Falken Motorsports was amongst the top 10 finishers in the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h-Nürburgring which took place around the Nordschleife last weekend (19-21 May 2023) – despite facing major challenges in the race.
A strong qualifying session saw Nico Menzel (in the #44) post a lap time of 8:11.211 around the 25.378km combination of the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit and Nordschleife – earning himself and teammates Joel Eriksson, Tim Heinemann, and Martin Ragginger sixth on the grid as the top qualifying Porsche.
The #33 sister car of Klaus Bachler, Sven Müller, and Alessio Picariello followed in 14th place, with a qualifying time of 8:12.599 minutes in their Porsche 911 GT3 (992).
As the 51st edition of the iconic race got underway – in front of no less than 235,000 spectators – the #44 was within striking distance of the leading group during the opening hours of the race, remaining the top-placed Porsche, and rising to third overall.
Around midnight, however, contact with a ‘lapped’ rival resulted in a high-speed spin and a short trip to the pits for repairs – a delay which dropped the #44 down the order, leaving Menzel, Eriksson, Heinemann, and Ragginger with work to do, which saw them ultimately cross the line in 10th position.
For the #33, the twice-round-the-clock race was even more turbulent. Contact in the early stages initially cost them time, but after an impressive catch-up stint the car was quickly back in the top 15. Unfortunately, at around 3:30 a.m. the Falken Porsche had contact with a slower competitor during an overtake, which saw the #33 car subsequently make contact with the barrier – signalling the end of the race for Bachler, Müller, and Picariello.
“Our goal was a result in the top five, which would have been possible from the performance of our cars. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side this time,” summarised Markus Bögner, COO, President, and Managing Director of Falken Tyres Europe GmbH. “Thanks to our partner Schnabl Engineering for the perfect preparation of our cars and to our 300 satisfied guests, with whom we were able to enjoy an unforgettable weekend.”
