October 1, 2020
Huber Motorsport celebrates great success at the 24h Nürburging and takes class victory in the SP9 Pro-AM and the SP7
Two cars, two classes, two wins – it couldn’t have gone better for Huber Motorsport at this year’s 24h Race at the Nürburgring. Marco Holzer, Patrick Kolb, Nico Menzel and Lorenzo Rocco di Torrepadula won the SP9 Pro-AM class in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Philipp Neuffer, Florian Spengler, Johannes Stengel and Hans Wehrmann secured victory in the SP7. For Huber Motorsport it was the first victory at the 24h Nürburgring.
An exciting, unusual, but above all successful racing weekend in the Eifel lies behind Huber Motorsport. The Nürburgring 24h this year was unlike anything the Eifel has ever seen. The weather in particular posed an additional challenge last weekend and even caused the race to be halted during the night from Saturday to Sunday.
After an intensive preparation period, the construction work for the 24h Race began on Tuesday last week. On Thursday, the engines finally roared for the first time and the first two Qualifyings were due. Things got serious for the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on Friday afternoon. The decisive third Qualifying, in which the starting order of the SP7 class was finally determined, was on the programme. Neuffer, Spengler, Stengel and Wehrmann mastered this with ease and took second place on the grid.
The crew of the GT3 R, on the other hand, was allowed to compete in the top qualifying again in the evening. Despite the difficult and unpredictable weather conditions, Marco Holzer finished seventh in the class starting position and 26th overall.
At 10:32 p.m. it was over for the time being and everyone was visibly relieved. The rain got so heavy and the visibility so poor that it was too dangerous to continue the race under these conditions. The race management decided to cancel and the paddock was quiet for the time being.
The restart took place on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. under significantly better conditions, even though the track was still very wet. Until the end of the race the weather conditions fluctuated again and again between the wet and the drying track, which made it difficult for everyone involved.
Marco Holzer, Patrick Kolb, Nico Menzel and Lorenzo Rocco di Torrepadula held their own at the top of the SP9 Pro-AM until the end of the race at 3:30 p.m. and Holzer crossed the finish line first in the class. In the overall ranking, the team achieved a great 15th place.
The drivers of the Cup Porsche created a lot of tension in the last few hours. After the quartet with starting number #65 had been in the lead for a long time, they lost it after a spin in curve two through no fault of their own. This incident cost one minute and heralded the Cup team’s race to catch up. Second by second Neuffer, Spengler, Stengel and Wehrmann fought their way up to the top of the class and took back the lead. Final driver Neuffer thus brought the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to the finish line first in the SP7.
For Huber Motorsport and for all eight drivers it was the first victory in the 24h Race at the Nürburgring.
Reinhard Huber, Team Principal:
“I’m over the moon and still can’t quite believe that we clinched a class win with both cars. Due to the difficult weather conditions, this race was a particular challenge for the drivers and the entire team. We showed a great team effort that ultimately led us to success. I’m really proud of the entire team; everyone did a great job. Many thanks to everyone in the team, to Porsche and of course to the drivers. For us as a team, it is the first victory in the 24h Race at the Nürburgring, and that even in such a special race. We won’t forget this weekend anytime soon.”