Hyundai Motor Clinches Sixth Consecutive TCR Class Victory at 2026 Nürburgring 24-Hour Race
- HMG Newsroom
- 2026.05.18 (KST)
- 분량8min
- 조회수 3,142Views
- Hyundai N marks its 11th consecutive year at the 24H Nürburgring endurance race with sixth straight victory in the TCR class with ELANTRA N TCR
- Two ELANTRA N1 RP cars, equipped with new pre-production engines, successfully complete the grueling 24-hour race in the SP4T class
- Hyundai N’s global junior drivers from Korea and the U.S. prove their capabilities on the world’s most demanding circuit
NÜRBURGRING/SEOUL, May 18, 2026 – Hyundai Motor Company’s high-performance Hyundai N secured its sixth consecutive TCR class victory at the 2026 ADAC RAVENOL 24H Nürburgring endurance race held from May 16–17.
Taking part in the grueling event for the 11th consecutive year, the company fielded one ELANTRA N TCR in the TCR class and two ELANTRA N1 RP cars in the SP4T class. The race at the iconic German racetrack not only underlined the company’s motorsport prowess but also served as a successful proving ground for the ELANTRA N1 RP’s next-generation powertrain.
“Securing our sixth consecutive TCR class victory at the Nürburgring is an incredible milestone that speaks to the relentless dedication of our teams and the proven excellence of Hyundai N technologies. Just as importantly, successfully finishing this punishing 24-hour race with our new ELANTRA N1 RP powertrain validates our future engineering direction, as we did in 2026 with 2.0T used in all Hyundai N’s ICE models. This event remains the ultimate test for our vehicles and a vital platform for our global junior drivers to grow further.” – Joon Park, Vice President of N Management Group, Hyundai Motor Company
Who Drove the Hyundai N Vehicles?
| Car | Team | Class | Drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELANTRA N TCR | Hyundai Motorsport N #1 | TCR | Mikel Azcona, Marc Basseng, Manuel Lauck, Nico Bastian |
| ELANTRA N1 RP | Hyundai Motorsport N #2 | SP4T | Mikel Azcona, Manuel Lauck, Mark Wallenwein, Youngchan Kim |
| ELANTRA N1 RP | Hyundai Motorsport N #3 | SP4T | Mark Wallenwein, Gyumin Kim, Woojin Shin, CJ Sepulveda |
How Did the Elantra N TCR Car Perform at the Race?
The ELANTRA N TCR vehicle was piloted by seasoned European champions who drove the team to its past TCR class victories. Demonstrating unmatched durability and speed, the team successfully secured its sixth consecutive win in the highly competitive field.
This talented roster blended class-winning veteran experience with emerging talent from Hyundai’s global pool of drivers. The ELANTRA N TCR lineup featured Marc Basseng, Manuel Lauck and Mikel Azcona — who together boast 10 TCR class wins at the Nürburgring 24-Hour Race with Hyundai Motorsport, alongside Basseng’s 2012 overall event victory. They were joined by Nico Bastian, whose extensive Nürburgring experience includes five top-10 overall finishes in GT3-spec cars.
In addition to dominating the TCR category, the ELANTRA N TCR achieved an impressive overall ranking of 69th, further cementing Hyundai N’s reputation for engineering high-performance vehicles capable of challenging top-tier endurance competitors, including faster cars in higher classes.
How Did the ELANTRA N1 RP Vehicles Perform with the New Powertrain?
This year’s race served as a critical global showcase and testing environment for Hyundai Motor’s future technologies. The two ELANTRA N1 RP vehicles competing in the SP4T class were equipped with a pre-production engine featuring improved power and response characteristics for enhanced race capability while meeting current emissions standards.
The ELANTRA N1 RP cars featured an international lineup selected to showcase the next generation of drivers. One ELANTRA N1 RP paired veteran drivers Azcona, Lauck and Mark Wallenwein from the Hyundai Jr program with Korean driver Youngchan Kim. The second ELANTRA N1 RP paired Wallenwein with previous Hyundai N Festival N1 Class champion Gyumin Kim, fellow festival competitor Woojin Shin from Korea, and young American driver C.J. Sepulveda, known for his experience racing the Elantra N1 in the TC America series.
Enduring the extreme conditions of the 25.378-kilometer Nordschleife, the all two ELANTRA N1 RP vehicles successfully finished the 24-hour race. This achievement provides Hyundai Motor engineers with invaluable data and successfully verifies the performance and durability of the pre-production engine under some of the world’s most demanding racing conditions.
Why Is the Nürburgring Important for Hyundai N?
Since its initial entry in 2016, Hyundai Motor has leveraged the 24H Nürburgring endurance race not just as a competition, but as a core developmental laboratory. Hyundai N’s long-running success at the event spotlights the company’s ongoing motorsport activities and future technologies. By testing mass-production-based race cars in the world’s most unforgiving environment, Hyundai Motor ensures that the high-performance DNA forged on the track is directly transferred to its road-going vehicles.
