The Nürburgring was bathing in glorious sunshine when the Free Practice session for the final round of the 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series got underway this morning. Kevin Estre in the #99 ART Grand Prix McLaren set the first reference time in the opening ten minutes, but Bernd Schneider, sharing the #84 HTP Motorsport Mercedes with Pro Cup title candidates Nico Verdonck and Harold Primat, quickly improved that time.
Grégory Guilvert in the #26 Sainteloc Racing Audi then produced what would turn out to be the quickest lap of the session, lapping in 1’55.994. Christopher Mies, who switched to the #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi this weekend, was second for most of the session, but in the dying seconds his team-mate Frank Stippler in the #3 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi just pipped him for second.
The quickest time in the Pro-Am Cup was produced by Marco Seefried, who shares the #52 AF Corse Ferrari with championship leader Francesco Castellacci and Johnny Laursen. In the Gentlemen Trophy an early quick of Alexander Mattschull in the #458 GT Corse by Rinaldi Ferrari proved to be enough to finish on top.
The Pre-qualifying Session for the iRacing.com Nürburgring 1000 starts at 12:55.