• Further podium result for Manthey on the Nürburgring Nordschleife at the 2026 ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers
• Thomas Preining and Matt Campbell pilot the Porsche 911 GT3 R with starting number 911 to third place in Sunday’s four-hour race
• The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Manthey (#992), entered together with the Griesemann Gruppe, is withdrawn for the remainder of the weekend following an accident in Saturday’s race

Nürburg. Manthey secures a podium finish at the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers. Thomas Preining (Austria) and Matt Campbell (Australia) drove the No. 911 Porsche 911 GT3 R to third place overall in Sunday’s race. The Porsche works drivers started the first of the two four-hour races from 12th on the grid following a qualifying session delayed by a red flag the previous day. The race, however, was stopped in the early stages due to a fatal accident. Alongside six other cars, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Manthey, fielded by Manthey in collaboration with the Griesemann Group and driven by Björn and Georg Griesemann, Dirk Adorf and Marco Holzer (all from Germany), was also involved in the accident. While starting driver Björn Griesemann was able to exit the car uninjured, the No. 992 entry could not continue for the remainder of the weekend. On a wet but gradually drying track, the “Grello” Porsche qualified fourth in Sunday’s Top Qualifying. From there, the driver duo of Preining and Campbell consistently ran inside the top ten throughout the race distance, ultimately bringing the 911 home in third place.

“A very intense and emotional race weekend lies behind us, which was overshadowed by the serious accident on Saturday evening. Our thoughts are with the bereaved familiy, friends and the team of Juha Miettinen. Also, we would like to explicitly thank the rescue crews and track marshals,” explains Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing of the Manthey Racing GmbH. “The accident also resulted in the withdrawal of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Manthey entered together with the Griesemann Gruppe. We are very relieved that Björn Griesemann was able to exit the car uninjured. The fact that we were unable to continue running entry the No. 992 for the remainder of the weekend is, from a sporting perspective, unfortunate, but clearly secondary given the overall circumstances.”

“Our preparations with the Porsche 911 GT3 R weren’t ideal, as we were short of testing time on Saturday. This made Sunday all the more challenging. Across three sessions – starting with a wet qualifying session – it all came down to getting the timing right and assessing the risks correctly. We were already able to put in a solid performance here. In the race itself, we managed to stay consistently in the leading pack and ultimately finished third. This result only partially reflects the true state of play. On the one hand, we benefited from our rivals’ mistakes. At the same time, we delivered a flawless weekend – the drivers, the pit crew and the engineers alike. We can be proud of that,” Arkenau continues.

Quotes on the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers 2026:

Thomas Preining, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “For me, this weekend marked my first Nordschleife outing of the year, and it was great to be back behind the wheel here. Sunday’s race was positive for us – we benefited from a few issues for our competitors, and an exciting final battle brought us onto the podium, which we are very happy about. That said, we also have to admit that at times we were not quite able to match the pace of our competitors, which is something we still need to work on. However, motorsport was secondary this weekend. The events on Saturday were very difficult to process and are a reminder that, despite all the progress in safety, this sport will always carry an inherent level of risk.“

Matt Campbell, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “Following second place at NLS3 last week, this is another podium result for us. Sunday’s race ran without any incidents, and the team’s strategy was really strong. It was not always easy in the battles on track, but overall we maximised what was possible and are satisfied with the result. Away from the sporting side, however, this weekend will be remembered first and foremost for the serious accident on Saturday. Our thoughts are with the deceased driver, his family and everyone involved.“