TGR Staff
by Michael Satterfield – 05/04/2023
Hyundai Motor Company is set to compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the most challenging endurance race in the world, for the eighth year in a row. The team is aiming to secure its third consecutive victory in the TCR class and its first win in the VT2 class.
The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a grueling day-long racing event that takes place on a circuit in Germany known as the ‘Green Hell’. Over 700 drivers and more than 200 cars participate, with a lap length of almost 25.4 km (15.8 miles). Hyundai Motorsport uses events like this to test state-of-the-art technologies for transfer to N production models.
Hyundai Motorsport will enter two Elantra N TCRs in the Touring Car Race class. The first car will be driven by returning victors Mikel Azcona, Marc Basseng, and Manuel Lauck. The second car will be driven by the American IMSA TCR champion Bryan Herta Autosport team, comprising Michael Lewis, Taylor Hagler, Mason Filippi, and Harry Gottsacker.
In addition, Hyundai Driving Experience (HDX) will enter two production-based i30 Fastback N Cup cars in the VT2 Front class. The first vehicle will be driven by HDX instructor Marcus Willhardt and three other drivers from Germany. The second car will be piloted by Junesung Park, a multiple award-winning drivers in the Hyundai N Festival, and media drivers from Germany, the USA, and Korea. Park was selected as a junior driver and joined the HDX ‘Dare to Dream’ pilot program, which launches later this year.
Hyundai will have a large-scale hospitality booth set up in the paddock area of the circuit, welcoming ‘N-thusiasts’ from around the world, global media, and influencers to participate in various N-model activities. The company’s i20 N WRC (hybrid) and N Vision 74 (fuel cell EV) vehicles will also be displayed. Real-time onboard camera coverage, live chat, and social media will provide a vivid picture of the event for fans joining online. The company has organized a live stream of the race, a live chat room, and a variety of social media content for Hyundai Motorsport and N fans to cheer on the teams and continue their unwavering support, said Till Wartenberg, Vice President of N Brand & Motorsport Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Company.
