A tragic accident occurred during the first race of the ADAC 24 Hours Nürburgring qualifiers, resulting in the death of a 66-year-old driver. Juha Miettinen succumbed to his injuries following a severe crash on the Nürburgring racetrack. The accident happened around 6 PM, approximately 25 minutes into the four-hour race.
Details of the Accident
The collision involved multiple vehicles in the Klostertal section of the track. According to race official Walter Hornung, Miettinen was pronounced dead at the medical center after emergency services responded to the scene. Six other drivers involved in the crash were injured but are reported to be in stable condition.
Involved Vehicles
Seven cars were entangled in the collision. The vehicles included:
- Start #27: Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 (Wahl/Rönnefarth/Dumarey/Böckmann)
- Start #111: BMW 325i e90 (Becker/Spölgen)
- Start #121: BMW 325i e90 (Miettinen/Berghult)
- Start #410: Porsche Cayman GTS (Croci/Larbi/Ackermann/Le Bihan)
- Start #448: Porsche Cayman CM12 (Klinkmüller/Beckwermert)
- Start #503: Toyota Supra (Tamm/Egger/Hökfelt)
- Start #992: Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Manthey 992.1 (Griesemann/Griesemann/Adorf/Holzer)
Aftermath of the Incident
In light of the accident, the race was subsequently called off. The organizers decided to take the livestream offline, and a moment of silence is planned before the racing events restart the following day. Notably, Formula 1 star Max Verstappen was also scheduled to participate, although he was set to enter in the second half of the event.
Tributes and Condolences
The FIA expressed deep condolences regarding Miettinen’s passing, sharing messages of sympathy for his family, friends, and all those affected by the incident. Miettinen was well-known in the racing community, particularly for his success in production vehicle classes, including victories in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie.
His significant contributions to motorsport and reputation as a dedicated amateur driver make this event a poignant reminder of the dangers present in racing.
