Hyundai guns for 3rd straight win in Nürburgring 24 Hours

MANILA: For the eighth consecutive year, Hyundai Motor Company will take part in the 2023 Nürburgring 24 Hours, the toughest automobile endurance event in the world, in the hopes of winning its maiden VT2 class race and third consecutive TCR class victory.

The Nürburgring 24 Hours, as its name suggests, is a day-long annual touring car and GT racing competition held in Germany on a circuit that is lovingly referred to as the "Green Hell." More than 200 cars and more than 700 drivers can compete on the about 25.4 km (15.8 mile) long laps. Hyundai Motorsport takes part in occasions like this to test cutting-edge technologies before incorporating them into N production cars.

Two Elantra N TCRs from Hyundai Motorsport will compete in the Touring Car Race category. Winners Mikel Azcona from Spain, Marc Basseng from Germany, and Manuel Lauck from Germany will each be at the wheel of one of the cars. The American IMSA TCR champion Bryan Herta Autosport team, which consists of the US contingent Michael Lewis, Taylor Hagler, Mason Filippi, and Harry Gottsacker, will be driving the second car.

Two production-based Hyundai Driving Experience (HDX) i30 Fastback N Cup cars will compete in the VT2 Front class. Marcus Willhardt, the instructor for the Hyundai Driving Experience (HDX), and the other three drivers will each operate one vehicle. Participants in the HDX 'Dare to Dream' program Junesung Park and media drivers from Germany, the United States, and Korea will manage the second.

It is noteworthy that Park, a numerous award-winning driver in the Hyundai N Festival, was chosen as a junior driver and entered the HDX 'Dare to Dream' pilot program, which will start later this year and is intended for amateur and professional racers who want to participate in upcoming Nürburgring 24 Hours events.

“The Nürburgring circuit is the cradle of the N brand and where our ‘Born in Namyang, Honed at Nürburgring’ mantra comes to life,” said Till Wartenberg, Vice President of N Brand & Motorsport Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Company. “Alongside the 2022 NBR 24 Hours TCR class champions, we are delighted to welcome the U.S.-based Brian Herta Autosport team and Korean junior driver Jun Sung Park, who will be competing in the race through the ‘Dare to Dream’ program.”

In the paddock area of the circuit, Hyundai will have a sizable hospitality booth during the event, inviting "N-thusiasts" from all over the world to engage in a sizable on-site promotion of various N models and activities. There will be displays of Hyundai's i20 N WRC Hybrid and N Vision 74 Fuel Cell EV cars. Fans joining online will be able to get a clear picture of the event thanks to social media, live chat, and on-board camera feed that is available in real-time.

For Hyundai Motorsport and N supporters to support the teams and continue their steadfast support, the firm has planned a live broadcast of the race, a live chat room, and a variety of social media content, according to Wartenberg.

Photos from Hyundai

Also read:

Winter testing underway for Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the performance version of carmaker's EV

Hyundai hosts two-week exhibition to celebrate WTCR 2022 victory