Asch/Götz secure pole in both races at Nürburgring in Mercedes-Benz

• kfzteile24 MS RACING Team bag first place on grid in both races
• First pole of season for Mercedes-Benz in ADAC GT Masters

Strong showing by 'Men in Black' Sebastian Asch (26, Ammerbuch) and Maximilian Götz (26, Uffenheim) in the ADAC GT Masters during the ADAC Truck Grand Prix race weekend at the Nürburgring. Asch, who has racing in his blood, and Götz in the jet-black Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG secured the top positions on the grid for the ADAC GT Masters' races on Saturday and Sunday at the Nürburgring's sprint circuit. "The two pole positions are a good start to the weekend, now we'll have to see what we can do in the races," said Asch after qualifying.

Keyfacts, Nürburgring
Circuit length: 3.618 km
Weather: cloudy, 14°C
Pole Race 1: Sebastian Asch (kfzteile24 MS RACING Team-Mercedes Benz SLS AMG), 1:26,555 Min.
Pole Race 2: Maximilian Götz (kfzteile24 MS RACING Team-Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG), 1:25,933 Min.

Asch wins through against Rast in first qualifying session

Asch scrapped with the Audi R8 of René Rast (25, Frankfurt /Mamerow Racing) for pole position in the first qualifying session for Saturday's race. The son of touring car legend Roland Asch posted the first proper best time in the Mercedes-Benz, which Rast then beat. Asch quickly countered. The Mercedes driver overtook Rast, improving his fastest time just one lap later. So Asch is on the front row for the third time in his League of Super Sports Cars career in Saturday's race. However, qualifying was not without its problems for the guy from the small town of Ammerbuch in Germany: "The spring on the accelerator pedal parted company at the beginning of the session and I had to pit. The team was a bit worried; however, our mechanics fixed the fault in a trice, but dark clouds gathered soon after the enforced break and it started to drizzle with rain. So I got down to business straightaway and came home on pole."

Claudia Hürtgen (40, Aachen/Schubert Motorsport) in the BMW Z4 and championship leader Diego Alessi (40, I/Callaway Competition) share the second row for Saturday's race.

Götz beats Ragginger on way to first pole

Porsche driver Martin Ragginger (24, A/FACH AUTO TECH) dominated the first half of the second qualifying session for Sunday's race. The Austrian driver secured fastest time right at the beginning of the session, while most competitors were still waiting in the pits. Ragginger's time held good for most of the session and the Porsche driver even improved his fastest lap time at his second attempt. But then, Maximilian Götz intervened. The Mercedes driver moved up into second place behind Ragginger, achieving best time just one lap later. No one was able to dislodge the black Mercedes-Benz from the top spot by the end of qualifying.

With his first pole position in the ADAC GT Masters, Götz made the day for kfzteile24 MS RACING, another pole at the Nürburgring. "I expected to be among the Top Five, but never thought I'd be on pole," said a happy Götz. "After a rain-affected practice session in the morning, there was no time left to set up the car for a dry track in qualifying and so we had to compromise, which worked perfectly. The two poles represent a high spot for us in our ever-improving form this year."

Götz and Ragginger head up the front row on Sunday, followed by Maxime Martin (26, B/ALPINA) in the BMW ALPINA B6 and Jan Seyffarth (26, Querfurt/SMS Seyffarth Motorsport).