24H Nurburgring: Post-qualifying quotes

Quotes pole-position press conference following the 2nd qualifying session.

# 40 (Tilke / Adorf / Hennerici / Mutsch) Ford GT -- Pole position
Dirk Adorf: "We knew that we are fast but we didn't know what our competitors would be able to do," pole-sitter Adorf said after the session. "Nonetheless, I have to admit that I hadn't been able to deliver this dream lap without slipstreaming Timo Scheider. He was dragging me all along the Dottinger Hohe. And when I crossed the line my Team Principle screamed into my ear with joy. I'm virtually over the moon because of our pole as we had to adapt the Ford GT in a very short time to the Nurburgring, due to the burning of our Lamborghini. Now we've got a car that is not only beautiful but fast, too. In the race, however, we won't have what it takes to match the pace of the front-runners, such as the Audis. If I was their Team Principal I would let two of them push as hard as possible while I would focus on finishing at all costs with the other two. We will opt for making it to the finish line."

# 1 (Bernhard / Lieb / Dumas / Tiemann) Porsche 911 GT3-RSR -- second grid position
Marc Lieb: "I think that we may expect a sprint race. The times are truly close together and it was just the same in the wet and in the night. Due to the rule changes, there are about ten cars that have the chance of battling it out for the top positions and the race win. Nonetheless, some of them will focus on finishing. We will have to go flat out to be among the front-runners. Last year we have learned that we can do it as our Porsche is a very reliable car. Both vehicles of our team are well-proven and very good racing cars. Therefore, we can push without being worried. The second Porsche also has got the potential to win the race. And should it rain, our rear-wheel drive and the better traction could give us an advantage over our opponents. Nonetheless, it could be a close race even in the wet. Most definitely it will be extremely thrilling and exhausting."

# 99 (Basseng / Fassler / Rockenfeller / Stippler) Audi R8 LMS -- third grid position
Marc Basseng: "Our car is 100 percent new and was consistently enhanced by the engineers, in the past months. The development steps were tested and refined in the three VLN rounds contested to date. Nonetheless, we have not yet fully achieved the level of the Porsche camp. But due to its mid-engine and -- consequently -- better weight distribution, it has an advantage over the Porsches. Following ten years as Porsche driver I'm going to race an Audi this year and am particularly delighted about the squad's great team spirit. Everybody is well aware of his strengths. Taking a look at my team colleagues I have to admit that I'm just a kind of a junior partner, for them. On the other hand, I have contested nearly every VLN round in the past five years and therefore have got loads of Nordschleife experience under my belt. And sharing this experience with my team-mates is a pleasure for me."

News and quotes following the 2nd qualifying session

In the battle for the top positions on the grid for the 37th ADAC Zurich 24h Race, the Raeder Motorsport squad caused a major stir: with their Ford GT, Dirk Adorf, Hermann Tilke, Marc Hennerici And Thomas Mutsch secured the pole position for the classic endurance event at the Nurburgring.

With a lap time of 8:36.536 minutes, Dirk Adorf gave his team the top position on the grid. The Ford GT will share row one with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of last year's winners, Manthey-Racing. In the battle for the pole position, Timo Bernhard, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Marcel Tiemann were pipped by 0.191 seconds and therefore had to settle for qualifying second. Meanwhile, the four Audis R8 LMS entered by Phoenix Racing and Abt Sportsline impressed with a great team effort: the Ingolstadt based manufacturer's sports cars will start into the race on Sunday at 16:00hrs from the second and third rows on the grid.

#1 (Bernhard / Lieb / Dumas / Tiemann) Porsche 911 GT3-RSR
Team Principal Olaf Manthey: "The positions quickly were secured and we didn't try to go out for an even better lap, afterwards. The result is great. This race will be a 24-hour sprint we are well prepared for, with our cars No 1 and No 2. I had expected the BMWs Z4 and the Viper to do better. Now it will be a race between Ford, Porsche and Audi. From my point of view, it won't be a problem that the Audis haven't covered a full race distance, to date. They know how to build cars, don't they? Our approach for tomorrow: with our cars No 1 and No 2 we will really go for it while we will keep contact with the Wochenspiegel-Porsche (No 5)."

#10 (Viebahn / Forbes / Huisman / Hartung) BMW E46 M3 GTS
14:01hrs: Stops due to fire aboard in the Schwedenkreuz section.
"I can't shift any more," Johannes Scheid tells his crew via the pit radio. The crew thinks it could be a power-train damage. The car is standing in the Fuchsrohre at marshal-post 97.

# 12 (Renger / Rehfeld / Kissling / Strycek) Corvette
14:53hrs: Technical failure in the Hatzenbach section.
Team Principal Helmut Kissling: "We encountered electronics problems both yesterday and today. We don't care about our grid position but we will try hard to solve the problem in time for the race. Mechanical difficulties certainly would represent a bigger problem -- I think we will make it."

# 18 (Alzen / Bert / Arnold / Mies) Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
Lance David Arnold: "Uwe is just incredible. To set such a lap time with a Cup Porsche! Respect! And it's particularly remarkable that he achieved this lap in the traffic and not in the opening stages of the session on the free track. Now it's our goal to defend our top-ten position throughout the race."

#77 (Hurtgen / Farfus / Sorlie / Muller) BMW Z4-M Coupe
Dirk Muller: "It was truly chaotic when we went out in the opening stages of the session. Nonetheless, I'm happy with my lap."

#100 (Scheider / Werner / Ekstrom / Luhr) Audi R8 LMS
Timo Scheider: "My lap was really good. We made it to the first rows on the grid and that's exactly what we wanted to achieve."

# 120 (Beckmann / Strycek / Hass / Schall) Opel Manta
Volker Strycek: "Yesterday we encountered an off-track moment -- but nothing dramatic. Today we have problems with high oil temperatures and are just working on solving this problem. Fortunately, even a young classic car offers you the chance of identifying the reason for such a problem with the laptop, today."

-credit: adac.24h