Pole position and leading kilometers in the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring
31.05.2022
At the big anniversary edition of the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, the Frikadelli Racing Team put in a strong performance with the new #128 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. The team from Barweiler first secured pole position in qualifying in the Porsche Endurance Trophy before being able to fight for a place on the podium for a long time in the race. However, a minor accident during the night slowed down the "fastest meatball in the world".
“We are very sad that we couldn't finish the 24-hour race this year. We didn't make any mistakes up until the small incident during the night and were doing extremely well. I'm sure that a podium finish would have been possible. It's a shame it didn't come to this in the end. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire team for the excellent work over the weekend. The mood in the team was extremely good and it was a lot of fun to field the new Cup Porsche in the 24-hour race,” said team boss Klaus Abbelen.
In front of a dreamy crowd of 230,000 spectators, who attended the event over the weekend, the Frikadelli Racing Team managed to set a scent mark in the first qualifying. Porsche driver Ayhancan Güven put the #128 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup on provisional pole position after the first session on Thursday afternoon. In the second qualifying in the evening, a competitor undercut the Turk's time, but Güven hit back again with the "fastest meatball in the world" in the final, third qualifying session on Friday. With a lap time of 8:33.587 minutes, he turned the tide in favor of Frikadelli Racing and secured the prestigious pole position.
After the start on Saturday afternoon, Güven was able to immediately take the lead and successfully defend it over the first few laps. “Jules”, Hendrik von Danwitz and Klaus Abbelen also got along brilliantly with the previously developed setup in the following stints and were able to establish themselves in the top 3 in the first hours of the race. During an overtaking maneuver during the night, there was a minor accident that damaged the Frikadelli Porsche and ultimately forced the team to retire.
Comments on the 24-hour race:
Klaus Abbelen: “Repairing the damage would have taken a lot of time and set us back a long way. So we decided to park the car early. We will now concentrate on the remainder of the NLS season with the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup and try to fight for the AM championship title in the Porsche Endurance Trophy.”
"Jules": "Even if it didn't end with the result we had hoped for, I really enjoyed my first 24-hour race. Especially my stint in the evening after the sun went down will stay with me forever. Driving into the night was a great experience. A huge thank you goes to our sponsors and to the Frikadelli Racing Team for a mega job, especially when dealing with unexpected situations under time pressure. Overall, we learned a lot and are already looking forward to our next appearance at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.”
Ayhancan Güven: “Our Porsche 992 GT3 Cup was really brilliantly prepared, which could already be seen from the pole position in qualifying. After that, everything went according to plan until, unfortunately, there was an accident involving a less powerful vehicle while the car was being lapped. I'm incredibly sorry for the entire team, who did a fantastic job and unfortunately couldn't reward themselves with it. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure for me to be on the road with Frikadelli Racing at this year's 24h Nürburgring. I felt very comfortable in the team right from the start.”
Hendrik von Danwitz: “For me it was very nice to return to the racing cockpit. I quickly got used to the new Porsche 992 GT3 Cup and was very happy with my lap times. It's a shame that we didn't see the checkered flag at the 24-hour race. Based on our pace, the podium would certainly have been within reach.”
