Schubert Motorsport edges Falken in thrilling NLS8 photo finish

Schubert Motorsport claimed a dramatic victory in the 65th ADAC Reinoldus Endurance Race at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, the eighth round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie. Drivers Jens Klingmann, Jordan Pepper, and Ugo de Wilde crossed the finish line in their BMW M4 GT3 EVO after 27 laps with a margin of just 0.308 seconds over the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Falken Motorsports, piloted by Tim Heinemann and Morris Schuring. Third place went to Max Kruse Racing, with Dominik Fugel, Marcel Fugel, and Benjamin Leuchter in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II—a historic result as the first AT-category GT3 car to secure an overall podium finish in the series, and notably the first to achieve this running on E20 fuel.

Qualifying saw the field tightly bunched, with the top twelve separated by ten seconds. Gamota Racing took pole position through Antal Zsigo, Moritz Kranz, and David Jahn with a lap time of 7:53.343 minutes. Team Dunlop Motorsport recovered from an early-session collision that dropped them from eighth to eleventh on the grid, ultimately finishing fifth overall.

The race featured multiple lead changes driven by differing pit-stop strategies. Pepper seized the lead from the pole-sitters immediately after the start, and the Schubert and Gamota BMWs engaged in a fierce battle including a daring overtake at Schwedenkreuz. The Max Kruse Racing Audi led at times by extending its first and third stints. Schubert reclaimed the lead on lap 24 and held it through the final laps despite relentless pressure from Heinemann and Schuring. Klingmann reflected on the victory: "That was truly motorsport at its finest—exactly what we drivers want and what the fans want to see. At NLS6, we lost by two-tenths of a second; today, we won."

Elsewhere on the card, BLACK FALCON Team EAE recovered from an early collision to win the SP9 Am class, while 48 LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON—with Patrick Assenheimer, Tobias Müller, and Dylan Pereira—took the SP9 Pro-Am class. In the BMW M2 class, Ranko Mijatovic of Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport won by 0.352 seconds. The championship battle remained tight: Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels (Edoardo Bugane, Yannick Fübrich, Sven Markert) and Smyrlis Racing (Alexander Fielenbach, Oskar Sandberg) both secured maximum points, leaving the title race unchanged.

The series continues immediately with the 66th ADAC ACAS Cup on Sunday, with qualifying at 08:30 and the four-hour race starting at 12:00. Tickets cost €25 per day (free for children up to 14) and include access to grandstands, paddock, pit lane, and spectator areas. Live coverage is available via VLN.de from 08:15.