The Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Mason Filippi, Harry Gottsacker, Bryson Morris and Mark Wilkins, representing Team Americas has won the TCR class of the 2024 Nürburgring 24 Hours, giving Hyundai victory for the fourth consecutive year at the race.
The Bryan Herta Autosport quartet crossed the line after completing 44 laps of the 25km track at the end of a race where the action was severely curtailed by heavy fog that limited Sunday running to a handful of laps under Safety Car conditions after a red flag that lasted more than 14 hours.
They headed a historic 1-2-3 in the class in the first year Hyundai Motorsport has entered a trio of cars into the race, which also included Team Europe, the defending class winning driver Mikel Azcona, Marc Basseng and Manuel Lauck, and Team China – Hongwei Cao, Zhang Zhendong, Rainey He and Andy Yan completed the podium in third aboard the #832 Elantra N TCR.
The weekend started well for the team of Bryan Herta Autosport drivers. Nürburgring 24 Hours debutant Morris snatched class pole away from his European team-mates with a superb lap late in the final qualifying session on Friday afternoon.
Led by Team Manager Phil Howard and Crew Chief Nate Smola, it was Bryan Herta Autosport’s first victory at the famed Nordschliefe circuit.
2024 Nürburgring 24 Hours – Provisional Final Results: TCR Class
#831 Elantra N TCR (Filippi/Gottsacker/Morris/Wilkins) – 44 Laps –1st in Class – 42nd Overall
#830 Elantra N TCR (Azcona/Basseng/Lauck) – 44 Laps – 2nd in Class – 49th Overall
#832 Elantra N TCR (Cao/Dong/He/Yan) – 44 Laps –3rd in Class – 50th Overall
Harry Gottsacker: “We are 24 Hours of Nürburgring race winners! It has been a difficult road to get here, and I arrived to this weekend with just one lap on the famous Nordschleife this year before qualifying. The double stint four hours into the race was one of the most difficult I have done with rain, fog, and darkness. We worked as a team and ran a solid race for this result. Thank you to Hyundai and Bryan Herta Autosport for this opportunity!