N24 Seeking “International Acceptance” With IGTC Deal

Organizers of the Nürburgring 24 sought a deal with the Intercontinental GT Challenge to boost the event’s international profile.

Announced during.SRO Motorsports Group’s annual press conference last weekend ahead of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the Eifel endurance classic will be a new addition to the IGTC calendar starting in 2024.

It will become the second round of the season, joining the Bathurst 12 Hour, CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa and Indianapolis 8 Hour.

N24 race director Walter Hornung, who joined SRO founder and CEO Stephane Ratel for the announcement in Belgium, explained that the deal was a way for the event to gain greater global recognition.

“To gain more international acceptance,” Hornung told Sportscar365. “We are local in Germany and we are working strong on this. But working together with SRO is a big step to become more international in our race.

“We are also our [own] press officer and we work hard to become more and more international. But it’s not so easy. It’s easy to talk with Stephane about this.

“We also spoke with him about the GT2 class last year. And therefore it’s our idea to do [a] championship [event].”

Ratel revealed that the idea for an IGTC round at the Nürburgring first came up during a conversation with BMW M Motorsport director Andreas Roos during the Kyalami 9 Hour in February.

He added that Frikadelli Racing Team’s breakthrough win earlier this year, which ended two decades of German manufacturer dominance, played a part in the decision to pursue a Nürburgring deal.

“We were at Kyalami and both depressed,” Ratel told reporters. “If you want the IGTC, talk to the Nürburgring. I know it’s a very German affair… and then, like a present from the sky, Ferrari wins it.

“Suddenly it [became apparent] that others can win it. When Ferrari won, that really triggered [it]. I said that is the thing we have to do. I contacted them and we finalized agreement, and we go.”

As an IGTC round, the event will not adopt SRO’s Balance of Performance metrics but will instead continue to use the system already in use by ADAC Nordrhein.

“Nürburgring is very special and the Nordschleife is a very special affair,” Ratel said. “We leave it in their hands. We don’t want to change that.

“IGTC is not a championship. It’s a challenge among independent events. They have their regulations.

“What they will do is each manufacturer will nominate, like here, their six cars and they will score points among these cars.”

Hornung, for his part, confirmed that the expansive multi-class structure that has become a trademark of the event will remain in place.

Additionally, GT3 cars will not use a single tire supplier such as Pirelli, which has provided tires for all previous IGTC races.

“Tires are free,” Hornung said. “They can run Michelin, Dunlop, Pirelli. It’s up to the teams.”

Hornung added that he did not anticipate an immediate, dramatic year-to-year increase of GT3 entries, expecting a “handful of cars more than this year.”

“We had 33 GT3 cars this year,” he said. “Last year we had around 40. For the Intercontinental GT Challenge, each manufacturer can name [six] cars.”

GT2 cars, which ran in the SP-X category for experimental cars previously, will also have a dedicated class.

A pair of Mercedes-AMG GT2s, one from Haupt Racing Team and one from Schnitzelalm Racing, raced at the event earlier this year while KTM X-Bow GT2s have also run.

“Next year we hope it will become more and more competitive in this class and then we work together with DMSB to have the GT2 class,” said Hornung. “Then we name it maybe SP11 or SPGT2 or whatever.”

Ratel added: “You will have the GT2 class because they are adopting it. Now they are really talking to everybody from GT2 and the GT3 class. Like at Spa, the manufacturers nominate their cars.”

John Dagys contributed to this report