Home fixture for Frentzen, Hürtgen, Schmickler et al

• Entertaining support programme for ADAC Truck Grand Prix
• Nürburgring is home venue for numerous Rhineland-based drivers
• Impressive line-up of local names fancying their chances in the Eifel

It would be hard to imagine a better setting for a home race. A dozen or so of the ADAC GT Masters drivers will be making the shortest journey of their season to compete against the fabulous backdrop of more than 200,000 spectators packing the grandstands for the ADAC Truck Grand Prix at the Nürburgring (13th to 15th July). Local favourites from Cologne, Bonn, Aachen and the Lower Rhine are amongst the strongest contenders for victory in the two Super Sports Car League races on Saturday and Sunday.

Frentzen: “Weather will play a big role”

The driver most likely to be mobbed for his autograph at the ADAC Truck Grand Prix will once again be Heinz-Harald Frentzen (44, Callaway Competition). A native of Mönchengladbach, he moved to Neuss twelve months ago, so the Corvette man has a relatively short distance to travel. “The Nürburgring is one of the tracks I have competed on most frequently since I took up motor racing as a career, so I’m obviously very familiar with it,” says Frentzen, who even has a Formula 1 podium at this very circuit on his CV. And he wouldn’t mind a repeat of that experience this year for himself and co-driver Andreas Wirth (27, Heidelberg) who won at the Nürburgring last year. “We have shown in the races so far this season that the Corvette is competitive. Now I’m hoping for a result that will make everyone sit up. But as always, the weather will play a major role in the Eifel. With a dry track we should be capable of finishing in the Top Three; rain would make for a very interesting race, though. Anyway, I hope we can spring a nice surprise at the Nürburgring.”

New Porsche for Niclas Kentenich from Neuss

Also hailing from Neuss is Niclas Kentenich (23, Farnbacher Racing ESET) who has double reason to celebrate in the run-up to the Nürburgring. The winner of two previous ADAC GT Masters races will be partnering team-mate Mario Farnbacher (20, Ansbach) in a new Porsche 911 on its first outing. In Heiligenhaus, not all that far from Neuss, lives Audi driver Christopher Mies (23, uhc Prosperia speed). The 2010 ADAC GT Masters runner-up secured his first Top Three finish of the season at the Sachsenring, sharing the podium spot with Audi R8 team-mate Edward Sandström (33, Sweden). Mies: “The Nürburgring is the circuit nearest to where I grew up and is one of my absolute favourites. This is where I’ve laid down most rubber. Last year, things didn’t go too badly for us here. It’s difficult to make a forecast this time round, though, because we have a new car and YOKOHAMA have come in as the new tyre partner. But I reckon we should be able to finish in the Top Five.”

For the two races in the Eifel, Mies has a new team-mate, but one that he knows of old. Luca Ludwig (23, Bonn) is swapping his McLaren for a Prosperia uhc speed Audi R8 which he shares with former DTM driver and 2009 ADAC GT Masters champion Christian Abt (45, Kempten). The son of touring car legend Klaus Ludwig is a replacement for Carsten Tilke (28, Munich) who is unable to compete this weekend for work-related reasons. Christopher Brück (27, Cologne) will be substituting for Ludwig and sharing the cockpit of the Gemballa Racing McLaren MP4-12C with Sascha Bert (36, Ober-Ramstadt).

Convenient venue for Cologne ace Schmickler

ADAC GT Masters veteran Frank Schmickler (47, Callaway Competition) is also based in Cologne. No-one else on the grid has competed in so many Super Sports Car League races as the Corvette driver who is teamed up with Remo Lips (30, Switzerland) for his local ‘Grand Prix’. “The Nürburgring is just a short distance down the road from where I live, so this race has to be the standout fixture for me. This season is my first in the Corvette, and I am still learning with every race. But I’m sure that we’re going to make another huge step forward at the Nürburgring. The Corvette should run well on the sprint track, and I’m hoping for a good result.”

Born in Bonn, reigning champion Alexandros Margaritis (27, SCHÖNER WOHNEN Polarweiss Team HEICO) has now upped sticks and moved to Cologne. He too is very pleased to be racing so near to his stamping ground, and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG team-mate Lance David Arnold (26, Duisburg) doesn’t have all that far to travel either. Margaritis is upbeat about his chances: “I’ve always been fast at the Nürburgring, and in almost every series I’ve contested, I seem to have finished up on the podium.” Another Mercedes SLS AMG driver, Kenneth Heyer (32, HEICO Motorsport) from Wegberg, is also entitled to regard the Nürburgring as his local track. The son of racing legend Hans Heyer partners Dutchman Christiaan Frankenhout (30) who, in last year’s race at the Nürburgring, notched up the first ADAC GT Masters victory for the Gullwing Mercedes.

Nürburgring is second home for Hürtgen and Schubert team

Winner of two previous races Claudia Hürtgen (40, Schubert Motorsport) has high hopes for the weekend. The fastest woman in the ADAC GT Masters comes from Aachen on the Belgian border. For the BMW Z4 driver and Team Schubert Motorsport, the Nürburgring is like a second home. With two podium finishes so far, she and co-driver Dominik Schwager (35, Munich) have laid down a clear marker of their ambitions for the season. And what better occasion could there be for the first outright win of the season than your home race?