Arc of tension for Frikadelli Racing builds up with qualification race for the season’s 24-hour highlight
13.04.2018
• Cult team from Barweiler will enter both Porsche 911 GT3 R for this wekend’s dress rehearsal
• #30 car driven by Alex Müller, Matt Campbell and Klaus Abbelen
• #31 shared by Norbert Siedler, Felipe Laser and Marco Seefried
• Klaus Abbelen: “We learned a lot from the first two VLN legs and will attack with renewed vigour”
The six-hour qualification race on the Nürburgring this weekend marks Frikadelli Racing’s final phase of preparations for the classic 24-hour race on May 12 and 13. Only seven days after the second leg of this year’s Endurance Championship Nürburgring (VLN), the team run by Klaus Abbelen and Sabine Schmitz will enter both Porsche 911 GT3 R as scheduled. The #30 car will be driven by Alex Müller (D), Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (AUS) and team principal Klaus Abbelen (D). In car #31 Norbert Siedler (A), Felipe Laser (D) and Marco Seefried (D) will take turns at the wheel. Frikadelli regular Lance David Arnold (D) won’t take part; due to contractual obligations he will race in the ADAC GT Masters this weekend.
The quail race is of highest importance because depending on the results, 15 places for the 24-hour race’s vital Top 30 qualifying are given away. The fastest ten crews in this weekend’s practice and the first five cars in the race are guaranteed their slot in the 24-hour race shoot-out. The six-hour race starts this Sunday at 12:00 am. The action for competitors and spectators begins on Saturday with the first qualifying from 6:45 pm to 9:15 pm that stretches into the night hours. The second quali over 60 minutes starts Sunday morning at 8:30 am. The Top 30 qualifying will follow at 10:15 am.
“We have analyzed the first two VLN legs and eliminated the problems we met there”, says Frikadelli Racing team principal and driver Klaus Abbelen. “We now attack with renewed vigour and are delighted that Norbert Siedler will be with us again after his excursion to the Blancpain series. What matters for us now is making further progress and improving the cars’ performance. Chassis-wise we have installed new dampers provided by KW. I will fill the ranks in our #30 Porsche beside our two pros as a stand-in for Lance David.”
In 2018, the Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring (German for “endurance championship”) again consists of nine legs and started on March 24. The 4-hour races are held on Saturdays on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife plus the Grand Prix track’s short circuit that together form a 24.358 kilometre lap. The race on August, 18 will be this year’s only six-hour event. The season will end on October, 20. The 24-hour race on May, 12 and 13 is the undisputed highlight of the season. Competitors will then tackle a lap of 25.378 kilometres that consist of the Nordschleife plus the Grand Prix circuit without the stadium section. The all-important six-hour qualification race on April 15 is rated as dress rehearsal for the 24-hour race in mid-May.
