Third VLN overall victory in a row for BLACK FALCON

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VLN Endurance Championship - Race Report Round 6

BLACK FALCON celebrated its third overall victory in a row at the sixth round of the VLN. Patrick Assenheimer (DE) and Manuel Metzger (DE) clinched the victory with the BLACK FALCON Team AutoArena Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 #6. In addition, BLACK FALCON celebrated two more class victories and another podium position. Mustafa Mehmet Kaya (TR), Gabriele Piana (IT) and Miguel Toril (ES) won the SP8T class with the BLACK FALCON Team Knuffi Mercedes-AMG GT4 #152. Alexander Akimenkov (RU), Ronny Lethmate (DE), Vasilii Selivanov (RU) and double starter Piana won the V6 class with the BLACK FALCON Team TEXTAR Porsche 991 Carrera #395.

The 42nd RCM DMV Grenzlandrennen was characterized by changing weather conditions. After the start at 12:00 noon on a wet track, the almost 24.3 km long asphalt band dried up during the first laps and caused a lot of activity in the pit lane when the entire starting field changed to slick tyres. After a short dry period, heavy rainfall until the end of the race created difficult conditions that demanded everything from the drivers and the strategists of the teams.

BLACK FALCON Team Auto Arena Motorsport
Patrick Assenheimer started at the wheel of the #6 BLACK FALCON Team Auto Arena AMG GT3 from position four into the sixth VLN race. During his first stint he ensured a strong start to the four-hour race with consistently fast lap times and a spectacular overtaking manoeuvre on the outside track of the Mercedes Arena. After a double stint he handed over the Mercedes-AMG in the lead to team mate Manuel Metzger, who further extended the lead and was waved off as the winner after 25 laps. For Assenheimer and BLACK FALCON it is the third VLN overall victory in a row - a feat last achieved over ten years ago in the pre-GT3 era.

BLACK FALCON Team Knuffi
The BLACK FALCON Team Knuffi for the first time entered two AMG GT4 into a race. Both cars competed in the SP8T class. Mustafa Mehmet Kaya (TR), Gabriele Piana (IT) and Miguel Toril (ES) took off from pole position and did not allow their rivals to overtake over the entire race distance. They finished the race as the second best BLACK FALCON car on the excellent 10th place overall and as class winners in the SP8T. The sister car #155 of Christoph Hoffmann (DE), Axel König (DE) and Norbert Schneider (DE) started the race from fourth place. In the meantime, the team reached third place in the class. A slip into the gravel bed of the Grand Prix track due to aquaplaning cost the #155 a lot of time, so that they finished the race after 21 completed laps as class seventh.

BLACK FALCON Team TEXTAR
Two Porsche went into the sixth VLN race for the BLACK FALCON Team TEXTAR. The regular drivers Alexander Akimenkov (RU), Ronny Lethmathe (DE) and Vasilii Selivanov (RU), together with VLN6 support Gabriele Piana, celebrated a brilliant start-finish victory in the close-to-production vehicles of the V6 class. After the fastest time in qualifying, the Porsche 991 Carrera #395 started from pole position. The four drivers defied the adverse conditions and completed a flawless race. With their third victory of the season in the fifth classified race, they extend their lead in the V6 Championship standings and go into the last third of the season with a small cushion of points. The Porsche 991 GT3 Cup MR II by Peter Ludwig (US), double starter Manuel Metzger and Takis (CH) started from pole position as well in the SP7 class after a strong performance in qualifying. The team maintained its lead at the start and quickly set itself apart from its rivals. Towards the middle of the race the " wide-body " Porsche made an unscheduled swing into the pit lane. After a short analysis by the BLACK FALCON mechanics, the team decided not to continue and ended the race prematurely.

BLACK FALCON Team IDENTICA
For the first time two Mercedes-AMG GT4 in the colours of the BLACK FALCON Team IDENTICA participated. As usual, Tobias Müller (DE), Tim Scheerbarth (DE) and Tristan Viidas (ET) competed in the SP10 class for vehicles according to SRO GT4 regulations. After the pole position in the rainy qualifying session, the team duelled over long stretches with the championship competitor for the day's victory. A blocked fuel pump at the pit stop cost the trio valuable time, so that in the end they finished in second place. The second IDENTICA AMG GT4 #770 started in the SP8T class. The brothers Dominik and Nicolas Clemm (both DE) shared the wheel with Ace Robey (US). In spite of the difficult conditions, they brought the AMG to the finish in the highly competitive class without a scratch and finished sixth.

The last third of the season of the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring starts on 28.09.2019 with the seventh of nine races. The 59th ADAC Reinoldus endurance race leads over the usual distance of four hours.

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