A privately-entered Porsche 911 GT3, run by the German Manthey Racing team, won the Nuerburgring 24 hour race on the Nuerburgring-Nordschleife. Porsche factory pilots, Timo Bernhard (Germany), Lucas Luhr (Monaco) and Mike Rockenfeller (Monaco) lent to the Manthey squad for this event, together with former DTM pilot Marcel Tiemann (Monaco) took up the race on the 25.4 kilometre circuit from pole position.

A top 10 finish on debut by a private Porsche entry from Australia was one of the standout performances in this year’s running of the famous Nurburgring 24 hour endurance race in Germany for production-based race cars.

Carrera Cup regulars Tony Quinn, Klark Quinn, this year’s championship leader Craig Baird plus fellow New Zealander Kevin Bell pushed aside more fancied rivals to finish ninth outright in a 996-type 911 GT3.

Seven of the top 10 positions were filled by Porsche, including first and second. The race was won by Lucas Luhr, Timo Bernhard, Mike Rockenfeller and Marcel Tiemann in a brand new 997-type 911 GT3.

“We came here to qualify in the top 50 and finish in the top 25, but to qualify 19 and then finish ninth was beyond our expectations,” said team principal, Tony Quinn.

“Klark, Craig and I had never been to the Nurburgring-Nordschleife before so our expectations were fairly conservative. The first priority was to make sure we finished. But for the four drivers to be as consistent as we were, for the car to perform as faultlessly as it did, and to be able to take the challenge to some pretty fancied competition is extremely satisfying,” said Quinn.

“When you finish in the top 10 in a race like this, the European motor sport community stands up and takes notice. Our presence was certainly felt.”

Although Klark Quinn qualified 19th fastest, an indiscretion under a yellow flag saw the team’s fastest time eliminated and pushed back to a new grid position of 23.

“I’ve done the Bathurst (24 hour) and it certainly is a special track, but the Nurburgring-Nordschleife is something entirely different and more captivating,” said Quinn, of the 25.378 kilometre circuit with its array of breathtaking corners and undulations. “Initially, it is the grand prix section (of the circuit) that you enjoy and the longer Nordschleife that intimidates, but after a while the grand prix circuit becomes boring and the Nordschleife turns thrilling beyond description.”

Quinn says he will return for another assault next year, possibly with a two-car team.

More than 200 cars entered this year’s classic 24 Hour race for production-based race cars which was watched by more than 200,000 spectators in perfect European summer weather.

Tony Quinn, son Klark and Baird will soon return to Australia to prepare for round three of the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup championship at Darwin’s Hidden Valley raceway on 1st-2nd July.

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