Nürburgring Thursday Notebook

Photo: Porsche

***The final entry list for this weekend’s Nürburgring 24, released this afternoon, features 146 entries. Click Here to download.

***Only 129 cars completed at least one full timed lap in Free Practice, with Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus among the notable entries opting to sit out the session, which started in wet conditions but dried out.

***Driver IDs are being enforced for the first time in the event’s history, which has already provided improved clarity into the on-track sessions.

***Maro Engel believes the effects of the recent Balance of Performance adjustments will not be fully shown until the race. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 was among the handful of cars to have not received a weight break “Looking at the Quali Race, it looked like everything was pretty close to where it needed to be. For me personally, it came as a bit of a surprise.”

***Former IMSA technical director Scott Raymond has joined the ADAC technical committee to help oversee the BoP for VLN and at the Nürburgring 24. Raymond, who sat on the FIA GT Commission and was a player in the LMP2 regulations discussions on behalf of IMSA, began in his new role earlier this year.

***A rule implemented this year mandated that at least one car from each GT3 manufacturer complete the opening two VLN rounds, plus the Qualifying Race. One car, however, did not adhere to the rule, with the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 only making an appearance in last month’s Qualifying Race.

***The BoP committee is funded by the manufacturers, which have pooled resources together in an effort to create a fair and balanced system. 

***The SP10-GT4 class has undergone a significant BoP overhaul since the Qualifying Race, with SRO’s BoP now implemented for the category. Other changes to driver classification requirements have also been introduced, with one change only being confirmed on Wednesday.

***The qualifying order for the Top 30 Qualifying Shootout will be drawn by drivers on Friday evening during a fan event at the Nürburgring Boulevard. 

***Fifteen of the 30 positions for the Top 30 have already been determined based on results from the opening two VLN rounds as well as last month’s Qualifying Race, with the final ten positions set to go to the quickest cars in qualifying.

***The following cars have already been locked into the Top 30: Nos. 911 and 912 Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, Nos. 4, 47 and 48 HTP Mercedes, Nos. 98 and 99 ROWE Racing BMW M6 GT3, No. 44 Falken M0torsports Porsche, No. 8 WRT Audi R8 LMS, No. 31 Frikadelli Racing Porsche, No, 007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, No. 22 Wochenspiegel Ferrari 488 GT3, No. 102 Walkenhorst BMW and No. 5 Black Falcon Mercedes.

***Although the quickest times are likely to come tonight, a final 1 hour and 50-minute qualifying session is scheduled for Friday afternoon, prior to the Top 30 Shootout, which gets underway at 7 p.m. local time.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John