Land Audi Leads N24 Hour 4 Amid Glickenhaus Delays

The No. 29 Audi Sport Team Land R8 LMS leads the Nürburgring 24 Hours after four hours, as the pole-sitting No. 704 Traum Motorsport Glickenhaus dropped back following contact.

With 26 laps complete, Kelvin van der Linde had a 5.6 second lead over the No. 10 WRT Audi of Frank Stippler and No. 98 ROWE Racing BMW M6 of Richard Westbrook, before the Briton peeled in to make the car’s fourth pitstop shortly after the hour mark.

The BMW, started by Alexander Sims, was one of three cars including the No. 702 Glickenhaus and No. 8 HARIBO Mercedes-AMG which opted to make an early first pitstop and used the clear air to advance up the order.

The Glickenhaus and Mercedes each took turns in the lead before making their respective stops and handing the lead to van der Linde.

Several fancied runners have struck trouble, including the pole-sitting No. 704 Glickenhaus.

After taking over from Jeff Westphal, Andreas Simonsen had cycled back to the lead in the third hour before Franck Mailleux was hit by the unsighted  No. 3 Black Falcon Mercedes-AMG of Thomas Jager slowing for a Code 60 at the Ravenol Chicane.

The SCG003 was wheeled back to the pits for repairs to the right-rear corner and spent several minutes in the garage before returning to the track two laps down.  

Shortly after the hour mark, Jorg Bergmeister collided with a slower car and crashed the No. 44 Falken Motorsports Porsche in sector four.

The crowd-favorite Keissling Motorsport ‘foxtail’ Opel Manta was another car to hit strife, spinning backwards into the barriers at Schwedenkreuz and requiring extensive work to the rear bodywork.