Last Saturday, June 27, the organizers of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) took great efforts to run the first motorsport event since the COVID-19 lockdown.

Austrian Simon Reicher was vividly impressed after the first free practice: “I completed my Nordschleife Permit last year driving a BMW 320i. Now, driving an almost 600 hp GT3 Audi R8 is a whole new level. And to be honest, I am speechless. It’s a mix between “totally nuts” and “not possible”. To drive a GT3 racing car on a track like this is a great privilege and I’m so happy enjoying every moment.”

For the EFP Car Collection by TECE team, the primary objective of the 51st Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy was to collect as much testing mileage as possible throughout the event’s 4-hour race. The young driver from Kirchberg explains: “Last week, we recruited Nordschleife veteran Jan-Eric Slooten. Our team along with Pierre Kaffer and Elia Erhardt is now complete as we compete in NLS races in preparation for our big task, the 24 Hours Nürburgring. A fourth place finish in the Pro-AM classification of the SP9 class and 17th position in the overall standings this weekend mean that there is still some room for improvement, but I think we’re off to a good start.”

Although the first post-lockdown race will be spoken of for many years to come, Simon Reicher remembers the event in his very own way: “This weekend was a lot of fun after eight months of abstinence. Finally, we’re experiencing that racing feeling with real cars and driving wheel to wheel on one of the most impressive circuits in the world – racing among all these colorful cars is simply beautiful. I was also impressed by the hygiene concept. From my point of view, everyone followed the guidelines and things worked out great, although empty grandstands and the “open-air paddock” take getting used to.”

Reicher’s next NLS entry will be the fifth event, where he and his team colleagues will continue completing important testing. The 6-hour race takes place on August 29 and can be followed via livestream on vln.de.