Nurburg (Germany), March 23 Indian racing driver Akshay Gupta wins in the second round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken Series (NLS), securing 1st place in the AM sub-class of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (Cup3) and finishing 43rd overall out of 132 starters in one of the most competitive endurance grids in the world.
Competing in the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Cup3) under car #949, Gupta shared driving duties with 19-year-old German driver Darian Donkel and 24-year-old German driver Aaron Wenisch in his debut race in the Porsche GT4 category.
Qualifying in 12th position in Cup3 class (17 entries) for the 4-hour race, the team climbed up to 8th by the end of the opening stint driven by Donkel. In the following stint, Wenisch took over and climbed one more position to 7th, where Gupta brought it home with a comfortable 1 minute 53-second lead over the second-place car in the AM category.
This result marks a significant recovery after a disrupted start to the season, where the NLS1 was cancelled due to heavy snowfall, denying teams valuable track time and race rhythm.
The race also saw a dramatic twist at the front of the field. Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen, who had crossed the line in 1st overall, was subsequently disqualified, reshuffling the final classification.
Fellow Indian driver Arjun Maini, competing in the highly competitive SP9-PRO (GT3) class, qualified 12th in class and finished 11th, continuing his strong presence in top-tier endurance racing.
Akshay Gupta said, "This is my first race in a Porsche GT4. The car is completely different in terms of driving dynamics compared to what I am used to for the past two years. It is a mid-engined RWD car versus a front-engined FWD that I drove earlier. It also has an additional 145 hp and weighs less. So, it is a lot to get used to in a short span, but I am loving every minute of it."
"We are happy with the 1st place in the AM category and ideally want to win the AM or ProAM championship this year! That's the goal for 2026, and this win reassures us that it is well within reach. We still need to do a lot of work to improve our lap times. We have 3 weeks until the next race to get better."
With this result, Gupta continues to build momentum in his transition into Porsche GT4 machinery, following multiple podiums and race wins in previous NLS seasons across production-based classes.
The Cup3 category, part of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring, remains one of the most competitive grids in the championship, making this victory a strong statement early in the season.
