RCN

The Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) has released its 2027 schedule, featuring eight events across the Eifel circuit. The early announcement aims to give competitors, organisers and fans sufficient planning time to prepare their motorsport activities. All eight rounds will take place on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Five of the events will incorporate sections of the circuit's Grand Prix layout. The season will open on 13 March with RCN 01, followed by rounds on 10 April, 27 May, 26 June, 17 July, 4 September and 26 September. The traditional season finale is the RCN 3-hour race "Schwedenkreuz" on 23 October. A highlight of the calendar is the RCN's participation in the support programme for the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring endurance race. The calendar is subject to change and was confirmed as of 12 September 2026.

Nearly 170 teams competed in the sixth round of the 2026 Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) series, held under ideal conditions on the legendary Nordschleife. The event, dubbed "Rhein-Ruhr," saw a change at the top of the championship standings as Sven Markert and Lars Harbeck (both Berlin, BMW 320i) claimed the series lead. The pair benefited from a fortunate day when their confirmation lap was disrupted by an unexpected Code-60 zone, costing them 250 penalty seconds. However, their rivals faced identical difficulties, allowing the Berliners to secure their fifth H3-class victory of the season. "We simply had luck," Markert explained. "We were quick as usual, but the confirmation time was just not achievable. As new leaders, we're under pressure now, but we'll handle it." The overall victory went to Michael Luther and Markus Schmickler (Barsbüttel/Bad Neuenahr, BMW M4 GT4), who dominated proceedings to claim their third win of the season. David Vogt and Marc Basseng (Waldfeucht/Rosenbach, Opel Astra TCR) finished second and set a new lap record in the RS3A class. Third place fell to Reinhold Renger and Marc Andreas Riedl (Rothenburg/Hamburg, Porsche Cayman GT4 CS). RCN series manager Willi Hillebrand praised the event: "A successful gathering. This was excellent promotion for motorsport. We now trust that the final rounds will prove equally positive and exciting." The series continues to attract family teams, with father-son and father-daughter pairings becoming increasingly common. Notable entries included Guido Witz and his sons Benjamin and Niclas (all Switzerland) in the BMW M240i class, with the family trio aiming to compete in the traditional 24-hour race. The event also saw the return of familiar faces to the Nordschleife, including Marco Schelp (Berlin), who competed before emigrating to New Zealand. In the RCN Light category, Andrea Heim (Gronau, Renault Clio) assumed the championship lead after claiming victory in class 29. Maximilian Weissermel (Oberursel, Porsche Cayman) posted the fastest time of the day in class 30 and moved to second in the standings, while Nikolas Reihsner (Wittlich, BMW M3) dropped to third after encountering difficulties during his confirmation lap.

Ralf Kraus and Tim Banerjee claimed their second consecutive podium finish at the sixth round of the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN), taking third place in the R3 class. The result capped a strong performance for Team Automobile Theisen, whose four Opel Astra OPC entries finished between third and seventh in class among 167 starters. Kraus held a top-three position from the start in car #48, reporting that the engine delivered full power throughout the rev range after issues in the previous round. Banerjee took over at the halfway point and maintained third place to the finish. "We would have needed rain to challenge the stronger Renault Clio for second," Banerjee explained, adding that despite sunny conditions, numerous accidents and Code 60 cautions disrupted the race. Simon Overmann and Holger Bruning finished fifth in class in car #50. Bruning, competing in what he described as his final RCN round of the season, praised the car's performance and expressed satisfaction with improvements made in two target sectors. Maya Niepenberg made her RCN debut as a starter driver, reporting that she gained confidence with each lap despite contact from other competitors during the race. Christopher Bartsch set the fastest lap time for the Theisen team—9:37.2 minutes—during his stint in car #649 in round 14. Jürgen Neuhoff and Jan Eisenburger completed the team's strong showing with seventh place in class in car #46. The series returns to the Nürburgring on 26 September for the seventh and penultimate round of the season.

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."

The Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) will host its third Nordschleife-only event of the 2026 season on 5 September, with nearly 170 teams entered for the "Rhein-Ruhr" time attack organised by AC Oberhausen under ADAC sanction. The competition begins at 12:30 on Saturday at the T13 grandstand. The 15-round challenge will cover the full 20.793 km Nordschleife circuit, totalling 311.895 km across one timed lap, one confirmation lap, ten sprint rounds, two fuel stops with a 50-minute maximum time, and one cool-down lap. RCN series manager Willi Hillebrand welcomed the strong entry after the summer break, noting that weather conditions in Germany could prove variable but expressing hope for competitive racing and decisive moments in the championship fight. Jens Schneider and Robin Reimer (BMW 325i, class R4) currently lead the championship standings, with 20 entries in their class making it the largest field. Close challengers Sven Markert and Lars Harbeck (BMW 320i, class H3) have 13 competitors in their division, while third-placed Christian Koch (BMW 325i, class H4) remains in contention with 15 cars in that class. Other competitive classes include R2A with 14 starters, RS4 with nine teams, and BMW M240i Racing with ten entries. Favourites for overall victory or top placings include Michael Luther and Markus Schmickler (BMW M4 GT4), Andreas Schwarz (Cupra Leon TCR), Alain Dutronc (Porsche Cayman GT4 CS), Rolf Weißenfels (Peugeot 308 TCR), Alexander Böhm and Jürgen Marzi (Porsche Cayman GT4 CS), and Eric Petrich (BMW M3). David Vogt (Opel Astra TCR, class RS3A), a regular front-runner who has already claimed an overall win this season, will share driving duties with experienced co-driver Marc Basseng, using the event as preparation for the season finale. Documentation and technical checks run Friday 4 September from 15:30–20:00 and 15:30–20:30 respectively, with additional checks Saturday morning from 08:15–11:30. A drivers' briefing is scheduled for 11:40, with results posted virtually at 17:00 and the awards ceremony at 17:30.

The fifth round of the 2026 Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) took place in ideal summer conditions at the Eifel circuit, attracting nearly 160 teams to compete in the "Um die Westfalen-Trophy" time attack event. After a six-week break, stable weather and close competition defined the day, though a prolonged Code-60 safety phase disrupted proceedings. Jens Schneider and Robin Reimer (Engelsbrand/Schömberg) maintained their championship lead with their fourth class victory in R4, extending their advantage over rivals. "We could maintain our pace even in traffic," Schneider said. "The RCN title is now something we cannot ignore." Sven Markert and Lars Harbeck (Berlin, BMW 320i) followed closely as first pursuers after their fourth success in class H3, while Christian Koch (Wickede, BMW 325i) held third overall in H4. In the 22-car R4 class, potential challengers faltered: Jan Buchwald (Wenden) retired with a water pump failure, and Sachs Steinhardt (Hilden), moving from RS4 to series-production machinery, lost time in a Code-60 zone and missed his target class win. Michael Luther and Markus Schmickler (Barsbüttel/Bad Neuenahr, BMW M4 GT4) claimed overall victory for the second time this season. David Vogt (Waldfeucht, Opel Astra TCR) finished second, while Markert and Harbeck completed the podium in third—their best RCN result to date. Rolf Weißenfels (Peterslahr, Peugeot 308 TCR) narrowly missed the podium in fourth, just four seconds adrift on his first outing of the year. Alexander Böhm and Jürgen Marzi (Drees/Trier, Porsche Cayman GT4 CS) won Cup 3 in fifth place. Notably, Yannik Fübrich, current NLS championship leader, guest-drove for Dirk Maier (Albstadt) in a BMW M2 Competition. Although a communication error excluded him from the results, Fübrich praised the experience: "The RCN is an ideal series for motorsport newcomers. Driving against the clock was a real challenge." In RCN Light, Nikolas Rheisner (Wittlich, BMW M3) took the day's honours and assumed the championship lead, displacing previous points leader Christopher Schwietzke (Nottuln, BMW 325i), who struggled with confirmation runs during the extended Code-60 phase.

The fifth round of the 2026 Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) season will take place on the Nürburgring Nordschleife on 18 June, organised by MSC Bork e.V. under ADAC sanction. The event, titled "Um die Westfalen-Trophy", has attracted more than 160 entries. The start is scheduled for 12:30 from grandstand T13. Competitors will complete 15 timed runs over the 20.793 km Nordschleife circuit, totalling 311.895 km. The format comprises one timed lap for qualification, one confirmation lap, ten sprint runs, two fuel stops with a 50-minute maximum time allowance, and one cool-down lap. Total driving time is capped at 190 minutes. Series leaders Jens Schneider and Robin Reimer (BMW 325i) will compete in class R4, which fields 22 cars and remains the largest class. Second-placed Sven Markert and Lars Harbeck (BMW 320i) contest class H3 with 11 entries, while third-placed Christian Koch (BMW 325i) races in class H4 with 13 starters. Class R2A has 16 entries and class RS3A 11 teams. Notable contenders include Michael Luther and Markus Schmickler (BMW M4 GT4), David Vogt (Opel Astra TCR), Andreas Schwarz (Cupra Leon TCR), Alain Dutronc (Porsche Cayman GT4 CS), Stefan Schmickler (Porsche Cayman), and Eric Petrich (BMW M3). An interesting pairing in class RS8A sees Dirk Maier partnered with Yannik Fübrich, current NLS series leader and former NLS champion, in a BMW M2 Competition. Documentation and technical checks run on Friday 17 June from 15:30–20:00 and 15:30–20:30 respectively. Saturday morning sessions continue from 08:15–11:15 and 08:15–11:30. A drivers' briefing is scheduled for 11:40, with results posted online at 17:00 and the awards ceremony at 17:30.