Wolfgang Kaufmann competed in his season’s second marathon twice round the clock for modern cars, after the 24 Hours at the Nürburgring. With his team mates Nicolas D’iteren, Lionel Catala, Laurent Lalmand, and Pierre Lalmand he drove a Porsche 996 GT3 Cup for team Scuderia M66 from Aachen.
As early as the free practice sessions, the quintet made its presence felt at the head of the GT-2 class. In qualifying, Kaufmann only took part in one of the three timed sessions, his best lap being a 1.39,69mins. This was good enough for pole position in class and 6th position overall on the 49 car grid.
Kaufmann got the initial race stint done while it was still dry, and kept that class lead. However, looming rain clouds in the distance made the team call an early pit stop and change to rain tyres. Only minutes later, the rain came down and confirmed the team’s tactical decision. During his second stint behind the wheel of the Scuderia M66 Porsche, Kaufmann went speed-boating round the track and fought his way back into the Top 10.
Following his long double stint, his team mates took the wheel, before the professional from Westerwald got back in the cockpit during the early morning hours. This time the tyre situation called for the opposite decision. Kaufmann began his stint on rain tyres, then changed back to slicks at his next stop. Lap times kept dropping and times during the night hours, he was the fastest man on the 4 kilometer long track.
Sunday saw the team hold station among the Top 10, and reliably going the distance. Right at the end they lost a position due to a necessary fuel stop, but Kaufmann’s team mate D’ieteren managed to get the spot back on the very last lap, and take the flag in 6th place overall, and as winner of the GT-2 class. Kaufmann will follow up this away game within less than 14 days with a home game at the Nordschleife – a return to the VLN with the newly rebuilt Porsche 997 KR of Team Porsche Kremer Racing.
