Top-Qualifying Entries Revealed; Lead Car Collection Audi Out

Photo: Audi

The list of 28 teams and drivers that will take part in this evening’s Top-Qualifying session for the Nürburgring 24 has been revealed, with a number of high-profile teams missing out.

The 28 cars will battle for the top positions on the grid, with entries for the session awarded based on results in VLN races earlier in the year, the N24 Qualifying Race and this week’s two qualifying sessions.

The controversial new qualifying system has used theoretical lap times calculated on cars’ five best times in each sector of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and while the final qualifying session took place this afternoon, it was impossible to find out which cars made the cut.

Around 80 percent of the SP9, SP-Pro and SP-X field were given places in Top-Qualifying, amounting to 28 entries, while it was also ensured that 80 percent of Pro-Am teams were represented.

Several teams already secured entries into the session due to their lap times from VLN and the Qualifying Race: ROWE Racing (Nos. 98, 99), Walkenhorst Motorsport (Nos. 100, 101), BMW Team Schnitzer (No. 42), Manthey Racing (Nos. 1, 12, 911), Black Falcon (Nos. 2, 3), Audi Sport Team Phoenix (Nos. 4, 5), Kondo Racing (No. 45), Frikadelli (No. 31), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (No. 705), Audi Sport Team Land (No. 29) and Falken (No. 44).

The remaining 11 places, awarded based on times from Thursday evening and Friday afternoon’s two qualifying sessions, have also been awarded.

Three additional Pro cars have been given entries, with the remaining eight places reserved for Pro-Am competitors to meet the 80 percent requirement for Pro-Am teams.

The factory Mercedes-AMG GT3s of Mann Filter (No. 48) and Black Falcon (No. 6) have made it through, along with the No. 16 GetSpeed Performance Mercedes.

The Pro-Am teams that made it through are: Octane 126 (No. 55), GetSpeed (Nos. 17, 18), Konrad Motorsport (No. 7), IronForce by Ring Police (No. 8), Wochenspiegel Team Monschau (Nos. 11, 22) and KCMG (No. 39).

Lead Car Collection Audi Among Teams to Miss the Cut

Several notable teams didn’t make the cut into Top-Qualifying, and so will start from positions 29 and back on Saturday afternoon. 

The most prominent of these is the No. 14 Audi Sport Team Car Collection entry, shared by an all-factory crew of Markus Winkelhock, Christopher Haase, Marcel Fassler and Rene Rast.

Frikadelli’s No. 30 Porsche 911 GT3 R, which includes Robert Renauer and Thomas Preining in its lineup, also failed to make the cut, as did the Falken BMW M6 GT3 of Jens Klingmann, Alexandre Imperatori, Peter Dumbreck and Step Dusseldorp.

Car Collection’s No. 15 Audi, the Bandoh Racing with Novel Racing Lexus RC F GT3, No. 38 KCMG Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, Team Speedline Racing BMW Z4 GT3 and Toyota Gazoo Racing Lexus LC also failed to secure a spot in Top-Qualifying.

The session will start at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. EDT). Click here to see the full list of entrants, including qualifying drivers.

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.