Michelin 24H SERIES European Series newcomers Up2Race hold the overnight lead at the inaugural Michelin 12H Nürburgring after a dramatic opening six hours at the Nürburgring GP Circuit.
The #88 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) EVO, shared by Fabio Grosse, Tim Heinemann and Oleksiy Kikireshko, reached the halfway stage at the front of the field after a strong debut performance and a late swing in the overall order.
Proton Competition sits second in another Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) EVO, completing a Porsche one-two at the head of the race. Viper Niza Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO is third overall and leads GT3-AM, with all three cars on the lead lap heading into Sunday’s concluding six hours.
The first half of the race ended earlier than scheduled after a heavy accident for the 992-leading #921 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche at Turn One. Joshua Bednarski climbed from the car safely and was reported to be OK, although he was taken to a local hospital for further checks. The race was first neutralised under Code 60 before being red flagged due to the barrier repairs required.
Up2Race leads after impressive championship debut
Up2Race has placed itself in the strongest position at the halfway mark after an assured opening day in the Michelin 24H SERIES European Series.
The team had already impressed in qualifying, and the #88 Porsche continued that form during the opening six hours. Heinemann kept the car in the lead group during the early phase, while Grosse was later able to capitalise when the race moved through pit cycles and interruptions.
The decisive shift came late in Part 1. Proton Competition’s Manuel Lauck had been leading by around 50 seconds with roughly an hour of racing remaining, but a team miscommunication led to the Porsche making two pit stops in quick succession.
That handed Grosse the opportunity to move Up2Race ahead by a couple of seconds shortly before the final Code 60 and red flag. With the race stopped early, the debuting squad will now carry the overnight lead into Sunday.
Proton Competition keeps pressure on in second
Proton Competition remains firmly in the fight despite losing the race lead late in the opening half.
The #73 Porsche, shared by Jörg Dreisow, Manuel Lauck, Joel Sturm and Constantin Dressler, was one of the main contenders throughout Part 1. Sturm immediately put pressure on Saintéloc Junior Team’s Pierre Kaffer at the start and moved ahead of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II at Turn Two.
As the first hour developed, Proton stayed close to the pole-sitting GetSpeed Team PCX Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO and remained part of a fierce lead battle that looked more like a sprint race than the opening phase of an endurance contest.
Dreisow later held the overall lead by 85 seconds at the three-hour mark, before the order continued to shift with pit stops and Code 60 periods. Lauck then returned Proton to the front in the final phase before the double stop dropped the team back behind Up2Race.
The timing of that sequence means Proton will restart second, but still on the lead lap and well positioned for the final six hours.
Viper Niza Racing heads GT3-AM on the lead lap
Viper Niza Racing will enter the overnight break third overall and in control of GT3-AM.
The Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, shared by Melvin Moh, Dominic Ang and Douglas Khoo, stayed within reach of the leading Porsche pair during a race shaped by strategy, interruptions and attrition.
Moh was running second after a flurry of pit stops under Code 60 with two hours remaining, sitting between Lauck’s Proton Competition Porsche and Grosse’s Up2Race entry. Although the order changed again before the red flag, Viper Niza Racing remains on the lead lap and in a strong position both overall and in class.
The result also leaves GT3-AM firmly inside the overall podium fight before Sunday’s restart.
GetSpeed Team PCX Racing suffers setback after early control
GetSpeed Team PCX Racing had looked well placed during the opening stages after starting from pole position on home ground.
Mikaël Grenier led away cleanly in the #28 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, while Sturm attacked Kaffer behind. Grenier initially built a small advantage, but the lead battle quickly tightened, with the gap falling to just 0.3 seconds after the first half hour.
The race then began to turn during the first Code 60 period. Nicolas Guelinckx made contact with the barriers at the Schumacher S in HAAS RT’s debuting BMW M4 GT3 EVO, causing significant damage to the car. He was unharmed, but the incident neutralised the race.
When the restart came, Jordan Boisson was running third in the #28 Mercedes. However, as he got back on the power, the car snapped away and went nose-first into the barriers. The impact damaged the front of the car, with the front-right wheel becoming trapped in the bodywork.
Boisson was able to bring the Mercedes back to the pits, where GetSpeed completed repairs, but the team lost eight laps. That setback removed one of the pre-race favourites from the immediate lead battle.
The sister GetSpeed Team JR286 Mercedes also featured strongly during the opening half. Tanner Harvey moved into the lead when Dreisow pitted, and the car will resume sixth overall, behind ARC Bratislava’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO and Juta Racing’s Audi R8.
Red Camel-Jordans.nl inherits 992 lead
Red Camel-Jordans.nl leads the 992 class after the late accident for Mühlner Motorsport brought the opening part of the race to an early end.
The early 992 fight was intense. Martin Rump held the class lead from pole position in the #921 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, with HRT Performance’s James Kellett and Red Camel-Jordans.nl’s Rik Breukers running close behind.
Rump made a mistake at the Schumacher S on lap four, allowing Kellett to pounce and take the lead. However, the top three soon closed back together, and the 992 battle remained finely poised through the opening stint.
After several pit cycles and interruptions, Mühlner Motorsport returned to the front. Bednarski had moved back into the class lead and, with two hours remaining, held an advantage of nearly a minute over Ivo Breukers in the Red Camel-Jordans.nl Porsche.
That changed in the final hour when Bednarski suffered a heavy accident at Turn One. The impact brought out a Code 60 and ultimately led to the red flag, ending Saturday’s running early.
As a result, Red Camel-Jordans.nl now leads 992 with Fabian Danz, Rik Breukers, Luc Breukers and Ivo Breukers. Seblajoux Racing, HRT Performance and Chazel Technologie Course remain on the same lap, keeping the class contest open for Sunday.
Not Only Motorsport controls TCE-TCX
Not Only Motorsport leads TCE-TCX after a commanding opening half from its Ligier JS2 R.
Filippo Tornaghi started the race for the team and immediately pulled away from the asBest Racing entries, headed by Cesar Fonseca in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS (982).
Although the Ligier held only a one-lap advantage at mid-distance, its lead had grown to three laps by the time Part 1 ended. Tornaghi, Gino Rocchio and Nathan Huet therefore head into the overnight pause with a clear margin in class.
asBest Racing remains second in TCE-TCX with the Porsche shared by Fonseca, Silas Passos and Alexandre Dante.
KEO Racing and Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport lead single-car classes
KEO Racing leads GTX on its Michelin 24H SERIES debut with the Ligier JS2 RS shared by Adrian Kunzle and Kevin Madsen.
The team showed encouraging speed earlier in the weekend but had to manage early gearbox issues during the race. Engine-related problems also limited its mileage, leaving the Ligier on 72 completed laps at the end of Part 1.
In GT4, Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport leads with its BMW M4 GT4 EVO (G82). Michael Bonk, Martin Kroll, Claudia Hürtgen and Elia Weiss delivered steady and consistent running across the opening six hours.
Both teams will focus on reliability and clean execution when the race resumes on Sunday.
Race set for Sunday conclusion
The Michelin 12H Nürburgring remains wide open heading into its final six hours. Up2Race leads overall, with Proton Competition second and Viper Niza Racing third, all on the lead lap.
Behind them, ARC Bratislava sits fourth with its Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO, ahead of the Juta Racing Audi R8 and the GetSpeed Team JR286 Mercedes-AMG.
Red Camel-Jordans.nl leads 992 after Mühlner Motorsport’s late accident, while Not Only Motorsport heads TCE-TCX. KEO Racing and Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport lead GTX and GT4 respectively.
All cars will remain in parc fermé overnight before racing resumes at 12:00 local time on Sunday, 5 July. Up2Race has the advantage at halfway, but with six hours still to run at the Nürburgring GP Circuit, the inaugural Michelin 12H Nürburgring remains far from decided.
