Akshay Gupta to compete in 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours

Indian racer Akshay Gupta will be taking part in the Nürburgring Langstrecken‑Serie (NLS) championship and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance races this weekend, racing with the Sorg Rennsport team. The 33-year old driver from Ahmedabad who began his racing career in 2010, will be driving a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS in the Cup3 category, moving up from the VT2 production classes in which he competed previously with machinery from Hyundai and BMW.

Gupta is the only Indian driver on the grid who will be competing in the entirety of the NLS championship for a third consecutive season. The Indian driver has been paired up with the German racers Darian Donkel and Aaron Wenisch. The highly-competitive Cup3 category in which Gupta is competing is a part of the one-make Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PETN), featuring identical race cars supplied by Porsche with limited setup adjustment options.

“The last three years in the production classes were a huge learning experience. I wanted to achieve a few milestones before I took a step up in the GT racing ladder” said Gupta on competing in the Cup3 category. “GT4 cars are the immediate next step and I am happy to have signed with a strong and experienced team. My teammates are also experienced and fast, I shared the car with Darian at Mertens and the pit box with Aaron in 2023, so I am familiar with them. I have my sights set on winning the Pro-AM championship this year in the PETN,” the Indian driver added.