During the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) Ruhr Cup at the celebrated Nürburgring circuit, a six-car pileup occurred in the extreme weather conditions. Heavy rainfall led to aquaplaning, with six GT3 cars colliding into the same barrier, promptly leading to a red flag interruption of the race.
In a separate and more severe incident on Friday evening, the Nürburgring paddock area was rocked by an explosion attributed to a pressurized cylinder located behind a pit area in the Grand Prix paddock. The explosion resulted in a reported 22 injuries, with emergency services, including several ambulances and rescue helicopters, swiftly responding to the crisis. An official statement from the Nürburgring officials shed light on the grave situation, stating as Newsweek previously reported:
“During the test and practice runs ahead of the fourth round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), an explosion occurred shortly after 6 p.m. behind a pit in the Grand Prix paddock area.
“Preliminary findings suggest that the explosion was caused by a pressure cylinder.
“Extensive emergency personnel on site immediately initiated appropriate first measures and secured the accident scene. The test run was immediately interrupted.
“Initial reports indicate that there are several injured individuals who, after receiving immediate care at the Nürburgring Medical Center, were transported by rescue helicopter to nearby hospitals.
“The police are investigating the scene, as is customary in such situations. Further information will follow.”
Footage of the multi-car pile-up is being shared to social media. One X user Mattzel89 posted:
“Absolute scenes during the NLS six hour race some minutes ago. Red Flag is out.”
In response to the explosion, the series’ management and teams faced a daunting decision about the continuation of the race weekend. Mike Jäger, VLN boss, addressed the decision to proceed, explaining:
“An unfortunate industrial accident occurred during the test and we are all deeply shocked and our thoughts are with those affected.
“However, the incident is not directly related to the event, so we have decided together with our teams to hold the event.”
The schedule saw some adjustments with the ADAC Ruhr Cup practice session delayed to early Saturday morning, but the major six-hour endurance race was set to proceed with the participation of 126 cars.
The race is set to resume at 14:00 local time and an investigation is ongoing to confirm the source of the Friday night explosion in the paddock. The condition of those who have been hospitalized has not been confirmed yet.
The ADAC Ruhr Cup is the fourth round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series.
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