NLS 6: Lippka and Thomas take class wins, Koyama’s podium hopes fade in final stages

Top results for female drivers in various classes marked the shortened 6-hour race of the NLS, with Katharina Lippka and Katja Thomas both securing class victories, while Miki Koyama’s podium chances were hampered by a late-race incident.

Photo credits: Jan Brucke/VLN

Top results for female drivers in various classes marked the shortened 6-hour race of the NLS, with Katharina Lippka and Katja Thomas both securing class victories, while Miki Koyama’s podium chances were hampered by a late-race incident.

In a Nürburgring race once again disrupted by Eifel weather, several women made it onto the podium and into the top ten in their respective classes.

Heavy morning fog caused chaos early on, delaying the start of qualifying for safety reasons. With only 45 minutes remaining once the session got underway, teams scrambled to put in at least one safe lap, creating a frantic atmosphere. Some competitors were caught out, and in the faster sections around Schwedenkreuz and elsewhere, multiple slip-ups and accidents triggered prolonged Code 60s. As a result, starting positions were dictated as much by timing and luck as by outright pace.

Miki Koyama, in the #160 Toyota, managed the best result among the female entries, securing 17th on the grid. Tim and Desiree Müller (unrelated) followed in 48th, while returning driver Katharina Lippka qualified 104th in the #254 BMW 325ci. Katja Thomas lined up last on the grid in the #529 BMW 318i.

The start was further delayed, and the race distance reduced to 4.5 hours.

The start also had to be postponed due to the morning delay, and the race distance was shortened to 4.5 hours. Regardless, the race itself unfolded relatively smoothly across the three starting groups. Only a single incident at Schwedenkreuz interrupted proceedings, though none of the female drivers were involved. Technical issues, however, delayed the start of the #529 BMW and left the crew with an immediate deficit.

The remaining cars completed the opening lap cleanly: Alesi returned to the GP loop in 24th overall and fourth in class with the #160 Toyota; Müller held 38th and seventh in class with the #977 Porsche; while Köppert placed the #254 BMW in 68th. The #529 BMW had not yet joined the action.

The early phase was marked by large position changes, as slower cars that had benefitted from the chaotic qualifying now dropped back down the order. Despite the mixed pace among the different classes fighting for track space, no serious accidents occurred.

Minor incidents aside, the race remained relatively clean, though the #254 BMW slipped down to 100th overall by mid-distance. Nevertheless, with Lippka at the wheel, the car retained its class lead. The German driver, who returned to the NLS after a 2021 outing and subsequent RCN series appearances, celebrated her comeback with a strong performance.

Meanwhile, Katja Thomas’s #529 BMW also climbed back into contention, leading its class in 102nd overall. Further ahead, Müller had moved the Porsche into ninth in class, while Alesi kept the Toyota firmly on course for a class podium.

Photo credits: Jan Brucke/VLN

After her stint, Lippka expressed her excitement at being back in the NLS, noting the fun of racing once again in the car where she learned the Nürburgring. She explained that the biggest adjustment was switching between front- and rear-wheel drive machinery, rather than the step from RCN to NLS. At this stage, both her BMW and Thomas’s car continued to hold their class leads, while Müller had climbed as high as fifth in Cup3 and 31st overall.

Three hours in, Koyama sat in a promising fourth in the SP8T class. But with 90 minutes left, disaster struck: the #160 Toyota sustained rear damage after contact on the Döttinger Höhe, forcing the team into lengthy repairs and effectively ending their podium hopes.

Multiple Code 60s—caused by other stricken cars such as the Hofor BMW—further disrupted the rhythm of the race but did not aid the Toyota’s recovery.

With half an hour to go, Koyama was down to seventh in class and 52nd overall. Lippka’s BMW gained two places, thus regaining a double-digit overall position, though Thomas’s #529 had now moved ahead. Meanwhile, Müller lost a few positions late on, both in class and overall.

At the flag, the #160 Toyota finished 46th overall and last in SP8T. Müller’s Porsche crossed the line 34th overall and ninth in Cup3. The standout results came from Lippka and Thomas, who each secured valuable class victories, these results not diminished by their 92nd and 90th overall finishes.

The NLS now looks ahead to its doubleheader on September 13th–14th, with hopes for another strong showing from the female contingent.