Breakell Racing have started their journey towards the 2023 24 Hours of Nürburgring in recent weeks, having headed to Germany with their new recruit Harley Haughton to contest the opening two rounds of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS).
Haughton, a title-contender in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge last year, has linked up with the team to make his racing debut on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. That journey began with the first two NLS rounds, in which the teenage talent piloted a new VW Scirocco with WS Racing, a long-time partner of the team’s.
The season opener (18 March) was Haughton’s first ever endurance race and his first time racing on the Nordschleife. The Stockport racer rose to the challenge superbly though, with a stunning performance in the race seeing him charge through from P14 in class to a high of fourth place, before his team-mates eventually brought the car home in seventh.
Haughton returned to the hallowed Nürburgring tarmac two weeks’ later (01 April) for round two, with constantly changing weather conditions providing a tricky challenge. He adapted superbly though, showing consistently fast pace across the sessions as he contributed to another top ten class finish alongside his team-mates.
The two clean runs and strong finishes mean that Haughton has crucially already done enough to upgrade his Nürburgring Permit to class A, which means he will be able to be part of Breakell Racing’s entry into the 24 Hours of Nürburgring this year in their newly-acquired Porsche Cayman.
James Breakell: “Harley [Haughton] truly is a fantastic young driver. Racing on the Nordschleife is a challenge unlike no other and he’s just taken it head on with no fear and done an incredible job so far. He’s getting faster and more confident with every lap and we’re excited to see what he can do in the upcoming rounds.”