The Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PETN) started its fourth season with the 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt as part of the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS). A total of 27 cars competed in the four-hour season opener, eleven in the Cup 2 class and 16 in the Cup 3 class. The first Cup 2 win of the season was secured by pole setter Mühlner Motorsport (#921) with Arne Hoffmeister, David Jahn and Tim Scheerbarth. Harley Haughton and Heiko Eichenberg (#959) of SRS Team Sorg Rennsport also went from pole position to class victory in the Cup 3 classification. The programme was rounded off by the official award ceremony for the champions of the Porsche Esports Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PEETN).

With half an hour delay, the PETN participants took to the track on Saturday morning for the first qualifying session of the year on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. The fastest time in the Cup 2 class was set by Arne Hoffmeister, David Jahn and Tim Scheerbarth in 8:09.280 minutes in the Mühlner Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) (#921). In the Cup 3 class, SRS Team Sorg Rennsport (#959) with PETN Talent Pool driver Harley Haughton and Heiko Eichenberg qualified first with a lap time of 8:34.896 minutes. With this result, the class pole-setters each scored their first championship point of the season.

Victory from pole position for Mühlner Motorsport (#921) in the Cup 2 class

The first race of the season started in drying track conditions after light rain before the race start and put the tyre choice of the teams in the spotlight. The Cup 2 cars benefited from the choice of slicks in the early stages, mixing up the field at the front, especially until the first pit stops. The number 921 car showed a consistently strong performance over the four-hour race distance and Arne Hoffmeister, David Jahn and Tim Scheerbarth defended their leading position in the field against, among others, the Cup 2 team and driver champions from 48 LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON (#948). Mühlner Motorsport (#921) held the lead until the chequered flag to secure their first Cup 2 win of the PETN season. Tobias Müller, Noah Nagelsdiek and Carlos Rivas in the number 948 car and Christopher Brück and Michele Di Martino of Kkrämer Racing (#909) crossed the line in second and third respectively, but a disqualification moved the PRO/AM driver pairing of Oleksii Kikireshko, Patrik Grütter and Fabio Grosse for SRS Team Sorg Rennsport (#901) up to third in the Cup 2 standings*.

With this result, Kikireshko, Grütter and Grosse also took the PRO/AM ranking, followed by Alexander Hardt, Peter Ludwig and Maik Rosenberg from the BLACK FALCON Team ZIMMERMANN (#900). Last year's Cup 2 Gentlemen Driver's Champion Karsten Krämer and Sascha Steinhardt, completed the PRO/AM top three and also topped the AM-only standings.

"Finally back in Cup 2 - the race was great fun. All three of us had strong stints and especially Patrik and Oleksii did very well. We didn't expect to win the PRO/AM championship as we started the season without any big expectations. So we are all the more happy with this result. A big thank you to the team for a superbly prepared car - everything went like clockwork. Handing over my first stint in P4 was a great feeling. We are looking forward to what is to come," concluded Fabio Grosse.

PETN Talent Pool driver victorious in Cup 3 with SRS Team Sorg Racing (#959)

Also taking the top step of the podium from pole position in the Cup 3 class were PETN Talent Pool driver Harley Haughton and 2023 PETN Overall Champion Heiko Eichenberg, who secured the first class win of the season for SRS Team Sorg Rennsport (#959) for the second year in a row. Behind them, the Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels (#940) with Nico Silva, David Griessner and Oskar Sandberg, as well as Leonard Oehme and Moritz Oehme from Team Oehme (#944), saw the chequered flag. However, due to a technical infringement, Schmickler Performance powered by Ravenol (#950) moved up to third place after the race.

The PRO/AM drivers' standings were dominated by the reigning Cup 3 AM champions and third-placed Schmickler Performance powered by Ravenol (#950) with Horst Baumann, Stefan Schmickler and Markus Schmickler. The best-placed AM driver pairing, Talent Pool driver Joshua Hislop and his team-mate Tommy Gräberg from SRS Team Sorg Rennsport (#969), finished the 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt in second place. This means that SRS Team Sorg Rennsport achieved three out of three possible wins in all classes they contended in the first race of the season. Third place went to Stefan Kruse, Aaron Wenisch and Nick Deißler of Team Adrenalin Motorsport Mainhattan Wheels (#941).

Joshua Hislop summarised his first race of the season as follows: "I'm really happy with how today went. Fourth place overall in the Cup 3 class and winning the AM class is a great result for the first race. Of course, I still have a lot to learn, especially about how to handle the car and how to drive. But it was a positive start to the season, and I hope we can build on this and get faster from race to race."

Extensive programme for the PEETN participants as part of the race weekend

As part of the 2025 season opener, Manthey once again honoured the drivers of the Porsche Esports Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PEETN). The three best-placed driver pairings and the AM champions of the digital Porsche one-make cup on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife experienced an exclusive programme: Under the guidance of a Manthey DTM engineer, the sim racers tested the professional training simulator, which is also used by Manthey drivers in the DTM and WEC. Together with the entire PEETN driver pool and team representatives, the around 20 participants took part in a Manthey company tour, completed a driver workshop on reaction and reflexes together with the members of the PETN Talent Pool and took a look behind the scenes of Nürburgring TV. The celebratory finale was the annual PEETN Awards Ceremony during the evening event following the first race of the season in the Porsche Lounge at the Nürburgring.

“A perfect end to a great season - four races, four wins, it couldn't have gone any better! Especially after finishing second last year, when we narrowly missed out on the championship in the last race, it feels even better to win the title so dominantly this time. It is also a great honour for me to be accepted into Manthey's PETN Talent Pool. This support is not to be taken for granted and means a lot to me as a sim racer. I'm looking forward to the future with PETN and Manthey. A big thank you to the whole team for the great organisation - hope to be back again next year!” concluded PEETN Champion Raphael Rennhofer.

The next round of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring is scheduled for 26 April. The ADAC Ruhrpott Trophy promises another four hours of racing action.