to the top of the RCN championship table, displacing previous leaders Jens Schneider and Robin Reimer, who finished third in class R4. "We thought our championship hopes were over after we messed up the confirmation lap," Markert said. "So we were incredibly relieved when we saw the final result."

RCN series manager Willi Hillebrand praised the turnout and conditions. "A strong grid in excellent weather, and the championship is wide open again. We're looking forward to the final rounds."