Endurance Weekly: 8th - 12th August
- Aaron Carroll
- Aug 13
- 4 min read
Written by the DIVEBOMB Endurance Team
This week on Endurance Weekly, the DIVEBOMB endurance team looks ahead to NLS 6, the next round in the all Nürburgring championship and reports on all of the news stories you may have missed during the week.
NLS 6 - Preview
The Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) will host its sixth race of the season on the infamous Nürburgring Nordschlife this weekend, the first race with the full grid since June’s 24 Hour spectacle.
As of the time of writing, no official entry list has been revealed, but it is expected to be a large grid of up to 141 cars. Among those expected are 20 SP9 (GT3) cars, the premier class in the NLS.
Down the field, some fan favorites will include the No.150 SP8T (modified GT4 machinery) BMW, dubbed the ‘YouTuber car’. Steve Brown - better known as SuperGT -, Jimmy Broadbent, Misha Charoudin and Manuel Metzger will be at the wheel of the Bilstein M4.
A popular car that has been confirmed to be missing this weekend is the Dacia Logan. A hefty crash at the N24 for the car means they won’t make it to the race, but they expect to be back for the double header weekend in about a month's time.
Outside of the N24 (which is a non-championship round) a Porsche has won every race overall this year, split between Falken Motorsports, Manthey EMA and Scherer Sport PHX. Those three teams are likely favorites to be competing for the victory again this weekend, although they will certainly have competition.
Early weather reports for Saturday’s race are showing no rain, but due to the large nature of the track and the unpredictable climate, this is by no means a certainty.
You can watch the race for free on YouTube on the official NLS channels (Geo-restrictions may apply).
News
GT3
Porsche unveil 911 GT3 R Evo alongside 911 Cup car
First announced back in April, Porsche will update their current flagship GT3 model. The car will feature updates in ‘key areas’ including aerodynamics and operating systems, allowing easier use for teams.
While it will make its customer debut in the 2026 season, it has already made its competition debut in the 12H of Spa in the Creventic 24H Series, where it finished second overall.
Porsche will also revise their cup car for 2026, with new updates also being made for the 911 Cup car. That car will make its debut in all global Porsche Cup series in 2026.
LMP2
Gibson partners with NISMO, Bosch and Xtrac for the upcoming 2028 LMP2 regulations
The British engine manufacturer has announced its partners for the production of the new LMP2 powertrains. It will develop these with NISMO, the motorsport division of Nissan.
The engine will be a 3.4 litre, twin-turbo V6, a much different venture to the current naturally aspirated V8’s that are present in the Oreca 07s. Bosch will also supply much of the electronic components, including the ECU, wiring and steering wheel. They will be joined by Xtrac, who will develop and manufacture a new bespoke transmission.
WEC
Frits Van Eerd found guilty of money laundering, bribery and forgery
Ex-team owner Frits Van Eerd was found guilty in a Dutch court of money laundering, bribery and forgery, and sentenced to two years in prison.
The Dutchman was arrested in September 2022 as part of an investigation into the JUMBO Supermarket chain, of which he was CEO of and which sponsored his LMP2 cars in the WEC and ELMS.
Hundreds of thousands of euros were found in his possession, unexplained. Van Eerd and his legal team argued this was payment for cars and car parts, but this evidence was rejected and he was imprisoned. The former team owner’s legal team have made it clear that they intend to appeal the decision.
Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans gets resurfaced
The large straight which makes up most of sector 2 at the Circuit de la Sarthe is currently being repaved. The new surface is described as being ‘race-focused’, even though the straight is used as a public road for most of the year.
The portion of the straight from the Daytona Chicane (first chicane) all the way down to Mulsanne corner will receive the new surface. The resurfacing also comes alongside expansion to the Le Mans museum.
IMSA
Gar Robinson steps back from full-time racing
Gar Robinson is set to scale back his IMSA campaign from the start of next season to focus on his family’s Robinson Racing Team in off-road racing.
The Texan driver has driven in IMSA with Riley since 2020 in LMP3, and taking the step up to LMP2 in 2024 with an accomplished IMSA career including class wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Twelve Hours of Sebring.
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