SAMI-MATTI TROGEN TO CHALLENGE DTM ACES AT NORDSCHLEIFE
Sami-Matti Trogen will enter the final round of Nürburgring Endurance-Series (NES) this Saturday. The Finn will share #35 Walkenhorst Motorsport, 590 horsepower, BMW M4 GT3 with Luxembourg’s Dylan Pereira.
Trogen is familiar with both the GT3 class and Nürburgring’s long circuit. He has more than two years of experience from the NES, and has entered the famous Nürburgring 24 Hour race twice, too.
As for machinery, that’s simply top shelf. Mind you, Walkenhorst’s #34 entry is on a three-race winning streak with Christian Krognes and Jakub Giermaziak proving themselves unmatched. Such has been their dominance that they have clinched this year’s title well before the final race.
Previous round (NES8) was a mixed outing for Sami-Matti Trogen. He and Pereira showed strong pace and even led some laps, but ultimately, a risk in changing conditions in the form of an extra pit stop stole their chance of a podium finish. Nevertheless, it was a promising return to GT3 racing for Trogen after a couple of months' break from GT3 races.
Nürburgring and especially its feared Nordschleife is a challenge one can never take lightly. Four hours of racing in October weather trims the margin for error from slim to none. And as if that wasn’t enough, the entry list boasts various Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) stars looking to take on the regulars. Spearheaded by Switzerland’s Ricardo Feller, currently 3rd in the DTM standings, and backed up by Norway’s Dennis Olsen and Austria’s Lucas Auer, sitting 8th and 9th respectively. A total of six DTM drivers are looking to invade the NES, all competing in the fastest SP9-class, using the same GT3 regulations as DTM.
Sami-Matti Trogen:
”I’m feeling really good heading into the race. With 15 GT3 cars and some top DTM drivers it’s a really competitive field. It will take even more effort than usual to get a good result and I'm really looking forward to the challenge. Previous round was a bit challenging for myself, but now we are all set. The most important thing at this demanding track is to get into rhythm right away. We’re in a good spot, with one race under our belts with Dylan.”
”Overall, it’s been a busy year, probably my busiest when it comes to my years in Germany. Definitely the most professional. There has been lots of races both in real and virtual life. My calendar gets more and more filled with various duties this profession brings. I spent last weekend in Finland at BMW Bavaria Airport car dealer event where we presented our new mobile Hybrid Racer simulator center. I met BMW Finland executives, Bavaria staff and our partners. It is always great to interact with people.”
Series information:
The race is officially called ”47. Münsterlandpokal” and its 4 hours long. It’s a multi-class event, with total of 22 classes, ranging from purpose-built GT3 cars in the fastest SP9 class to showroom-spec stock sports cars with only mandatory safety equipment added.
NES Series is known in Germany as Nürburgring Langstrecke-Series, abbreviated NLS, and is organised by VLN, that stands for the nine automobile sports clubs that organise the races. NES uses a version of Nürburgring that combines the sprint layout of the GP circuit and the north loop, known as Nordschleife. The track is 24.36km (15.14 miles) long. Laptimes in the fastest SP9 class in dry weather will be just under 8 minutes.
Schedule, NES9: 47. Münsterlandpokal.
Saturday, 7th October (Local/Central European Time):
08:30 – 10:00 Qualifying (90 minutes)
12:00 – 16:00 Race (4 hours)