Press
Falken Motorsports finished in the top 10 at the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Race, which took place this weekend at the Nürburgring, after facing major challenges.
235,000 spectators flocked to the Nürburgring for the 51st edition of the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Race and experienced an event of superlatives. The race, which uncharacteristically for the Eifel region was held entirely in dry conditions, provided exciting entertainment and numerous incidents.
Qualifying went according to plan for Falken. Nico Menzel (#44) needed 8:11.211 minutes to lap the 25.378-kilometer combination of the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit and Nordschleife, securing a good sixth place on the grid for himself and his teammates Joel Eriksson, Tim Heinemann and Martin Ragginger as the best-placed representative of the Zuffenhausen sports car brand. The #33 sister car with Klaus Bachler, Sven Müller and Alessio Picariello at the wheel followed in 14th place on the grid with a qualifying time of 8:12.599 minutes.
For a long time during the first third of the race, the #44 was within striking distance of the leading group as the best Porsche and temporary occupied third place. Around midnight, however, it came into contact with a rival during a lapping maneuver, which resulted in a high-speed spin and a short repair stop. At the end of the twice-around-the-clock chase, Menzel / Eriksson / Heinemann / Ragginger were flagged off in 10th position.
For the #33 the race was even more turbulent. Contact in the early stages initially cost some time, but after an impressive catch up the nine-eleven was quickly back in the top 15. At around 3:30 a.m. the Falken Porsche was hit again with a slower car during a lapping maneuver and subsequently making contact with the guardrail. The end for Bachler / Müller / Picariello.
"Our goal was a result in the top 5, which would have been possible from the performance of our cars. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side this time," Markus Bögner, COO President and Managing Director of Falken Tyres Europe GmbH, summarized. "Thanks to our partner Schnabl Engineering for the perfect preperation of our cars and to our 300 satisfied guests, with whom we were able to enjoy an unforgettable weekend."
• New FALKEN EUROALL SEASON AS220 provides dependable all-weather performance for compact and mid-size cars and SUVs • New tyre is the first from FALKEN to feature VARIO CORE technology, supporting reliable, safe driving experience for all powertrains • Broader FALKEN winter tyre line-up includes AS220 PRO, WILDPEAK A/T and EUROWINTER HS02, HS02 PRO – an option for every type of driver
Autumn is tyre change time. For FALKEN, it also marks the start of one of the most established promotional campaigns of the year. With the “Falken says fill up!” promotion, FALKEN is once again offering attractive buying incentives in 2026, and together with retail partners, creating added momentum for winter sales.
After finishing second overall the day before, FALKEN Motorsports moved up one more position: On Sunday, Tim Heinemann and Morris Schuring won the 66th ADAC ACAS Cup, the ninth round of the 2026 ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). The duo had already secured pole position that morning in their teal-and-blue No. 44 Porsche 911 GT3 R and then left nothing to chance in the four-hour race. Adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain at times, created extremely difficult conditions and led to numerous accidents on the legendary Nordschleife.