Greater Manchester’s Harley Haughton (above) will contest the Nürburgring 24 Hours for the second consecutive year this weekend (1-2 Jun) aiming for a class victory.
The 19-year-old from Stockport is expected to be the youngest participant again in the annual German race which features a massive 130-car, multi-class field and will be watched by an on-event crowd approaching 300,000. He made history last year by becoming the youngest British driver ever to take part in the legendary endurance race.
Haughton will race a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS for Sorg Rennsport in the competitive Cup 3 class, sharing driving duties with Björn Simon (GER) and Philipp Hagnauer (SUI) plus Harley’s NLS team-mate Edoardo Bugane (ITA).
The fearsome 15-mile long Nordschleife track, built in the 1920s, around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg is dubbed the “Green Hell”, and is situated in the Eifel mountains.
Qualifying for grid positions begins on Thursday with the race scheduled to start on Saturday (1 Jun) at 3pm BST (4pm Local time).
Harley Said
“This race is the highlight of the year for me, I’m already excited and am really looking forward to it.
“Lots of preparation goes into this event. Fitness, because it’s such a long race at a very physically demanding track, plus many laps on the simulator to keep your mind sharp, and spending time attracting sponsorship as the advertising opportunities for this race are a big deal.
“There’s nothing like racing at the Nürburgring. It is absolutely magnificent and makes racing on regular tracks feel like go-karting. It’s the ultimate beast that a driver can take on. Ever since discovering the circuit through sim-racing in 2018, I’ve been obsessed with succeeding there.
“The area has its own ecosystem; you never know what the weather is going to do. The weekend can be hot and sunny but rain around the Eifel Mountains is never too far away, while overnight fog is not uncommon. It’s a case of being adaptable and prepared.
“There’s a field of 130 cars split into different classes and we’re bidding for honours in the ‘Cup 3’ class which will be a dogfight. The Sorg team have been working very hard leading up to the race getting our Porsche fully prepared. The big crowd around the circuit makes for an amazing atmosphere and I just can’t wait for the event to begin.”