ADAC Nordrhein has outlined the first major sporting and financial details for the new 24h Nürburgring Series as preparations continue for its inaugural season in 2027.
The organiser will use a graded entry fee structure that reflects the different financial capabilities of teams across the field. While GT3 machinery will continue to headline the competition, ADAC Nordrhein wants professional outfits, ambitious amateurs and grassroots competitors to share the Nürburgring Nordschleife under the new championship structure.
Meanwhile, the Polo Cup has already committed to the 2027 season and will provide a new entry-level route into endurance racing. The championship will comprise five events and six races, including the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring and a six-hour ADAC 1000 km Rennen finale.
ADAC Nordrhein puts class diversity at centre of new series
Although the fastest GT3 cars traditionally attract much of the attention around the Nürburgring, ADAC Nordrhein intends to preserve the diverse class structure that has long defined endurance racing on the Nordschleife.
The organiser plans to accommodate everything from the leading GT machinery to GT4 cars, one-make Cup entries and production-based cars. Consequently, teams with vastly different budgets and objectives will continue to compete on the same circuit.
Walter Hornung, sports director of ADAC Nordrhein, stressed the importance of maintaining that variety as the new series takes shape.
“Of course, the top teams with their GT3s are often the focus of media coverage and TV broadcasts—that’s no secret,” explains Walter Hornung, sports director of ADAC Nordrhein. “But endurance racing—especially on the Nordschleife—thrives on the battles within the classes. That’s why GT4 cars, Cup cars, and production cars have been an integral part of our series for decades—and that will, of course, remain the case in the new 24h Nürburgring Series as well.”
Therefore, ADAC Nordrhein has designed its entry fees around the same principle. Rather than applying one financial requirement across the entire field, the organiser will charge different amounts according to the category and performance level of each car.
Early registration offers teams and drivers lower fees
Registration for the inaugural season will open on 1 September 2026, and competitors can reduce their initial costs by committing early.
Drivers who register by 31 October 2026 will pay €200, while teams will pay €800 per car during the same period.
The fees will then rise in stages.
From 1 November 2026 until 31 January 2027, drivers will pay €400 and teams will pay €1,250 per car. From the beginning of February, those amounts will increase to €600 for drivers and €1,500 for teams.
ADAC Nordrhein will close team registration on 19 March 2027.
Guest entrants can also join individual rounds. However, the series will charge them higher fees than full-season competitors, following an approach commonly used across championship racing.
The staggered registration structure therefore rewards teams that commit to the new championship several months before its opening round.
Three race entry categories reflect different budgets
ADAC Nordrhein will also divide individual event fees into three main categories.
At the 24h Nürburgring Prolog, ADAC Eifelrennen and ADAC 1000 km Rennen, teams competing in the top SP9, SP-X, SP11 and SP-PRO categories will pay €5,800.
The next tier covers the larger SP categories — SP10, SP8T, SP8, SP7 and SP6 — alongside the higher-performance Cup2 and Cup3 classes. Those entrants will pay €2,700.
All remaining categories will pay €1,800. That group includes the BMW Cups, the incoming Polo Cup and production-based machinery.
Furthermore, the six-hour race during the ADAC 1000 km Rennen weekend will carry the same financial terms as the four-hour races.
The organiser has also outlined separate fee structures for the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers double-header and the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring.
By separating the fees according to machinery, ADAC Nordrhein aims to prevent the costs associated with the leading classes from creating the same financial barrier for smaller teams.
Polo Cup creates new entry point into Nordschleife racing
The addition of the Polo Cup reinforces that focus on accessibility.
Thorsten Willems initiated the category as an affordable touring car competition aimed particularly at young drivers and ambitious amateur racers who want to enter endurance racing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The Cup uses the approximately 300 PS Volkswagen Polo GTI Cup and places a strong emphasis on driver performance through closely matched machinery.
Its integration into the 24h Nürburgring Series will also give competitors access to the same professional event infrastructure as the championship’s more established teams.
More importantly, Polo Cup drivers will compete on the full 24-hour circuit, which combines the Nürburgring Grand Prix layout with the Nordschleife.
As a result, the category can provide drivers with a relatively accessible route into one of endurance racing’s most demanding environments while also giving them their own Cup classification to contest throughout the season.
Six races form inaugural 2027 campaign
The 24h Nürburgring Series will begin its first season with five events comprising six races.
The championship will open with the 24h Nürburgring Prolog from 2–3 April 2027, subject to final confirmation. A four-hour race on Saturday will start the competitive calendar.
Next, the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers from 30 April–2 May will provide the season’s only double-header, with four-hour races on both Saturday and Sunday.
The ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring from 27–30 May will then bring the championship to its headline event, with the 24-hour race taking place across Saturday and Sunday.
After a summer gap, competition will resume with the ADAC Eifelrennen from 30 July–1 August, subject to final confirmation. The weekend will feature another four-hour race on Saturday.
Finally, the ADAC 1000 km Rennen from 10–12 September, also subject to final confirmation, will conclude the campaign with a six-hour race.
The inaugural calendar therefore combines shorter endurance contests, a double-header and the demanding 24-hour centrepiece.
New series aims to keep Nordschleife racing accessible
ADAC Nordrhein now has several of the core pieces in place ahead of the 24h Nürburgring Series’ 2027 launch.
The graded registration and race entry fees establish different financial thresholds for the wide range of machinery that will compete, while the Polo Cup gives younger and amateur drivers another route onto the Nordschleife.
At the same time, the calendar places the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring at the heart of a wider six-race championship rather than treating the event as an isolated contest.
GT3 teams may continue to command much of the attention at the front. However, ADAC Nordrhein has made its broader intention clear: the new series will continue to give class battles, Cup machinery and production-based cars an important place within Nürburgring endurance racing when the championship begins in 2027.
