BLACK FALCON at VLN - Class victory and 3rd place

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Meuspath. AMG Performance Team Black Falcon achieved third place overall with the new Mercedes AMG GT3 at VLN´s season opener. Three out of four Porsches scored a podium with one even taking class victory. 

The first race of the season looked to be right on the edge of cancellation when a sudden onset of winter hit the Nürburgring on thursday evening, but the sun cleared the way for track action on the Nordschleife during friday morning. The infamous „Eifelweather“ struck again on raceday and led to a delay of the qualifying session. Thick fog around the GP-Circuit made racing impossible for 45 minutes but thankfully turned into bright sunshine, allowing the session to take place while the fans around the Nordschleife enjoyed spring like temperatures and a bathe in sun.

Number 9 Mercedes AMG GT3 with Bastian/Haupt/Buurmann/Müller behind the wheel, set the fourth fastest time in qualifying. The „BILSTEIN“ coloured Mercedes had a hard race and finished in position 14th. The sister car, driven by Engel/Metzger/Christodoulou/Schneider, qualified in eight position. During the race, the car didn´t lose connection to the podium-ranks and was able to lead some laps on its first customer appearance at the Nordschleife. At the end of the race BLACK FALCON finished third. Unfortunately the third entered AMG GT3 (Al Faisal/„Gerwin“/Dontje) had to retire after a crash in the race.

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup „BF“ was driven by Tim Scheerbarth and Alexander Toril. Scheerbarth was able to set the fastest „SP7“ time in the qualifying and took pole position for "whiterocket“. The duo did a brilliant job behind the wheel and were never listed below second place in class. After four hours they finished first rewarding themselves for their performance. 

The Porsche 997 CUP of Knechtges/„Takis“/Bleul took second place in class H4 and finished 26 overall, continuing the great performance it offered last season. Miguel Toril and Aurel Schoeller were able to visit the podium as well, respectively. They made their way from fourth up to second in the highly competitive V6 class. In BLACK FALCONs second production car Norwegian VLN newbies Runar Vatne and Christian Bjørn-Hansen, who´ve been supported by Carsten Palluth this race, finished sixth and accomplished their goal of qualifying for a „Nordschleife-Permit A“ that allows them to race faster cars in the future.

„I am really happy with the team's result today“, said team principal Alex Böhm afterwards. „Except for one AMG GT3 all of our cars saw the checkered flag. A podium finish with the Mercedes AMG GT3 on our first race as AMG Performance team is a great result, the class victory in SP7 and the podiums with the production cars were satisfactory as well.“

The second VLN event takes place on April 30th. Two weeks before VLN returns to the Nordschleife, the ADAC 24h Qualifikation 24h Rennen will be hold on April 16th and 17th. AMG Performance Team BLACK FALCON will enter this race as well.