Today at the Nürburgring, Klaus Abbelen draws a line under a decades-long NLS story. From motorbikes to early Ferrari outings in the 1990s to countless Porsche miles on the Nordschleife, he became more than a gentleman driver: co-founder and heartbeat of Frikadelli Racing, the team he built with the love of his life, Sabine Schmitz, the unforgettable Queen of the Ring.

Under Abbelen’s stewardship, Frikadelli delivered memories by the truckload, crowned by the team’s landmark overall win at the 2023 Nürburgring 24 Hours with the Ferrari 296 GT3. The cars, the barbecues, the open paddock doors, it all felt like a family.

This afternoon he straps into a GT3 one last time, waves to the marshals, the fans and friends, and takes his final NLS start. However the race falls, the legacy is already written: passioned, opinionated, perseverance, and a paddock that always felt like home.

Gute Fahrt, Klaus. And thank you — from the pit wall to the Nordschleife fences.

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