Sensational Qualifying on the Ardennes Track
The 79th edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa presented extreme challenges for McLaren Junior Ben Dörr and Team RJN. On the demanding 7.004-kilometer track in Belgium, the 21-year-old Dörr, who also competes in the DTM for Dörr Motorsport, proved his talent right from the start alongside his fast teammates Horatio Fitz-Simon, Max Lynn, and Wyatt Brichacek. Already in qualifying, the quartet shined in the number 23 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo: without any penalties, they secured twelfth place on the grid in the highly competitive overall field of 69 cars—an outstanding performance for a Silver Cup entry.
Heat Battle and Character Test Over 24 Hours
When the race started on June 27, 2026, at 16:30, extreme heat with around 36 degrees air temperature demanded everything from man and machine. It turned into a relentless race of attrition with ten Safety Car and 14 Full-Course-Yellow phases. Of the 69 cars that started, only 47 were classified in the end. The number 23 also had to endure a scare when the car temporarily stopped on the start-finish straight, triggering a Safety Car phase. However, thanks to the relentless fighting spirit of the entire crew and the excellent driving performance of all four pilots, the McLaren was able to continue.
Successful Finish in the Top-10
After 516 grueling laps and over 3,600 kilometers completed, the team successfully brought the car across the finish line. Despite a gap of 25 laps to the overall winners of the number 80 Lionspeed GP Porsche, the team rewarded itself with tenth place in the highly competitive Silver Cup (35th place overall). Class victory in the Silver Cup went to the number 45 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari. For Ben Dörr, Horatio Fitz-Simon, Max Lynn, and Wyatt Brichacek, crossing the finish line at one of the toughest GT3 races in the world is a real success, highlighting the driving class and team spirit of the entire RJN squad.
