The complex power struggle between ADAC, organiser of more than 80 per cent of racing events at the Eifel venue, and Nurburgring owner NR Holding is set to be fought on the battlefield of endurance racing.
NR Holding, a company owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Kharitonin, has become a majority stakeholder in the Nurburgring Endurance Serie, the all-new racing series created by the Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD).
With NR Holding 51 percent, AvD 25 percent and the place-holding B&S GmbH co-owned by former VLN boss Ralph-Gerald Schluter and Peter Bonk, NR Holding has finally completed its envisioned structure that had originally been proposed to VLN back in spring 2023, but subsequently got declined by VLN.
The Nurburgring Endurance Serie is set to begin the season this weekend with test sessions on the Nordschleife and a trial race at the grand prix track. Whilst a healthy number of teams is expected to take part in the test, after the official test days had been scrapped due to a lack of available dates for the two series, the number of teams entering the race remains to be seen.
VLN meanwhile is also preparing for its first racing weekend, consisting of a doubleheader on April 6th and 7th. With the formation of NES, the VLN-led NLS had originally been expelled from the Nordschleife but managed to gain access via a successful lawsuit against NR Holding in late 2023.
It has been announced that the ADAC is taking over title sponsorship of the series which will now run as the ADAC Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) via its three regional clubs ADAC Westfalen, ADAC Mittelrhein and ADAC Nordrhein, organiser of the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
With the new ADAC sponsorship, VLN hopes to gain access to some much needed funds in its ongoing judicial proceedings against NR Holding as the main trial is yet to start.
It also ensures the survival capability of VLN and NLS, which had been taken into doubt courtesy of shrinking fields since the COVID pandemic. These doubts have been one of the official reasons for the events that have taken place behind the scenes since late 2022.
"Especially in these difficult times it is a good comfort to rely on the power of the three ADAC regional clubs. This is an important step to ensure the longevity of endurance racing at the Nurburgring," said VLN chairman Mike Jager.
Late call by DMSB for cooperation
With Nurburgring endurance racing set to take place in an open war between the almighty ADAC on one side and the alliance between an equally financial large NR Holding but relatively tiny AvD on the other side, German ASN DMSB has called for peace for the first time since the row started.
DMSB has been in a difficult position as it is jointly made up by ADAC and AvD, with the distinct Motorsport association DMV also involved, which is sided with ADAC in the NLS. Due to this constellation DMSB has been neutral over a long period of time. But the escalation of events have led to a call for cooperation.
"The real challenges for motorsports due to external factors are more than enough. Motorsport organisers should stick together instead of fighting over participants, sponsorship, and calendar dates," said DMSB chairman Wolfgang Wagner-Sachs.
"There is no space for competitive thinking and power games in German motorsports in 2024. We have to stick together."
The statement was jointly released with a similar call for cooperation by the independent racing drivers association Deutscher Sportfahrer Kreis (DSK).
It remains doubtful those appeals will lead to an end of hostilities as similar calls from important figures like Olaf Manthey have been ignored over the last months.
Majority of teams siding with NLS
With the VLN and the ADAC sticking closely together, the NES will be facing an uphill battle. The AvD-led series is isolated from all important endurance events, especially the Nurburgring 24 hours as its organiser ADAC Nordrhein has sided with NLS. The 24h-Qualifiers will count towards NLS for the first time, further underlining the now tighter cooperation between the two parties.
There is also heavy resistance against NES from a grassroots movement that includes stakeholders like team owners, marshals and fans under the banner "Pro NLS". It remains to be seen how tight this movement will stick together over time.
The majority of teams, meanwhile, have voiced their full support for the well-established NLS that is set to enter its 48th season. NLS has initiated reforms in terms of attractiveness for its teams, streamlining processes that had been a major obstacle in the past. NES, at the same time, is also advertising itself with customer friendliness.
With no end of the power struggle in sight, further escalation of events can be expected throughout the 2024 racing season.
