Harper Fastest in Rain-Hit Opening Qualifying Session

Dan Harper set the fastest time in the opening qualifying session for the 52nd running of the Nürburgring 24, which was impacted by significant rainfall in the latter stages.

Harper, piloting the No. 72 BMW M Team RMG BMW M4 GT3, reeled off a 8:21.487 to beat Marcel Marchewicz’s No. 11 Schnitzelalm Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

Kevin Estre slotted into third in the No. 911 Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R, while the No. 27 Red Bull Team ABT Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 took fourth.

Markus Winkelhock rounded out the top five in the No. 15 Scherer Sport PHX Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, ahead of Augusto Farfus’ No. 98 ROWE Racing BMW as well as the No. 4 Mercedes-AMG Team Bilstein entry of Luca Stolz.

Walkenhorst Motorsport, meanwhile, went eighth with the No. 34 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, although the car suffered damage when Kuba Giermaziak went off at the Schumacher-S in the closing minutes of the session.

The Polish driver was caught out by the heavy rainfall that swept across much of the circuit late in the session, with a moment of snap oversteer sending him spinning into the barriers.

The rain reportedly also caught out the No. 24 Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3 R of Patrick Kolb, who spun at Schwedenkreuz but was able to continue.

Other cars to find trouble earlier in the session include the No. 706 Glickenhaus SCG 004 C, which went off at Metzgesfeld after Thomas Mutsch encountered standing water with just over an hour to go. Mutsch made it back to the pits unassisted.

Torsten Kratz, meanwhile, brought the No. 7 Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini to the pits with a broken toe-link, but the car later returned to the track in order for Colin Caresani to turn his first laps at the wheel of the car.

The Dutchman is a late addition to the lineup alongside Danny Soufi, Torsten Kratz and Maximilian Paul.

Track action at the Nürburgring continues with the second qualifying session at 8 p.m. CEST (2 p.m. EDT).

RESULTS: Qualifying 1