Team KCMG will be aiming to continue its strong start to the 2026 Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie season this weekend as the squad tackles two gruelling four-hour enduros around the Nordschleife.
The Hong Kong-based outfit once again names David Pittard and Jesse Krohn in the #47 Mercedes-AMG GT3 after an excellent performance at NLS3, where Team KCMG qualified on pole position and crossed the line in fourth.
They will be joined for this double-header by SUPER FORMULA race winner Nirei Fukuzumi, who set impressive lap-times in his GT3 Nürburgring debut with the squad last month at NLS2, helping to achieve a top 10 finish.
Completing the quartet is current SUPER GT300 champion Naoya Gamou, making his maiden GT3 appearance around the Nordschleife, even though he has competed at the circuit in other categories dating back to 2013.
The 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers act as the final on-track opportunity for Team KCMG to fine-tune the #47 Mercedes-AMG GT3 and get fully prepared for the 24h Nürburgring on 14-17 May.
Saturday’s action begins with Qualifying for the opener at 08:30 local time (UTC+2), before the event gets underway at 17:30. The following day sees Qualifying start at the slightly earlier time of 08:15, with lights out for the second four-hour enduro at 13:00.
DAVID PITTARD
“I’m happy to welcome back Fukuzumi after his impressive stint at NLS2, and also Gamou who is very experienced with the Mercedes-AMG! This will be our last chance to prepare for the biggest race of the year and the KCMG team has done a brilliant job so far, so I’m confident we will be ready by the end of the weekend!”
JESSE KROHN
“After a very positive NLS3 we quickly head to the final on-track preparation before the 24h Nürburgring event. The crew has done an amazing job with the car so I can’t wait to race it again and fine-tune it so we’re 100% ready. It’s great to have Fukuzumi back and I look forward to welcoming Gamou as well.”
NIREI FUKUZUMI
“I’m delighted to be competing in the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers with KCMG. This weekend we’ve got two races, so it’s a brilliant opportunity to continue my development at the circuit, focusing on the racing, traffic management and getting used to this environment. I’ll do my best to make it a great event for the team!”
NAOYA GAMOU
“I’m pleased to have the chance to race for KCMG. As this will be my first time competing in the SP9 class at the Nürburgring, I will try to learn as much as possible and contribute to the team in any way I can.”
MATT HOWSON TEAM MANAGER
“After making a solid step forward in performance at NLS3, the KCMG team now turns its focus to the finer details, as speed is only part of the equation in endurance racing, and especially at the Nürburgring! We’re delighted to welcome Naoya Gamou who brings a wealth of Mercedes-AMG driving knowledge and Nürburgring experience, even if it’s his maiden appearance in a GT3 at the event. Nirei Fukuzumi also returns and I’m sure he will build on his impressive debut at NLS2, alongside Jesse and David who are performing strongly. The N24 Qualifiers are the last on-track opportunity to ensure we’re a strong contender at the 24h Nürburgring in May, and we’re fully prepared for the challenge.”
PAUL IP KCMG FOUNDER
“We are heading into an important weekend for KCMG. The team has shown strong progress during the opening rounds, and these qualifiers are a key step in ensuring we’re fully prepared for the 24-hour enduro next month. The focus now is on execution, consistency and continuing to build momentum together.”
Media enquiries: Cristina Villar
Email address: cristina@kcmg.com.hk
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow on X and Instagram.
About KCMG
KC Motorgroup Ltd (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organisations around the world to provide unrivalled motorsport services, equipment, team management and quality distribution in the automotive industry. For more information on all of the team’s activities please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.com.hk.
