GirlsOnly debuts Talent Pool line-up, Schall and Schreiner just miss out on SP8T podium at NLS9
- MIKA BÖCKER
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
GirlsOnly fielded two cars for the first time at NLS9, with rookies Egger, Ponkratz, and Kraav completing their debut laps while the GT4 squad of Schall and Schreiner finished fifth in SP8T.
GirlsOnly celebrated the successful debut of its new Talent Pool line-up at the ninth round of the NLS season. With a second car, three rookie women made their first appearances at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the all-female team, while the main line-up narrowly missed out on the SP8T podium.
Under the motto “ready to take on the Green Hell”, GirlsOnly fielded more than one car for the first time. Elana Egger, Julia Ponkratz, and Carmen Kraav contested their NLS debut in a BMW 330i in the VT2 RWD class, while Janina Schall and Carrie Schreiner represented the team in the familiar BMW M4 GT4 in the SP8T category.
For the rookies, the focus was on gaining valuable laps and experience to qualify for the Nordschleife Permit B. Ponkratz already had race experience in the RCN series with multi-class fields on the Nordschleife, while for Egger and Kraav this weekend marked completely new territory.
As so often in the Eifel, the weather delivered changeable conditions and plenty of challenges. Qualifying began wet following a fog delay, but the track dried quickly – particularly in the first section – though damp patches remained in the forest. The experienced GT4 squad opted for slicks, which was “not that easy,” as Schreiner later explained, but they still managed fourth in class with a 9:17.094, good enough for 44th overall.
The rookie trio handled the conditions well for a first attempt, setting a best of 11:08.706 to start from last in class but not far off the rest of the VT2 RWD field, lining up 102nd overall.
By race start, the track had fully dried and, despite dark clouds, conditions looked set to remain stable. Drama unfolded immediately in the first starting group when Tim Heinemann lost control of his Cup Porsche on the run to Haug-Haken, striking an Aston Martin and limping to the pits with a broken radiator. The incident caused traffic chaos further back, but Schall managed to pick her way through and completed lap one in 42nd overall, though down a place in class.
In the third starting group, Ponkratz benefitted from the earlier problems, climbing to 99th overall and 10th in class on her first lap.
The opening hour ran relatively calmly, with few interruptions. Leaders in SP8T set blistering times in clear air behind the Porsche Cup cars, pulling away from Schall who faced heavier traffic. After 60 minutes, the BMW M4 GT4 sat 30th overall but still needed to pit, which would cost class position. The BMW 330i Talent Pool entry also gained ground to 94th overall before making its stop. Schreiner took over the #146 BMW, while Kraav stepped into the #506 330i.
While Kraav focused on collecting steady laps for her permit, Schreiner pushed hard, recording times close to the 8:40s. However, the gap to the class leaders had grown significantly due to their fast start and the difficult conditions for the tyres, which struggled on cold tarmac. At mid-distance, the GT4 ran fifth in SP8T and 32nd overall. Kraav impressed with her consistency, holding her ground despite limited NLS experience as the Estonian retained positions both overall and in class.
The first half of the race remained unusually green, but that changed after halfway when a major crash at Pflanzgarten brought out a long Code 60. The GT4 squad took the opportunity to pit and switch back to Schall. She rejoined in fourth in class, but under pressure. On her out lap, she was caught and overtaken by Gresel, slipping to fifth – unable to regain the position despite matching the pace.
A further Code 60 followed half an hour later, this time for fluid loss at the Karussell. The interruption was shorter and had less impact. As the race entered its final hour, the GT4 remained fifth in class, while the rookie BMW prepared for its closing stint.
Egger climbed aboard the 330i and shortly after had a scare, spinning at high speed through Schwedenkreuz. Fortunately, she avoided heavy impact and returned to the pits for minor repairs before continuing to complete her permit laps.
The GT4 meanwhile required a final refuelling stop; Schreiner got back in for the closing minutes, but despite a fast run could not close the gap to fourth, finishing fifth in SP8T.
“We got through without any problems, everything went according to plan, but unfortunately it was only enough for fifth place. It is what it is. So, not really satisfied,” Schreiner explained afterwards.
The Talent Pool line up finished its debut race 84th overall and ninth in VT2 RWD. GirlsOnly’s most experienced driver praised the rookies: "Julia [Ponkratz] in the rookie car already has RCN experience, which was obviously noticeable, driving in traffic.“
For Egger and Kraav, the weekend marked their very first laps in race conditions on the world’s toughest circuit. It was an important first step in their development, and further entries – such as the NLS season finale on October 11 – would be crucial in continuing their progress.
Despite missing out on the class podium, Janina Schall gained four more points towards the Ladies’ Trophy. With an eight-point advantage over Jasmin Preisig, Schall is now very close to sealing the title: even if Preisig wins her class, Schall will only need to finish – and full points may also still depend on the number of starters in the AR class.