88 laps and 15 hours might not sound right for a 24-hour race, but combine the Nordschliefe and the horrific conditions we’ve had this weekend and it’s a miracle that many were completed… The #9 Black Falcon Mecedes-Benz SLS AMG crossed the line at 5pm to take the three-pointed star’s first win at the Nürburgring 24 Hours not just in the modern GT3 era but also in the event’s 43 year history, after a titanic battle to the flag over the second half of the event.

It was almost a Merc podium lock-out, but the #25 Marc VDS BMW Z4 absolutely hammered the final segment of the race: every time it went past me it looked totally on the edge, using every kerb, looking for every metre to make up ground. And it worked: #25 cut through two ROWE Racing SLSs and finished just two and half minutes behind the Black Falcon car as the flag dropped on the race.

Nürburgring 24 Hours 2013: result
1: #9 Black Falcon Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS 88 laps
2: #25 Marc VDS BMW Z4 +2m39
3: #22 ROWE Racing Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS +1 lap
4: #23 ROWE Racing Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS +1 lap
5: #1 Phoenix Audi R8 LMS ultra +1 lap

Words by Jonathan Moore
Instagram: speedhunters_jonathan
jonathan@dev.speedhunters.com

Photo by Larry Chen
Instagram: larry_chen_foto
larry@dev.speedhunters.com