04.07.2024Frikadelli Racing writes history at the Nürburgring

The Frikadelli Racing team, led by initiator Klaus Abbelen, has been an integral part of the motorsport history at the Nürburgring since its founding in 2005. The team, based in Barweiler, just eight kilometers from the paddock, has already achieved numerous victories in endurance races on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Until 2023, however, the traditional team had not been able to win the legendary 24-hour-race in the Eifel. However, this was to change with the use of a Ferrari 296 GT3.

In cooperation with Rinaldi Racing, Frikadelli Racing faced a new challenge for the 2023 season. The team decided to bring a brand new Ferrari 296 GT3 to the start. A quartet of top international drivers took turns behind the wheel of the "Bella Macchina": David Pittard, Nick Catsburg, Felipe Fernandez Laser and Earl Bamber were to lead the team from Barweiler to the long-awaited success. And the driver crew did this impressively.

The Frikadelli Ferrari made its first statement in the run-up to the 24-hour-race. As part of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, the trio of Bamber, Catsburg and Laser secured victory in the absence of David Pittard. This catapulted the Eifel team into the circle of top favorites for overall victory at the season highlight four weeks later. There, things were to continue just as they had ended. Nick Catsburg put the Ferrari 296 GT3 in fourth place in the top qualifying and laid a strong foundation for the upcoming chase twice around the clock.

The team managed to fight its way to the front of the field right at the start of the legendary endurance race and to collect the first kilometers in the lead early on. "Bella" was able to hold on to the lead until the evening hours. Then the Ferrari was thrown back a little by a puncture. However, with a flawless job from the four drivers, Frikadelli Racing fought its way back to first place and had a thrilling duel for the lead with its opponents from Rowe Racing. In the end, Catsburg, Bamber, Laser and Pittard had the upper hand and triumphed for the first time in the Green Hell.

"It's simply unbelievable that we won the 24-hour-race. A fantastic result for Frikadelli Racing and Ferrari. Apart from the puncture, which fortunately occurred at the end of the lap and meant we were able to head for the pits quickly, everything went perfectly," said an overjoyed Nick Catsburg after the checkered flag fell.

With this victory, Frikadelli Racing made history in several ways. Klaus Abbelen's team set a new distance record in the history of the race with 162 completed laps. The triumph also marked the first victory for the team and for the Ferrari brand in the 24-hour-race at the Nürburgring.

The successful Frikadelli Ferrari was produced by LookSmart in the highest quality and with the usual attention to detail from resin in scale 1:43 and is available from ck-modelcars.

Ferrari 296 GT3 #30 Winner 24h Nürburgring 2023 Frikadelli Racing Team 1:43 LookSmart, RRP €119.95, item-no.: LSRC171

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Ferrari 296 GT3 #30 vincitore 24h Nürburgring 2023 Frikadelli Racing Team 1:43 LookSmart

149,95 €