After a double class win in the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers last month, Cumbrian racing driver Frank Bird ventured back to the German circuit to contest the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring and once again emerged victorious.
The Penrith-born driver was once again behind the wheel of the Haupt Racing Team’s new Team HRT Mercedes-AMG GT2 in the SPX class alongside teammate Thomas Jäger, who is the Mercedes-AMG test and development driver, and fellow German drivers Elia Erhardt and Jörg Viebahn who were contesting a 24-hour race with the new customer racing model for the first time as a four-man team.
Frank was again entrusted to take the first stint in the new car and gave the team another great start despite suffering damage caused when another competitor collided with him, which resulted in a lengthy pit stop.
Undeterred, and along with his teammates, they gradually climbed back up the leaderboard throughout Saturday night and into Sunday morning and as the race progressed to its conclusion, they consolidated their position in the pack to cross the line and take a memorable SPX class victory.
Frank Bird, #46 Mercedes-AMG Team HRT: “That’s my debut Nurburgring 24 Hours completed. It was an amazing experience to say the least, firstly starting the race and then driving in the night with a fantastic atmosphere is an experience I won’t forget. It was a long 24 hours with lots of action packed racing but the new Mercedes-AMG GT2 was faultless and we could give it the proper debut weekend it deserved, coming away with first in the SPX class. Thanks to the team for the hard work throughout the event and to my teammates for getting us over the line. Thanks to my dad and all our sponsors too for allowing me this fantastic experience.”
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 https://media.hauptracingteam.de and the brand new Paul Bird Motorsport website www.pbmuk.net.
ENDS
