Nurburg (Germany), March 23 (NationPress) Indian racer Akshay Gupta has emerged victorious in the second round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken Series (NLS), clinching 1st place in the AM sub-class of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (Cup3) while finishing 43rd overall out of 132 competitors in one of the toughest endurance racing fields globally.

Driving the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Cup3) under car #949, Gupta shared the track with 19-year-old German talent Darian Donkel and 24-year-old driver Aaron Wenisch in his inaugural race in the Porsche GT4 category.

Starting in 12th position in the Cup3 class (with 17 entries) for the 4-hour event, the team advanced to 8th place by the end of the initial stint, driven by Donkel. In the next segment, Wenisch lifted the team to 7th, setting the stage for Gupta to secure a comfortable 1-minute and 53-second lead over the second-place competitor in the AM category.

This win signifies a major rebound for Gupta after an interrupted season start, as NLS1 was cancelled due to heavy snowfall, which hindered teams from gaining essential track experience.

The race also featured a surprising turn of events at the front. Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen, who initially crossed the finish line in first place, faced disqualification, leading to a reshuffling of the race results.

In a parallel effort, fellow Indian driver Arjun Maini, competing in the highly challenging SP9-PRO (GT3) class, qualified 12th and finished in 11th place, maintaining his strong foothold in elite endurance racing.

Reflecting on his experience, Akshay Gupta stated, “This is my first race in a Porsche GT4. The driving dynamics are entirely different from what I have been accustomed to over the past two years. This car is mid-engined RWD, in contrast to the front-engine FWD I previously drove. With an additional 145hp and a lighter frame, there’s much to adapt to quickly, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”

“We are thrilled with our first-place finish in the AM category and aim to win either the AM or ProAM championship this year! That’s our goal for 2026, and this victory reassures us that it is well within reach. However, we must not get complacent; there’s still a lot of work ahead to improve our lap times. We have three weeks until our next race to enhance our performance.”

This result further solidifies Gupta's momentum in transitioning to Porsche GT4 machinery, following numerous podium finishes and victories in previous NLS seasons across various production-based categories.

The Cup3 category, part of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring, continues to be one of the most competitive classes in the championship, making this win a significant milestone early in the season.