Nurburg (Germany), March 13 – Indian racecar driver, Akshay Gupta, will take the next step in his endurance racing career by joining Sorg Rennsport to compete in the Nurburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS) and the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
The 33-year-old driver from Ahmedabad, India, will race the #949 Porsche Cayman GT4 CS in the Cup3 class, which is part of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PETN) – one of the most competitive categories in the championship.
Gupta will share driving duties with 19-year-old German driver Darian Donkel (his former teammate from Mertens Motorsport in 2025), along with fellow German racer Aaron Wenisch.
After three seasons competing in the VT2 production classes with Hyundai and BMW machinery, Gupta is now entering the highly competitive Cup3 class. During this period, he achieved six podium finishes and two race victories.
"The last three years in the production classes were a huge learning experience. I wanted to achieve a few milestones before I took a step up in the GT racing ladder," said Gupta.
"GT4 cars are the immediate next step, and I am happy to have signed with a strong and experienced team. My teammates are also experienced and fast. I shared the car with Darian at Mertens and the pit box with Aaron in 2023, so I am familiar with them. I have my sights set on winning the Pro-AM championship this year in the PETN."
The Cup3 category is part of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring. The class is widely known for attracting the largest fields in the NLS championship and delivering extremely competitive multi-class endurance racing. The cars are supplied by Porsche and are identical with limited setup adjustment options.
In the opening race on March 14, 2026, the Cup3 class has 21 entries. The one-make nature of the class ensures that talent is a bigger deciding factor in race outcomes.
Akshay Gupta's new team, Sorg Rennsport, is one of the most established Porsche endurance teams at the Nürburgring and fields 10 entries in the Nurburgring Langstrecken Serie. The team has had over 50 class victories in the NLS & RCN.
The upcoming season will also feature Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen competing in the GT3 class with Winward Racing in the NLS Round 2 and the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
Akshay Gupta will once again represent India on the grid and remains the only Indian driver competing in the full Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie championship for a third consecutive season.
The NLS championship features 10 races, out of which nine are 4-hour and one 6-hour race, apart from the feature race, the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.