Nurburgring endurance racing set for split in 2024 following lawsuit

[erwin greven]

Nurburgring endurance racing set for split in 2024 following lawsuit
The Nurburgring is set to see two endurance racing series in 2024 following a court ruling, amid a complex power game between several parties that severely threatens the whole of Germany's unique Eifel motorsports landscape.
Heiko Stritzke

Understanding the political situation is a complex undertaking as there are several different parties with different goals involved. The short basics are:

• VLN and the Russian Nürburgring owner NR Holding staged the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) together

• NR Holding proposed a new structure in spring 2023 with the Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD) joining the construct

• VLN declined the proposal

• NR Holding then commissioned AvD to stage a new endurance series without VLN involvement, terminating the NLS contracts by the end of 2023

• NR Holding also announced not to grant slots at the Nordschleife to VLN in 2024

• VLN took legal action, scoring a landslide victory in court in September 2023

• In the appeal it has now been ruled VLN to be granted five slots for six races at the Nürburgring in 2024

The main driver for the whole chain of events is a power game between NR Holding and the ADAC, Germany's main automotive club. With ADAC holding about 80 percent of all events at the Eifel venue, the Nürburgring owners haven't used much of their negotiating power since their purchase of the track ten years ago.

Introducing two governing NLS bodies, VLN VV and VLN Sport: The NLS has been organised jointly by NR Holding and VLN Sport via VLN VV. NR Holding held 60 percent of VLN VV, while VLN Sport owned the remaining 40 percent. VLN Sport meanwhile is made up of nine local clubs, six of which are local clubs within the ADAC and three within the DMV, a distinct motorsports association in Germany.

Read further at: Motorsport.com