Raptors forward Brandon Ingram doubtful for Game 6 vs. Cavaliers due to heel injury
Brandon Ingram is doubtful for Game 6 against the Cavaliers due to a heel injury.
Max Verstappen's participation has led to a near-record entry of 161 cars for the N24 race, the largest grid in over a decade. This surpasses the previous record of 165 cars set in 2014.
Verstappenâs Presence Draws Near-Record Field for N24Gruppe C Photography
When the green flag drops at the Green Hell, itâll see a field larger than any in 12 years, thanks to the presence of four-time F1 champ Max Verstappen.
âWith 161 cars entered, this will be the largest starting grid in over a decadeâthe last time more teams were represented at the endurance classic in the Green Hell was in 2014, with 165 cars,â The âRing said in a statement.
Race organizers amended their own rules to pump capacity from the 150-car maximum that had been on the books. Teams had to agree to even more crowded garages to accommodate the bigger field. Garages at the N24 are already jammed, with several teams sharing garage space on top of each other.
You could come up with many reasons for the surge in entries, but, really, itâs the Max Factor. Who wouldnât want to say they raced against the F1 hero?
Verstappen will drive the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen RacingAMG GT3, pictured below with Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon ,and Daniel Juncadellaâthree teammates who rank among the absolute best, both in terms of their track record and their Nordschleife expertise, N24 said.
Last yearâs winning ROWE BMWNurburgring 24
âTogether, they form a lineup that is likely to set the benchmark for many competitors,â the âRing said.
If all goes well, it could be the teamâs first win on the track. At the Nordschleife Lang Strecke (NLS) season opener, the team initially secured victory before a disqualification due to tire count cost them the win; at the 24h Qualifiers in mid-April, they continued their preparations with further laps in the lead, before a technical fault led to a retirement.
But the rest of the field isnât planning to just roll over and let Max win. In the top classesâSP9, SP-Pro, SP-X, and AT1âthere are a total of 49 cars all fighting for the desired places in the three-stage top qualifying.
This year, 161 cars are entered in the N24 race.
The last larger starting grid was in 2014, with 165 cars.
Race organizers amended their rules to increase the capacity from a 150-car maximum.
Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen is the notable driver contributing to the increased interest.
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âThe battle for the best starting positions is therefore set to be particularly intense this year, and the pressure is already immense in qualifying. After all, in the â24h sprintââwhich the endurance classic has evolved intoâa good starting position is more important than ever if you want to compete for overall victory.â
The defending champions from Rowe-BMW are fielding two of their BMW M4 GT3s in the hunt for victory this yearâeach with a line-up of top works drivers in the cockpit. Equally strong is the BMW team at Schubert, which has won its class eight times at the Nurburgring 24.
Gruppe C Photography
At Porsche, Manthey is once again leading the charge, sending the âGrelloâ #911 into the race with KĂ©vin Estre, Thomas Preining, and Ayhancan GĂŒvenâmeaning there are two DTM champions in the car. Preining secured the title in 2023, while GĂŒven was crowned champion in 2025. Estre, meanwhile, won the 2021 24h NĂŒrburgring in the Manthey Porsche.
The winners of the 24h Qualifiers, Scherer PHX (Audi), are also represented, while Abt (Lamborghini), Walkenhorst (Aston Martin), Dinamic and Lionspeed (Porsche), HRT (Ford) and other top teams are bringing strong driver line-ups to the âRing.
The race runs May 14-17. You can watch it for free on the official 24h Nurburgring YouTube channel and on Red Bull TV. You can also see it on SPEED SPORT 1 network and DAZN.