- Dunlop comes as defending champion for VLN and 24h race
- Top teams with Audi R8 LMS and Porsche 911 GT3 R at the start
- Dunlop again supports the "Care for Climate" team around rapper Smudo
- Kick-off for the VLN Endurance Championship on the 24. March
The winter break on the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife ends on Saturday 24 March with the opening race to the VLN endurance championship. This marks the beginning of a year of defending the title for Dunlop, because last year the brand made a terrific double in the Green Hell. Now the racing tires with the yellow and black label on the flank start as last year's winners in the VLN endurance championship as well as at the Nürburgring 24-hour race (May 10th to 13th, 2018). At the motorsport marathon in 2017, the Dunlop-equipped Land Audi R8 LMS with the # 29 prevailed in a dramatic finale after unexpected weather conditions. After an exciting 158 laps (4.009,724 km) on the longest and toughest race track in the world, the Audi Sport Team Land won. Dunlop also accompanies top teams from Audi in preparation for the endurance classic 2018. The factory-supported Audi R8 LMS from Phoenix Racing and WRT will be equipped for the upcoming VLN runs. The two privately used Audi R8s from Car Collection also start in the VLN and in the 24-hour race on Dunlop.
Porsche 911 on Dunlop
In addition, Dunlop equips the Porsche 911 GT3 R on the Nordschleife for the first time. After intensive tire testing in the second half of the past VLN season, 2018's two 911ers from Frikadelli Racing are rolling with Dunlop's GT3 racing tires. Furthermore, the tire experts from Hanau work closely together on the legendary Nordschleife with the Porsche team GetSpeed in the GT3 class. And the brand-new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR (991) by Uwe Alzen Automotive is fighting for victory on Dunlop in the SP7 class. As in previous years, Dunlop is the tire partner of Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus. James Glickenhaus of the United States has traditionally relied on Dunlop for his individual sports car SCG003C, which topped the 24 qualifying last year in 30h and took the pole position. For the first time, the trophy for some of the fastest Nordschleife pilots of the season, donated by Glickenhaus a few years earlier, was brought to Dunlop tires - and in this special ranking for the prestigious "Glickenhaus Trophy" the Hanau are defending champions.
Dunlop is defending champion in the VLN
On the longest and toughest circuit in the world Dunlop is always a fixture in numerous private teams, fighting for the class victory on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. For example, the Dunlop-frosted Ferrari 458 from racing one has a large fan community on the ring. Furthermore, the sporty tire brand is the Technical Partner of BMW Motorsport and thus the exclusive tire partner of the BMW M235i Racing Cup. The VLN class with the highest number of participants closed on Dunlop. With a BMW M235i Racing, Dunlop and Bonk Motorsport won the title in Europe's most popular long-distance series for the second consecutive year last year.
In addition, Dunlop again supports the team around rapper Smudo and former DTM driver Thomas von Löwis of Menar. The music star will not only perform 2018 on stage with the "Fantastic Four". Because he and his teammates get 2018 growth in the fleet and use three vehicles. In addition to the well-known Porsche Cayman class alternative fuels (AT), the team "Care for Climate" also uses a Cayman GT4 Clubsport and a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of the latest generation.