SLS overall victory after difficult start

At the 9th round of the VLN endurance championship Black Falcon was able to achieve the second overall victory within just six weeks. In addition, the drivers of the SLS AMG GT3 with the starting number 2, Hubert Haupt, Yelmer Buurman, Adam Christodoulou and Manuel Metzger, were able to achieve another special feat: With pole position in training, the fastest race lap and the overall victory they were able to win everything there was to win at the event. For the VLN champion of the 2011 season Manuel Metzger it was the first VLN overall victory, while Haupt, Buurman and Christodoulou were already able to win the VLN 6h race in early September.

The SLS AMG GT 3 with the starting number 3 and the drivers Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal, Yelmer Buurman, Steve Jans und Sean Johnston also had a great start to the event. After securing fifth position in training, they kept all options open to complete a successful race. But unfortunately they were already beset by technical problems in the formation lap: “No propulsion, damage to the drive shaft“, a disappointed starting driver Buurman radioed in to his team. But still no one even thought of giving up: After a record-breaking fast replacement of the defective part, the quartet was able to work itself forwards with consistently fast times and finally finished in overall 30th position and seventh position in its class.

The picture was completely different for the four Porsches of the Black Falcon Team TMD Friction: Already in the morning training session two of the four Porsche were irreparably damaged. And in the end only two Porsches saw the chequered flag – however, at least with good results.

The Porsche 991 Carrera with the driver trio Sören Spreng, Miguel Toril and Daniel Schwerfeld slid off the track due to oil on the track in the morning qualifying session in the carrousel area and hit the crash barrier hard.

Only a round earlier the hitherto so successful Porsche "991 CUP BF", shared by "Gerwin" and Jeroen Bleekemolen for this turn, had also had an accident on the slippery track. Thanks to the excellent safety technology in both vehicles, the drivers escaped unhurt, while both vehicles were diagnosed as a "total losses".

As so often in the past, the Porsche 997 Cup saved the day in the group H for the team TMD Friction: It managed to win its class for the seventh consecutive year. The winning streak of the drivers Jürgen Bleul, Tobias Nell and Carsten Knechtges has now continued since June.

With a flawless and fast race "Jens", "Max", Marc Keilwerth and Holger Spelsberg were able to secure third position with the Porsche Cayman in the highly competitive V5 class. However, the most important thing here was to see the chequered flag: All four drivers needed a finish in the VLN 9 in order to get the coveted "Nordschleife Permit A", which they successfully did in convincing style.

Now the team Black Falcon has only two weeks left to prepare for the season finale. Five Porsche vehicles will take part in the race on 31.10., while the SLS, however, will remain in the garage to be prepared for shipment to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Already in the second week of November the vehicles will begin the long voyage to the Emirates in the desert. But in addition to better weather, a further challenge awaits them there: The 12h race of Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11.12.2015.