- Hyundai Motorsport will aim for a third consecutive victory in the TCR class of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, entering a pair of Elantra N TCR in the event
- One car will be driven by the winning line-up from 2022 – Mikel Azcona, Marc Basseng and Manuel Lauck – while the other is entrusted to a quartet of American TCR customer drivers
- Two production-based i30 Fastback N will compete in the VT2-Front class of the race, representing the Hyundai Driving Experience.
Alzenau, Germany May 3, 2023 – Hyundai Motorsport will defend its victory in the TCR class for the Nürburgring 24 Hours this year, fielding a pair of Hyundai Elantra N TCR in the 2023 edition of the race (May 18-21). The two-car entry will feature some of the most successful Elantra N TCR drivers from around the world, bringing together leading names from Europe and North America. In one car, the winning line-up of Mikel Azcona, Marc Basseng and Manuel Lauck reform after their superb performance last year; the second car will feature four drivers making their Nürburgring 24 Hours debut, but with a wealth of endurance racing experience already to their names in both the USA and Europe. The line-up of Mason Filippi, Harry Gottsacker, Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis are experienced competitors with the Elantra N TCR in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with the highly successful Hyundai Motor America-backed Bryan Herta Autosport team. Hagler and Lewis are double champions in the series’ TCR class, winning in both 2021 and 2022 and taking 13 podiums from 20 races over the two years. The entire team are firmly established at the top of the series after sweeping the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles in each of the last three seasons. After two rounds of the of the 2023 season Filippi and Gottsacker lie second and third respectively in the points’ standings. Drivers from both Elantra N TCR line-ups completed their on-track preparations in fine style at the N24 Qualifiers on April 22-23, finishing 1-2 in each of the weekend’s two races. Lauck and Basseng were victorious in both the two-hour into-the-darkness contest on Saturday evening, and the four-hour encounter on Sunday. The US-crewed car finished as runner-up on both occasions as the trio of Filippi, Gottsacker and Lewis gained their first experience of the Nordschleife in the faster car. Hyundai has strong ties with the uniquely challenging Nordschleife, maintaining a technical centre within sight of the track. Rigorous road car testing and racing success at the Nürburgring are central to the identity of the high performance N brand which Hyundai Motorsport represents on track – the N name itself jointly drawing inspiration from Hyundai’s global R&D centre in Namyang, South Korea and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Supporting these strong links, Hyundai Motorsport have been a fixture in the TCR category of the endurance race since the Hyundai i30 N TCR was first introduced in 2018. All three of the cars built for the category in Alzenau, Germany – the i30 N TCR, Veloster N TCR and Elantra N TCR – have taken class podiums in the famously challenging race. The Elantra N TCR and i30 N TCR finished an impressive 1-2 in 2021, before repeating the achievement last year, with the Elantra N TCR line-up enjoying a near-perfect race to complete 145 laps of the 25km track and finish 18th overall to be one of the top runners outside of the premier SP9 class. As well as the pair of TCR entries, Hyundai will also be represented by a pair of production-based Hyundai i30 Fastback N. Entered under the Hyundai Driving Experience name, the car made its debut in 2022, and has also been seen in the first three rounds of the NLS championship this season, where it has played a vital role in allowing the American quartet to gain the permit necessary to join the TCR class. One of the VT2-Front class cars for the 24 Hours weekend will be driven by the all-German line-up of Michael Bohrer, Gerrit Holthaus, Tobias Overbeck and Marcus Willhardt. Each has a superb pedigree in the production classes around the Nordschleife and have stood on the podium in class in each of the three four-hour NLS events held there so far this season. Bohrer and Taylor Hagler combined for victory in the shorter of the two events at the N24 Qualifiers, before their car was forced to retire early in the longer race. The second car in the class will feature South Korean drivers Junesung Park and former TCR champion Byunghui Kang, American Jeff Ricca and German journalist-racer Jens Dralle, who already has multiple N24 starts in a wide range of classes to his name. Dralle, Park and Ricca took their car to second in class on Saturday – completing another class 1-2 for Hyundai teams – before all four drivers took stints on their way to victory on Sunday. The Nürburgring 24 Hours is one of the biggest motorsport events of the year, regularly attracting nearly 150 teams and more than 200,000 fans for the race weekend. The 25km circuit – which combines the Grand Prix track with the Nordschleife – places unique demands on car and driver – and is heralded as one of toughest motorsport events in the world. Hyundai Motorsport President Sean Kim said: “The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a hugely important event, not just for Hyundai Motorsport, but for Hyundai as a global manufacturer. The N brand has very strong ties with the Nürburgring Nordschleife through the testing of road cars on the track. Our history of success in the 24 Hours event further reinforces the excellent reputation of Hyundai’s high-performance designs. Last year’s 18th overall and 1-2 in class has set the bar very high for this year, as we aim to win the TCR class for the third consecutive season, but with the crews we have in both Hyundai Motorsport cars we can achieve this. The weekend is always busy, and with the addition of the four American drivers this year’s race will be one of the biggest ever for Hyundai Motorsport and Hyundai markets around the world.” Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Andrea Cisotti said: “The Nürburgring 24 Hours remains one of the toughest races in the world, so it is the perfect place to show the Hyundai Elantra N TCR’s blend of performance and reliability. We are in the position of defending our wins from the last two seasons, so we know the pressure will be on us. However, with the driver line-ups we have in both TCR cars we have everything in place for repeat success. Mikel, Marc and Manuel showed beyond a doubt last year how strong they are as a team, and our four American drivers are very experienced, showing good pace in preparation for their N24 debut, including the two second places at the N24 Qualifiers. With the support of the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing department I am sure we can add another winning chapter to the history of Hyundai at the Nürburgring.” For more information on the Nürburgring 24 Hours and our teams for the event, see our Press Pack: https://press.motorsport.hyundai.com/presskits/2023/2023-Nuerburgring-24-Hours-Press-Pack.pdf
