BLACK FALCON kicks off the new VLN season with six entries

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VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring- Announcement

A lot has changed over the winter months at BLACK FALCON: For the first time the team from Meuspath limited its appearance at the 24h race in Dubai to two GT3 cars only and used the newly freed up resources for an optimal preparation of the 2019 season. With a strengthened workforce and outstanding new additions to the driver roster, BLACK FALCON is better prepared than ever before for the 2019 season and will compete in all VLN races with six to nine cars.

After the races in Dubai in January and in Bathurst/Australia in February, BLACK FALCON kicks off the European motorsport season with the first VLN race at the Nürburgring on Saturday, 23.3.2019. On the grid is one Mercedes-AMG GT3, three Mercedes-AMG GT4 and two Porsche 991 Carrera. There will be a premiere on top; BLACK FALCON moves from garage #33 to the other end of the pit lane for the new season and is now based in garage #4. The reason for the move, is the opening of the new BLACK FALCON Tower Lounge already from VLN 1, which can be found on floor 4 of the TÜV Tower at the entrance of the pit lane.

Once again the GT3 department will be the spearhead of BLACK FALCON's VLN operations this year.   The team regularly races up to three Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring and, with the exception of two clashes that cannot be avoided due to schedule collisions with the Blancpain GT Series, will compete in all races with at least one AMG GT3.  In addition, the team will be unveiling the name and the car in the colours of the new BLACK FALCON main partner for the first time at the third VLN race.  Newcomer to the team and regular GT3 driver is Patrick Assenheimer, who has a lot of experience on the Nordschleife and celebrated his first overall VLN victory last year with an AMG GT3.  In race 1 he shares the cockpit of the BLACK FALCON Team AutoArena Motorsport AMG with Yelmer Buurman and Gabriele Piana.

The Porsche 991 GT3 Cup MR II continues to be the spearhead of the BLACK FALCON Customer Racing department's vehicles this year.  The current lap record holder in class SP7 starts from VLN race 2 with Peter Ludwig, "Takis" and Jeroen Bleekemolen in the well-known BLACK FALCON Team TEXTAR Design.  In addition, Maik Rosenberg, Manuel Metzger and Tim Zimmermann, will be piloting the "Wide Body" Porsche in the further course of the season.

As last year, BLACK FALCON and its partner IDENTICA will compete in the SP10 class of GT4 vehicles with a Mercedes-AMG GT4 in the 2019 season.  The car with start number 162 will be shared throughout the season by talented young driver Tobias Müller, who set the current lap record in the BMW 235i Cup last year, BLACK FALCON returnee Tim Scheerbarth and reigning VLN Junior Champion Tristan Viidas.  In the course of the season, reigning VLN GT4 champion Yannick Mettler will also take the wheel of the IDENTICA-AMG.

For the first time in the new season, BLACK FALCON is going to field two Mercedes-AMG GT4 in the SP8T class according to the 24h Specials regulations.  Car number 152 competes at VLN 1 for the first time ever in the colours of its new partner SHG PUR-Profile GmbH.  The Mercedes-AMG GT4 will be sporting the yellow-black "KNUFFI" design popular with the fans for the entire season.  At the season opener, the 500 hp AMG GT4 of the BLACK FALCON Team KNUFFI will be driven by the BLACK FALCON regular drivers Christoph Hoffmann, Axel König and Norbert Schneider.

The sister vehicle in the SP8T class will compete in the first VLN race for the BLACK FALCON Team TEXTAR racing number 155.  Mustafa Mehmet Kaya, double starter Gabriele Piana and the American Ace Robey share the wheel of the AMG GT4.  From VLN 3 on, this vehicle will also appear in the colours of the new BLACK FALCON main partner (see AMG GT3).

Since 2014, the BLACK FALCON Team TEXTAR has been racing the very popular Porsche 991 Carrera in the V6 class.  Over the winter, two new vehicles have been built to be raced throughout the 2019 VLN season. Like the Porsche 991 GT3 Cup MR II, the 911s will compete in the well-known Team TEXTAR design.  Thomas Bolz, Carsten Palluth and Porsche Carrera Cup driver Carlos Rivas take turns in the cockpit of number 394.  Martin Meenen and Tobias Wahl will also join the action from the second VLN run. Alexander Akimenkov, Ronny Lethmate and Vasilii Selivanov start the new season with great ambitions for the V6 class victory. As in the previous year, the trio shares the wheel of the Porsche 991 Carrera with starting number 395.

On Saturday the VLN kicks off the new season with the first of nine rounds.  Qualifying starts at 8:30 am and lasts one and a half hours, followed by the four-hour race at 12:00 noon.  The entire event can be watched live on the Internet on the official website of the organiser.  There you will find a commentary in German and English as well as live timing.

Further information about Team BLACK FALCON is available daily on the team's social media channels:

instagram.com/teamblackfalcon          facebook.com/teamblackfalcon