Mixed feelings after the Road to Le Mans - NLS round 4 in view
12.06.2023
The Frikadelli Racing Team experienced light and shadow at the Road to Le Mans. While the team of team boss Klaus Abbelen was able to achieve a solid 12th place overall in the first race of the Michelin Le Mans Cup with the #30 Ligier JS P320, they lacked the necessary luck in the second race due to a collision through no fault of their own to achieve another good result on the circuit to enter de la Sarthe. For Frikadelli Racing, the focus is already ahead in the direction of the fourth round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series, which is scheduled for the coming weekend.
“Of course we would have hoped for a better result at the Road to Le Mans. Both races were characterized by numerous safety car phases and slow zones due to the many accidents. We got through the first run unscathed and finished 12th overall. Unfortunately, in the second round we were in the wrong place at the wrong time and Felipe was forced into a spin after touching through no fault of his own. After a messed up pit stop, I then continued in midfield and was again shot down by an overly motivated competitor. As a result, a good placement was out of reach,” says team boss Klaus Abbelen, looking back.
In the first qualifying session on Thursday, Felipe Laser placed the #30 Ligier JS P320 in 13th place overall in a packed field of 58 vehicles. Klaus Abbelen started the first stint from this starting position and was able to stay in the top 20 before handing over the cockpit of the LMP3 vehicle to Laser for the second part of the race. After many intense duels in the final phase of the race, the man from Leipzig managed to work his way up to 12th place.
The Frikadelli Racing Team tackled the second race on Friday from 27th on the grid. Already at the start, Felipe Laser managed to make up a few positions and in the following laps, with an impressive race to catch up, he moved up to eighth place. In a close three-way battle for sixth place, however, Laser was involved in a collision through no fault of his own and was only able to sort himself back into the very end of the LMP3 field after a spin. Even if he was able to continue the journey, the hope of a good placement was gone. After the driver change, Klaus Abbelen brought the vehicle home in 38th place overall.
"Bella" goes to the museum - NLS 4 with the #111 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup
Next weekend, Frikadelli Racing will continue with the fourth round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series. However, the newly crowned winning team of the 24-hour race will only return to the Nürburgring with the #111 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. "Bella", the Ferrari 296 GT3, has secured a place in the museum with its historic success.
“Victory at the 24h Nürburgring was not something very special for us, but also for Ferrari. We will therefore comply with Maranello's request to exhibit Bella in the Italian Museum. In 2024, however, we are planning to compete again with a new Ferrari 296 GT3 at the 24h Nürburgring and take a few NLS races with us beforehand," says Abbelen, who will take the wheel of the #111 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup for the rest of the NLS season with the Briton "Jules “ and Felipe Laser will share.
