VW racer, Jonathan Mogotsi, qualifies for the gruelling Nürburgring 24-Hour
Jonathan Mogotsi has earned his Grade A Nürburgring permit, clearing the final hurdle between him and a start in the legendary 24-Hour race on 18–19 May 2026.
The Grade A permit is the top-tier qualification for endurance racing on the Nordschleife, proving that a driver can race safely at the speeds and conditions the Green Hell demands. Mogotsi, a VW Motorsport development driver and 2024 SupaCup champion, secured it during the NLS2 4-Hour on 21 March, after the earlier NLS1 round was cancelled due to snow.
“That’s job done,” he said after the race. “I have earned my Nürburgring Permit A, which allows me to compete in the epic 24-Hour race in May. It’s been an eye-opener, and I have learned so much in the past few weeks. Video games come nowhere near showing how incredibly narrow, bumpy and blind the corners are.”
Mogotsi races for the Max Kruse Racing team, which campaigns a trio of VW AG-supported Golf 8 GTI TCRs in the NLS series and the 24-Hour. The car runs an EA888-based 2.0-litre engine producing 257kW and 420Nm, with power sent to the front axle via a 6-speed sequential gearbox.
One more outing remains before the main event, NLS3 on 11 April, which Mogotsi describes as final preparation for May. “Germany has been phenomenal, and I am eternally grateful to Volkswagen Motorsport and our partners who have made this opportunity and my Nordschleife experience a reality.”
For local motorsport, this is properly significant. SA touring car drivers rarely break into European endurance racing at this level, and Mogotsi’s path, from the 2016 VW Driver Search programme to a Nürburgring 24-Hour start, is a validation of that whole pipeline.
