The 6 Hours of Nürburgring, ran from 1953 to 2014 as the Nürburgring 1000 km, was an endurance race for sports cars held on the Nürburgring in Germany. It was organized by the ADAC, while the German Grand Prix is hosted by the AvD.

History On the traditional 22.810 km long Nordschleife ("Northern Loop") version, the competition took usually 44 laps (1003.64 km, since the addition of the Hohenrain chicane in 1967 1004.74 km) and lasted initially about 8 hours, since 1965 under 7 hours, since 1971 less than 6 hours. While the 1974 event was shortened by 25% in the wake of the oil crisis, 1976 saw a new situation with a divided World Sportscar Championship calendar: the Group 6 sportscars opened their 1976 World Sportscar Championship with a 4 April 1976 race for only 300 km without driver change. The new Group 5 "Special Production Cars" 1976 World Championship for Makes season would visit on 30 May, colliding with the 1976 Monaco Grand Prix, thus Porsche factory drivers Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass as well as Hans-Joachim Stuck and others were absent from the Int. XXII ADAC-1000-km-Rennen Nürburgring race that was extended by 3 laps to 47, covered 1073.245 km and lasted 6:38 hours. In turn, the "Internationales 6-Stunden-Rennen" in July lasted only 4 hours as part of the European Touring Car Championship.

The inaugural race, which counted towards the 1953 World Sportscar Championship, was won by Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe Farina in a Ferrari 375 MM. The attendance was disappointing, blamed in part on the lack of a serious German entrant with more than only 1500cc. While a Borgward 1500 RS finished third, the new Porsche 550 was absent, as was Mercedes. The successful 300 SL raced only in 1952 as in 1953 Mercedes prepared for the 1954 F1 season which it entered late, in July. Once it became clear that the sportscar derived from the F1 car, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, would not be ready in time for any 1954 World Sportscar Championship event, the 1000km race was cancelled. The 1955 event suffered a similar fate, reduced to 500km for 1500cc in the aftermath of the 1955 Le Mans disaster. It became quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s though, and even more so after Formula One decided not to race at the Nürburgring after the 1976 German GP on safety grounds, having already boycotted in 1970.

The last race on the already shortened Northern Loop in 1983 was won by Jochen Mass and Jacky Ickx in their Rothmans Porsche 956. In that year, due to the ongoing construction work, the track had been shorted to 20.832 km and provisional pits were used. This event saw the fastest ever timed competition lap of the Nordschleife when German driver Stefan Bellof lapped his 956 in 6:11.13 during practice, at an average of over 200 km/h. Bellof also set the race lap record during that race lapping in 6:25.91 in traffic with slower cars, one of them driven by the defending F1 champion.

Since 1984, the 1000 km races were run on the new, much shorter Grand-Prix-Strecke, while the 24 Hours Nürburgring stayed on the legendary long track. In 1991, the 1000 km races were first shortened to 480 km, then discontinued overall due to the demise of the World Sportscar Championship.

In 2000, the 1000 km were resumed, with new competitive cars of BMW and Audi. The race was held as a part of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), the European version of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). In a wet race, the unusual front-engined Panoz of Jan Magnussen and David Brabham won, ahead of a BMW V12 LMR, an Audi R8 and the second Panoz.

On September 4, 2005, the 1000 km was held as a part of the Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES).

The 500 km Nürburgring was also similar event for smaller sportscars during the 1960s and 1970s. Current and eternal record of most 1000 km wins belongs to Stirling Moss who won the race in 1956, 1958, 1959, and 1960.

VLN/NLS also runs a 6-hour endurance race, while racing only 4h in other heats. In 2010, for the first time a distance of more than 1000 km was covered by the winning Porsche 911 GT3. In 2010, the winning Porsche 911 GT3 R of the 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen race was the first to cover more than 1000 km in a 6-hour VLN endurance race for GT3 and touring cars, lapping the 24.369 km long modern version of the Nordschleife 42 times for 1023.498 km in a time of 6:06:56.091. The 2012 winner, a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, covered the same distance in a time of only 6:01:29.541, at an average of 169.879 km/h.

As a part of the Oldtimer Festival in 2010 the tradition and name of the renowned ADAC 1000 km of Nürburgring will be continued by the motor sport club DAMC 05. In contrast to former years, the race is organised for older cars and therefore the term “classic” was added to the name.Homepage for the 2010 Oldtimer Festival.Homepage of the Fahrergemeinschaft Historischer Rennsport.

The 2013 race was the first under the Blancpain Endurance Series banner of the Stephane Ratel Organisation.

Winners Year Drivers Team Car Time Championship 1000 km distance, 22.835 km circuit 1953 Alberto Ascari Giuseppe Farina Automobili Ferrari Ferrari 375 MM Spyder 8:20:44.000 World Sportscar Championship 1954 to 1955 No Races 1956 Piero Taruffi Harry Schell Jean Behra Stirling Moss Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 300S 7:43:54.400 World Sportscar ChampionshipGerman Sportscar Championship 1957 Tony Brooks Noël Cunningham-Reid David Brown Aston Martin DBR1/300 7:33:38.200 World Sportscar Championship 1958 Stirling Moss Jack Brabham David Brown Aston Martin DBR1/300 7:23:33.000 World Sportscar Championship 1959 Stirling Moss Jack Fairman David Brown Aston Martin DBR1/300 7:33:18.000 World Sportscar Championship 1960 Stirling Moss Dan Gurney Camoradi USA Maserati Tipo 61 7:31:40.500 World Sportscar Championship 1961 Lloyd Casner Masten Gregory Camoradi USA Maserati Tipo 61 7:51:39.200 World Sportscar Championship 1962 Phil Hill Olivier Gendebien SpA Ferrari SEFAC Ferrari 246 SP 7:33:27.700 International Championship for GT Manufacturers 1963 John Surtees Willy Mairesse SpA Ferrari SEFAC Ferrari 250 P 7:32:18.000 International Championship for GT Manufacturers 1964 Ludovico Scarfiotti Nino Vaccarella SpA Ferrari SEFAC Ferrari 275 P 7:08:27.000 International Championship for GT Manufacturers 1965 John Surtees Ludovico Scarfiotti SpA Ferrari SEFAC Ferrari 330 P2 6:53:05.400 International Championship for GT Manufacturers 1966 Phil Hill Jo Bonnier Chaparral Cars Inc. Chaparral 2D-Chevrolet 6:58:47.600 International Championship for Sports-Prototypes International Championship for Sports Cars 1967 Joe Buzzetta Udo Schütz Porsche System Engineering Porsche 910 6:54:12.900 International Championship for Sports-Prototypes International Championship for Sports Cars 1968 Vic Elford Jo Siffert Porsche System Engineering Porsche 908 6:34:06.300 International Championship for Makes 1969 Jo Siffert Brian Redman Porsche System Engineering Porsche 908/02 6:11:02.300 International Championship for Makes 1970 Vic Elford Kurt Ahrens Jr. Porsche Salzburg Porsche 908#908/03 (1970)Porsche 908/03 6:05:21.200 International Championship for Makes 1971 Vic Elford Gérard Larrousse Martini Racing Porsche 908#908/03 (1970)Porsche 908/03 5:51:49.300 International Championship for Makes 1972 Ronnie Peterson Tim Schenken SpA Ferrari SEFAC Ferrari 312 PB 6:01:40.200 World Championship for Makes Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft 1973 Jacky Ickx Brian Redman SpA Ferrari SEFAC Ferrari 312 PB 5:36:53.400 World Championship for Makes Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft 1974 Jean-Pierre Jarier Jean-Pierre Beltoise Equipe Gitanes Matra-Simca MS670C 4:07:24.10033 laps, 753 km World Championship for Makes Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft 1975 Arturo Merzario Jacques Laffite Willi Kauhsen Racing Team Alfa Romeo 33TT12 5:41:14.100 World Championship for Makes Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft 1976 Albrecht Krebs Dieter Quester Schnitzer Motorsport BMW 3.5 CSL 6:38:20.600 World Championship for Makes 1977 Rolf Stommelen Tim Schenken Toine Hezemans Gelo Racing Porsche 935 5:58:30.500 World Championship for Makes 1978 Klaus Ludwig Hans Heyer Toine Hezemans Gelo Racing Porsche 935/77 5:55:46.600 World Championship for Makes 1979 Manfred Schurti Bob Wollek John Fitzpatrick Gelo Racing Porsche 935/77 5:57:35.100 World Championship for Makes 1980 Rolf Stommelen Jürgen Barth Joest Racing Porsche 908/4 Turbo 5:52:15.100 World Championship for Makes 1981 Hans-Joachim Stuck Nelson Piquet GS Tuning BMW M1 Gr.5 2:16:50.86017 laps, 388 km World Endurance Championship 1982 Michele Alboreto Teo Fabi Riccardo Patrese Martini Racing Lancia LC1 Spyder 5:54:10.830 World Endurance Championship 1000 km distance, 20.830 km circuit 1983 Jochen Mass Jacky Ickx Porsche Racing International Porsche 956 5:26:34.630 World Endurance Championship 1000 km distance, 4.551 km circuit 1984 Stefan Bellof Derek Bell Rothmans Porsche Porsche 956 6:00:43.590 World Endurance Championship Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft 1985 No Race 1986 Henri Pescarolo Mike Thackwell Kouros Racing Team Sauber C8-Mercedes 3:42:30.020121 laps, 599 km World Sports Prototype Championship 1987 Eddie Cheever Raul Boesel Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR-8 5:55:53.120 World Sports Prototype Championship 1988 Jean-Louis Schlesser Jochen Mass Team Sauber Mercedes Sauber C9-Mercedes 5:53:00.600 World Sports Prototype Championship 480 km distance, 4.551 km circuit 1989 Jean-Louis Schlesser Jochen Mass Team Sauber Mercedes Sauber C9-Mercedes 2:47:14.599 World Sports Prototype Championship 1990 Jean-Louis Schlesser Mauro Baldi Team Sauber Mercedes Mercedes-Benz C11 2:39:15.913 World Sports Prototype Championship 430 km distance, 4.551 km circuit 1991 Derek Warwick David Brabham Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR-14 2:23:41.028 World Sportscar Championship 1992to1999 No Races 1000 km distance, 4.556 km circuit 2000 Jan Magnussen David Brabham Panoz Motor Sports Ford Panoz LMP1-Élan 5:45:55.173 American Le Mans Series 2001to2003 No Races 1000 km distance, 5.148 km circuit 2004 Allan McNish Pierre Kaffer Audi Sport UK Veloqx Audi R8 6:00:32.64180 laps, 925 km Le Mans Series 2005 Tom Chilton Hayanari Shimoda Zytek Motorsport Zytek 04S 6:01:06.739193 laps, 991 km Le Mans Series 2006 Jean-Christophe Boullion Emmanuel Collard Éric Hélary Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo C60-Judd 6:01:26.300189 laps, 971 km Le Mans Series 2007 Stéphane Sarrazin Pedro Lamy Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP(Diesel) 6:01:13.628 Le Mans Series 2008 Stéphane Sarrazin Pedro Lamy Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP(Diesel) 5:44:48.174 Le Mans Series 2009 Jan Charouz Tomáš Enge Stefan Mücke Aston Martin Racing Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 5:57:26.595 Le Mans Series 1000 km distance, 25.378 km circuit 2010 Wolfgang Pohl Daniel Schrey Porsche Carrera RS 7:00:42.2 4835 laps, 888 km FHR LangstreckencupHomepage DAMC 05. 2011to2012 No Races 1000 km distance, 5.137 km circuit 2013 Maximilian Buhk Maximilian Götz Bernd Schneider HTP Motorsport Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 6:00:46.354178 laps, 916 km Blancpain Endurance Series 2014 Laurens Vanthoor César Ramos Christopher Mies Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 LMS ultra 6:00:07.848158 laps, 813 km Blancpain Endurance Series 6 hours time, 5.148 km circuit 2015 Timo Bernhard Brendon Hartley Mark Webber Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid 6:01:16.966, 203 laps, 1045 km FIA World Endurance Championship 2016 Timo Bernhard Brendon Hartley Mark Webber Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid 6:01:16.183, 194 laps, 999 km FIA World Endurance Championship 2017 Timo Bernhard Brendon Hartley Earl Bamber Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid 6:00:09.607, 204 laps, 1050 km FIA World Endurance Championship 2018to2019 No Races 2020 Matteo Cairoli Christian Engelhart Sven Müller Dinamic Motorsport Porsche 911 (991 II) GT3 R 6:01:08.058, 173 laps, 882 km GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup

3 Hours of Nürburgring