NLS3: Schubert BMW takes victory after strategy swing, Manthey edges Mustang for second

Schubert Motorsport took victory in the third round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), with Marco Wittmann, Philipp Eng and Robin Frijns guiding the #77 BMW M4 GT3 to a controlled win after the race swung in their favour through the opening pit cycle. The BMW moved to the front through strategy and built a decisive gap, eventually winning the 57. Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy by 21.759 seconds.

Strategy puts Schubert BMW in control

The early stages were led by the pole-sitting #47 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of David Pittard, which held track position ahead of a tightly packed lead group. The #77 BMW initially dropped back to fourth but remained within striking distance, taking an early first pitstop.

The race turned after the opening round of pit stops, where Schubert’s BMW emerged in the lead and immediately began to pull clear. From that point on, the #77 controlled the race from the front, extending its advantage to over half a minute and managing the gap through the final stops without coming under real pressure.

Porsche vs Mustang fight defines final hour

Behind, the fight for second became the focal point of the race. The #911 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R, #65 HRT Ford Mustang GT3, and at times the Pro-Am #23 Gamota Racing BMW M4 GT3 were locked in a close battle shaped by traffic and pit timing.

Starting from 16th on the grid after a disrupted qualifying session, the Manthey Porsche of Matt Campbell and Ayhancan Güven delivered one of the drives of the race, carving through the field to secure second place. In the final hour, the Mustang briefly held second before Güven made the decisive move at the start of the Nordschleife, securing the position that would ultimately stand to the finish. The Porsche crossed the line second, with the Mustang of Dennis Olsen, Frédéric Vervisch, Christopher Mies and Vincent Kolb completing the podium just 6.9 seconds further back.

Penalty costs KCMG shot at victory

The #47 Mercedes-AMG, which had shown strong early pace, fell out of contention after receiving an 85-second penalty, dropping it to fourth at the flag.

Fifth overall went to the ethanol-fueled #75 Max Kruse Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3, which also secured victory in the AT1 class with a clean and consistent run.

Completing the top six was the #23 BMW M4 GT3 of Antal Zsigo, Moritz Kranz and David Jahn, which claimed the SP9 Pro-Am class win after running inside the lead group throughout the race.

With seventh overall, the #5 Black Falcon Team EAE Porsche 911 GT3 R took SP9 Am honours, while the CUP2 class saw a late twist as the #901 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup emerged on top after a dramatic final phase.

With NLS3 complete, attention now turns quickly to the next challenge, as the ADAC 24h Qualifiers double-header awaits next weekend at the Nürburgring.

Z4 return cut short, mixed fortunes for HWA EVO.R

One of the talking points of the race was the return of the BMW Z4 GT3, as Koopman Racing brought the iconic car back to the Nordschleife for the first time since 2019 as part of its build-up to the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. The #40 entry of Peter Posavac, Michael Funke and Frank Nikolaus was always running a test programme and made an early scheduled stop, but its race ended prematurely after an impact caused suspension damage.

There were mixed fortunes for the HWA EVO.R debut entries as well. The #61 car retired following a puncture earlier in the race, while the sister #62 machine reached the finish in 18th overall and secured second place in the SP-X class.