Björn and Georg Griesemann (Porsche 911RSR) were the winners after 39 completed laps in 6:36:59.513 hours. Starting from fourth place on the grid, they captured the top position for the first time after just 11 laps and only relinquished it briefly for just under three laps.
A happy Georg Griesemann was satisfied after the race and explained: "We consistently stuck to our tactics, took it easy on the car and avoided taking the curbs excessively in order to manage the race successfully. In the middle of the race, the pressure from the BMW squad behind us increased and we had to step up our performance. There are certainly more pleasant moments than having a chaser like Olaf Manthey breathing down your neck in the last four laps." The decision to stay on slick tyres in light rain paid off.
Last year's winners in the BMW 635 CSi finish in second place
Last year's winners, consisting of Peter Schumann, Jürgen Schumann, Olaf Manthey and Joachim Kiesch, put in an impressive performance in a flawless race and crossed the finish line just 59.656 seconds behind the winners. Peter Schumann put it in a nutshell: "We are very happy about second place, we wouldn't have thought that at noon today. After all, we were 6 minutes behind at one point. An additional pit stop was simply necessary for safety reasons and cost us some time."
The team's performance and the BMW's reliability are all the more impressive when you consider that they have consistently finished in the top 4 over the last three years.
Results ADAC 1000km Race 2023
Pole setter Michael Hess, Matthias Wasel and Frank Stippler complete the podium
The team of Michael Hess, Matthias Wasel and Frank Stippler (Porsche 911RSR) celebrated their best finish as overall third in the ADAC 1000km race. The trio started from pole position and led the field for a total of nine laps. Michael Hess had already secretly speculated on a TOP3 finish before the race start and commented: "Unfortunately, we had to make an extra pit stop." The man from Düren also joined the winners in thanking Edgar Salewsky, who prepared the two Porsches.
The notorious Eifel weather showed its mild side and spared the 90 or so participants. The sun shone over the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife. In the final phase, there was a brief spell of light rain, which caused a certain amount of tension among the teams, but without any significant effects.
The fastest team in the classic Appendix K cars was the family team consisting of father Ralf Oehme and sons Leonard and Moritz, who took turns at the helm of the Porsche 911 ST.
The individual classes were fought until the last second. 54 of the 89 teams that started saw the black and white chequered cloth.
Some of the co-favourites were unlucky, including Markus Dünkelmann, Christoph Breuer and Andy Gülden, who had to abandon their race in the Porsche 911RSR after only six laps due to gearbox damage. The same happened to the winners of the 2021 edition, Kersten Jodexnis, Robin Chrzanowski, Peter Scharmach and Dr Eddy Althoff, who had to retire their Porsche after 15 laps due to engine failure.
Organiser draws positive balance
Head of organisation Henning Meyersrenken was extremely satisfied after the race. "We have successfully developed the traditional race again this year and were able to welcome the largest field of starters so far at the third edition. The positive response from riders and fans makes us particularly proud."
First and foremost, a big thank you goes to our dedicated volunteers, the tireless course marshals and all the event helpers. They have again supported us energetically. Without their commitment and the support of our cooperation partners, the realisation of such an event would hardly be conceivable! We are already looking forward to the next edition, when we will be back at the start here in the "Green Hell" from 20-22 September 2024."
