Falken Motorsports finished the 50th ADAC TotalEnergies 24 hours race at Nürburgring in ninth place with its #33 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Jaxon Evans, Sven Müller, Marco Seefried and Patrick Pilet battled through day and night and survived rain showers in the closing hours of the race en route to the finish, crossing the line as the highest-placed Porsche.
After two trouble-free practice days, Evans, Müller, Seefried and Pilet (who drove both Falken Porsches in the race) qualified for 25th on the grid on Friday. Klaus Bachler, Alessio Picariello, Martin Ragginger and Pilet in the #44 meanwhile, would start from 33rd.
The opening phase of the special anniversary edition of the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Race was frantic, featuring lengthy battles for position up and down the order and numerous incidents. Sven Müller (#33) initially climbed the order but had to pit briefly on the second lap for an early tyre change after contact. Patrick Pilet (#44) meanwhile, in the sister Falken Porsche had guardrail contact in the “Hohe Acht” section of the Nordschleife after a battle with a competitor, but was able to continue.
Thankfully, the two Falken Porsches managed to avoid major dramas and stayed in the hunt as night fell over the fabled German circuit, which played host to 230,000 spectators over the weekend. Both 911 GT3 Rs performed well and gradually climbed the standings.
At the start of the 58th lap, however, the #44’s race came to an abrupt end. Alessio Picariello was turned around by a rival SP 9-class competitor and stopped on track at the exit of Turn 2. A car from another class then made contact with the stranded #44, crashing into its right rear wheel. Picariello drove the damaged Porsche back to the Falken pits, but the damage was too heavy to repair, making it an early retirement after nine and a half hours of racing.
Jaxon Evans, Sven Müller, Marco Seefried and Patrick Pilet in the #33 however, went on to drive a commanding race. The quartet thrilled the Falken supporters at the track by rising up the order through Sunday morning and navigating the rain showers in the afternoon as the race came to a close.
In the end, Falken Motorsports was rewarded for its efforts at the 50th Nürburgring 24 Hours. After 3984 kilometres, the #33 crossed the finish line as the best-placed Porsche in the 135-car field, after securing its place in the top 10 during the final two hours in the tricky, changeable conditions.
