The newly established German Historic Endurance Championship (DHLM) made a stop at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburg for its second race of the season. In initially dry conditions, the historic racing cars took to the track in three starting groups for the three-hour race. Following a wet qualifying session, Michael Tischner and Heiko Tögnes secured pole position in the #46 BMW M3 in a surprise result.
Porsche showdowns dominate the early stages
Shortly after the start, however, the pole-sitters had to let the significantly more powerful Porsche models pull away. The Griesemann brothers in the #911 Porsche quickly established themselves at the front, swiftly cementing their status as favourites. Behind them, the #487 and #511 Porsches engaged in a fierce battle, whilst Ralf Schall in the #516 Mercedes 190E Evo kept pace with the leading group.
Michael Funke in the #501 Porsche 911 RSR IMSA added to the excitement. Starting from the back of the grid in the first group, he fought his way impressively through the field and took the overall lead as early as lap four. Volker Strycek, on the other hand, was less fortunate, as his #561 Opel Manta B came to a halt early on due to a driveshaft failure.
Rain and hail are causing chaos on the course
After the first hour of the race, the situation changed abruptly. Typical Eifel weather swept across the Nordschleife, initially bringing rain to the Flugplatz and Aremberg sections, and shortly afterwards even hail. Whilst some teams stayed out on slicks, others opted to switch to wet tyres early on – a decision that had a major impact on the standings.
Ralf Schall, in particular, benefited from the challenging conditions. In the #516 Mercedes 190E Evo, he worked his way up the field lap by lap and even led the overall field at one point. The changing weather conditions and varying pit stop strategies kept the race wide open right up until the final stages.
A thrilling final sprint right up to the last lap
In the final hour of the race, the battle for overall victory intensified further. After the final mandatory pit stops, the Griesemann brothers in the #911 Porsche were back in the lead, closely followed by Ralf Schall in the #516 Mercedes. Behind them, Heiko Hammel and Jürgen Rudolph in the #487 Porsche were defending third place against the #511 Porsche.
Things took a dramatic turn just before the end of the race: on the final lap, Georg Griesemann had to contend with tyres that were wearing out rapidly and keep the car under control on a track that was still wet in places. Despite the intense pressure, he brought the Porsche safely home.
A welcome victory after four consecutive defeats
With a flawless performance in the most challenging conditions, Björn and Georg Griesemann secured their first DHLM victory in the eFuel-powered Porsche 911 RSR – and at the same time brought an end to a run of four consecutive retirements. Second place went to Ralf Schall in the #516 Mercedes 190E Evo, whilst Jürgen Rudolph and Heiko Hammel in the #487 Porsche completed the podium.
