NLS7 2026: Aron and Stolz win the Nürburgring six-hour race

Result, 1 August 2026: Ralf Aron and Luca Stolz won NLS7 from pole in the #80 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL, 39.480 seconds ahead of the #77 Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde and Tim Tramnitz. The #48 LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO of Patrick Assenheimer, Tobias Müller and Dylan Pereira completed the podium and won SP9 Pro-Am (Nürburgring report). For the whole season, see our NLS hub. The preview below was published on 30 July 2026.

The NLS7 six-hour race is almost here, and if you follow endurance racing at all, you already know this one is a big deal. The KW 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen drops on Saturday 1 August 2026, and the Nordschleife is absolutely the right place for it. Six hours of flat-out action across one of the most demanding circuits on the planet.

The start of the season’s hot phase

This is not just another round. NLS7 traditionally kicks off the hot phase of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie championship. Teams that have been building all season suddenly need to deliver, and the longer format makes everything harder. Strategy, reliability, traffic management, all of it gets amplified compared to the shorter four-hour rounds. One mistake here and your championship position takes a serious hit.

NLS7 draws a strong mixed grid too. Top GT3 factory programmes line up alongside fast SP9 privateers who know every inch of the Green Hell. That combination makes for unpredictable racing from lights to flag.

Full schedule for 1 August 2026

Here is how the day breaks down. Qualifying runs from 08:30 to 10:00, so the early risers get rewarded. Then you get a pitwalk from 10:20 to 11:00 and a gridwalk from 11:10 to 11:30. Grid assembly wraps up by 11:40, and then at 12:00 it is on. The race runs a clean six hours through to 18:00.

That is a full day of motorsport content if you are on site. Plan accordingly.

Tickets, access and fan info

The good news is this event is fully accessible for fans. Grandstand and hotspot access covers the Grand-Prix-Kurs, Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, which are genuinely the best spots on the circuit. Tickets start from just €25, with parking at €10. Kids up to 14 years old get in for free.

Your ticket also gets you into the paddock, pitlane and starting grid area. That kind of access is rare at top-level motorsport events. Use it. Check the official NLS website for the latest entry list, qualifying results and class standings once the weekend kicks off.

Last year’s benchmark

The 2025 edition was a strong one. Bachler and Müller took the overall win in a Porsche 911 GT3 R, completing 33 laps with a total race time of 4:38:01.819. Pole position went to Marschall and Menzel, who also set the fastest lap of the race. A clean, dominant performance from the winning crew, but the Porsche platform doing what it does best around the Nordschleife.

Those are the benchmarks the field will be chasing this time around.

Six hours instead of four

Six hours is a different beast compared to the shorter NLS rounds. Teams have more time to recover from early dramas, but they also have more time to throw it all away. Tyre strategy becomes a real factor. Pit stop timing matters more. And managing traffic on the Nordschleife for six straight hours is genuinely one of the hardest things any driver can do.

Multiple manufacturers will field GT3 machinery, and strategic variation across the entry list should keep things interesting throughout. Do not be surprised if the overall lead changes hands more than once before the chequered flag.

The championship picture before NLS7

With NLS7 sitting deep in the calendar, the championship picture is already taking shape. A strong result here can flip standings heading into the final rounds. A DNF can end title ambitions overnight. That pressure adds a layer of intensity you just do not get earlier in the season.

Expect big media presence around the pitwalk and gridwalk. Teams know the eyes are on them right now.

One of the NLS highlights

A classic format, an iconic circuit, accessible ticket prices and a grid packed with serious machinery. Whether you are watching from Brünnchen or following the timing screens from home, this is the one you do not skip. Mark 1 August in your calendar and get ready.

Follow the rest of the season on our NLS 2026 hub: full calendar, every race report and the guides that explain how the Nürburgring works.