It proved to be a successful weekend for Cumbrian racing driver Frank Bird and his German-based Haupt Racing Team when they contested the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers in the new Mercedes-AMG GT2 and came away with a double class win on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit.
In preparation for the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Race Nürburgring later in the year, Penrith-born Frank and his German teammates Elia Erhart and Thomas Jäger firstly contested the two-hour race in the SPX class in the #46 Mercedes-AMG Team HRT entry.
Frank was entrusted to take the first stint in the brand new car and gave the team a great platform to cross the line in 26th overall but taking a remarkable win in the SPX class to set them up for the four hour race later in the weekend.
There, the trio were joined by a fourth driver, Jörg Viebahn also from Germany, and after a great start by Frank again, the team claimed a magnificent 14th overall whilst making it a double victory in the SPX class.
Frank Bird, #46 Mercedes-AMG Team HRT: “I’m very happy with the weekend overall and it was a privilege to make the global debut of the new Mercedes-AMG GT2 car. The car is still in its early days but has a huge potential so I can’t wait to see how it performs for the 24hrs of Nurburgring later in the season. From my perspective it was my first proper race weekend at the Nordschleife after gaining my permit. It was an eye-opening and huge learning experience but I’m very happy with how it went. Thanks to HRT, my sponsors and my family for the opportunity.
Note to Editors
About HRT
HRT stands for HAUPT RACING TEAM. The motorsport team was founded in July 2020 by racing driver and entrepreneur Hubert Haupt and has firmly established itself in international GT3 sport within a very short time. As well as numerous race wins and top results, HRT’s greatest success came in 2021 when it won the Drivers’ Championship in the DTM. The team’s programme is demanding and diverse: among other things, HRT starts in the DTM, the Nürburgring Endurance Series, the GT World Challenge Europe, and the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. Many of these race outings are as a Mercedes-AMG Performance Team with extended factory support. HRT is also involved in professional sim racing and is a sought-after partner for technical development projects and motorsport events of all kinds. As of the 2023 season, the team’s new operations centre is the HRT Race Base in Drees, which is located at the Nürburgring. The headquarters of Haupt Racing Team GmbH are in Grünwald near Munich.
For further information, please visit ttps://media.hauptracingteam.de and the brand new Paul Bird Motorsport website www.pbmuk.net.
