Adenau native Nico Menzel gets ready for his ninth 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. This year only one thing is different: he joins the iconic #17 DUNLOP Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo to turn The Green Hell yellow. In addition to that, Menzel shares beautiful memories about watching his father race on the Nordschleife as a kid.

For Menzel himself, everything is of course the same this year: the car, the team, and the drivers, but seeing him hop from the blue Falken Porsche to the ‘Pikachu’ Porsche, is something fans might have to get used to. Luckily they adapt easily. “I even got socks from a fan club, Pikachu socks,” Menzel laughs in an interview with GT REPORT. The black-and-yellow car is clearly a fan favourite.

“Nothing can go wrong now. I definitely said: this has to be a lucky charm, to bring us all the best for the race. It’s new colours, a new tyre,” Menzel sums up. “Schnabl Engineering, the team running DUNLOP’s car, remains the same – from the operation side, it’s very familiar. I’m really proud and it’s cool to be part of such a programme, also to develop the new tyre.”

Switching to the DUNLOP tyre

The #44 Falken Porsche of course used Falken tyres, and now Menzel has to get used to the DUNLOP tyre. “It’s such an historic brand and DUNLOP has been involved in motorsports forever. It’s exciting,” the German driver says. Menzel drove one NLS race before the N24 weekend, but as he grew up on the Nordschleife and knows every centimeter of it like the back of his hand, there are no worries about the preparation.

“It was snowing during NLS1, where we were also supposed to drive. I did just one race, but the tyre felt alright. In the beginning of the year, the track is in a special state, with less rubber on it, a lot of dirt, and you can’t really use the data,” he points out. “Even in the week before the 24-hour race, the track evolves massively.”

Not to forget, in the Eifel there’s always the extra component of the weather, as it can be quite unpredictable. It won’t be a surprise to see a weekend with a typical Nordschleife flair of some sun, wind and rain that has a big impact on track evolution. “I’m having a look at the weather forecast, but it doesn’t make sense to do that a week before,” Menzel admits with a laugh.

“It changes day by day, so taking the right decisions on strategy, on tyre choice, and then lap by lap doing the right job as a driver will be important. The initial feeling of the car and the drivability was great. We have a fair chance, we have a great package, with great drivers, a very good team. The goal is to bring the trophy home. Also having 41 GT3 cars is something we’re looking forward to.” 

Menzel is a ‘kid of The Ring’

Despite being just 28 years old, Menzel is one of the most experienced GT3 drivers on the Nürburgring. When GT REPORT suggests he’s Nordschleife royalty by now, he has to smile a little. No matter how many laps he’s done, the N24 remains special. “It’s like Christmas. It always stays kind of special, doesn’t it?” Menzel says. “It’s just once a year, everyone comes together, fans from all over the world. It’s a big party, one big event.”

“Me, as a kid of The Ring, growing up basically next to the track, is of course special. I have my family with me, and many friends from my childhood. If you ask all drivers on the earth, I think most of them, ninety percent, they say: okay, this is my favourite race. It’s the combination of the track, of the characteristics, the multi-class racing, the weather – which makes it all so unique. If you visit this place, you can feel the history.”

Menzel points out that the Nürburgring will turn a hundred years old next year. “A hundred years ago it was in construction. It’s unbelievable what they did back in the day to create such a race track, and just build it in the mountains. Everyone can feel that history, that energy, and every single inch of the track you feel the immense passion for The Ring. I think that makes it different.”

‘Ten more sleeps until the 24-hour race’

Racing on the Nordschleife was meant to be for Menzel, who watched his dad, Christian Menzel, race before he followed in his footsteps. “Even as a kid it was a highlight, watching my dad in the 24-hour race,” he says. He was counting down the days until the N24: “Ten more sleeps and then it finally happens! For us, it was an immense event and we loved to watch it from the pit lane.”

When he was younger, he had the chance to drive a go-kart over the Nordschleife: “Before the race on Saturday, in the morning, we did a demo lap, and then we did some laps in the lower part of the GP track. It was just an incredible experience as an eight, nine-year-old kid. It’s a family thing. My grandpa was also racing, not professionally, but he brought us into that world. We’re happy to continue that streak.”

Unfortunately, the karting event is not taking place anymore. Menzel has great memories from those days and has to thank the owner of the karting track in Kerpen for it. “Ritchie Schnock, who owned the Imbiss and the rental track, has been the one pushing me a little bit, and saying to my dad: Christian, the boy, he needs to drive, he needs to start his career.”

“So, actually, it’s Ritchie’s ‘fault’ that I’m here racing,” Menzel smiles. “He did so much for us. He unfortunately passed away [in 2017], and his brother stopped being the 24-hour race director, so the event stopped taking place. I wish it could continue, for young kids, future drivers to experience the same thing.”