Preparations for the 24 Hours continue

Our journey to the 2021 Nürburgring 24 Hours will reach its next milestone this weekend (May 1-2) with a single-car entry at the third round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS). The race will mark the European competitive debut of our Elantra N TCR, following outings in practice sessions at the second round of the championship.

“Last year we started developing the endurance version of the Elantra N TCR and this weekend’s event continues that work in race conditions – all building towards the 24 Hours,” said our Customer Racing Manager Andrew Johns.

Behind the wheel
Driving duties for the four-hour event will be split between Manuel Lauck and Marc Basseng, both of whom can boast a long list of endurance racing successes on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The pair were part of the line-ups that took back-to-back runner-up finishes in the TCR class in 2019 and 2020 with our Veloster N TCR.

Both drivers will also compete in the Qualifying Race (May 8-9) and the Nürburgring 24 Hours itself as part of our strong three-car team. For these events, the duo will be joined in the Elantra N TCR by Peter Terting, while Luca Engstler, Jean-Karl Vernay and newcomer Hendrik Still will crew our i30 N TCR entry.

The line-up for the races will be completed by our i20 N, which will battle it out in the SP2T class. Marc Ehret, Markus Lungstrass and Kai Jordan, who together took a sensational class win in last year’s 24 Hours, will be joined in the car by journalist Guido Naumann.

Close connections 
2021 marks our fourth consecutive season at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The debuts of the Elantra N TCR and i20 N continue our close relationship with the legendary Nordschleife. 

“The Nürburgring and the N brand have always had a very strong connection, going back to the very earliest development phases of the first high-performance Hyundai models,” said Till Wartenberg, Vice President and Head of N Brand Management and Motorsport Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Company. “Every year allows us to show the strength and performance of the cars in one of the toughest motorsport events in the world.” 

For road and race cars alike, the Nürburgring remains one of the truest tests of performance and reliability, with the 24 Hours - the centrepiece of the endurance racing calendar at the circuit – offering the perfect opportunity to showcase our capabilities.