Rutronik Racing is ready for the second race weekend of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup. The racing series will be taking place in Zandvoort, right in the dunes of the North Sea coast.

A challenging May continues for Rutronik Racing in Zandvoort, Netherlands. Immediately after the official prologue of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the Porsche team from Remchingen will travel to Zandvoort, where the second race weekend of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup will take place. The team from the Enz district will compete on the GP circuit with two Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The Porsche with start number #96 will once again be driven by long-time Rutronik Racing drivers Sven Müller and Patric Niederhauser, who won the ADAC GT Masters championship with the team in 2019. The sister car, which will start in the Silver Cup, will be driven by local hero Loek Hartog and Eshan Pieris from Sri Lanka.

Two weeks ago, the Sprint Cup season opener took place at the traditional British circuit Brands Hatch. The two Porsche contracted drivers Müller and Niederhauser finished in a much-celebrated third place in the second race. Loek Hartog and Eshan Pieris also put in a strong performance and only lost the class victory in the first race due to a time penalty.

Rutronik Racing will be competing at Zandvoort for the first time since 2022. Back then, the team, which has established itself as one of the best European teams in GT racing, finished a strong second in its last appearance with the ADAC GT Masters at the popular race track.

The track is particularly notable for its location in the dunes of the North Sea coast. The circuit is just a stone's throw from the sea, which creates a special atmosphere but also poses challenges, as sand is constantly blown onto the asphalt, making the surface slippery. The circuit was rebuilt for the return of Formula 1 in 2020, and since then two banked corners have dominated the track.

The two races of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup in Zandvoort will start on Saturday at 3 p.m. and on Sunday at 2:45 p.m. On both race days, there will also be a 10-minute qualifying session in the early morning. Both races and both qualifying sessions will be broadcast on the official YouTube channel of the series in various languages, including German and English. On Friday, the drivers and teams will also have 160 minutes of practice time at their disposal.

Klaus Graf, Team Principal Rutronik Racing: ‘After several years away from Zandvoort, we are delighted to be returning to the coastal circuit. There is a very special atmosphere near the town and the sea in the dunes. The track is very demanding for the drivers; to be fast at Zandvoort, you need a good dose of courage and self-confidence. I think we are well prepared after the results of the Sprint Cup at Brands Hatch. Our goal is clear: to be right up there at the front with both cars in their respective classes!’

Sven Müller, driver of the Porsche 911 GT3 R #96: ‘Zandvoort has always been a cool track. I really liked it back in the Porsche Carrera Cup and the ADAC GT Masters! We've always had good results there, so I think the track definitely suits Porsche. Now, after Brands Hatch with a podium finish and a very good start to the season overall with second place in the Endurance Cup at Le Castellet, we are very motivated and naturally hoping for a good result. We are also delighted that many Rutronik supporters will be coming to the track again, which gives the whole atmosphere a cool feeling. It's going to be a good weekend, the weather on the North Sea coast looks good too, so we'll be going all out for more podium places and maybe even a win!’

Loek Hartog, driver of the Porsche 911 GT3 R #97: ‘I'm really looking forward to tackling the Sprint Cup weekend at my home race at Circuit Zandvoort. I'm expecting a lot of guests, which I'm really looking forward to. I also grew up 25 kilometres from the race track, so I have some important memories here and have celebrated some of my greatest successes in motorsport. It's great to be back to my roots and to drive my first laps in a GT3 here. I'm very confident, especially after the performance at Brands Hatch, that we'll do a good job in the Silver Cup, and I'm really looking forward to sharing the Dutch dunes with my Rutronik colleagues.’