{{short description|German race car driver (born 1960)}} {{Update|inaccurate=yes|date=June 2011}} {{Infobox racing driver | image = Klaus-abbelen-2009.jpg | caption = Abbelen in 2009 | nationality = {{flagicon|DEU}} German | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|9|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Tönisvorst]], West Germany | relatives = <!-- list of notable relatives with line breaks --> | racing_licence = [[File:FIA Bronze Driver.png|12px]] FIA Bronze | current_series = [[Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie]] | first_year = | current_team =Frikadelli Racing | car_number = 97 | prev_series = [[FIA GT Championship]] | prev_series_years =2003–04 | titles = Euro GT Series | title_years = 2000 | awards = | award_years = | updated = }} '''Klaus Abbelen''' (born 15 September 1960) is a German former [[Auto racing|racing]] driver and businessman. Abbelen was a regular participant in races sanctioned at the [[Nürburgring]], including the [[Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie]] and the [[Nürburgring 24 Hours]]. With his team Frikadelli Racing, he won the [[2023 24 Hours of Nürburgring]] as a team principal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Brederlow |first=Sonke |date=21 May 2023 |title=Nurburgring 24h: Frikadelli Ferrari scores historic victory |url=https://www.autosport.com/endurance/news/nurburgring-24h-frikadelli-ferrari-scores-historic-victory/10471869/ |access-date=23 May 2023 |work=[[Autosport]]}}</ref>
Abbelen owns his family's business Abbelen GmbH, a German ''[[Frikadelle]]'' manufacturer.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Dagys |first=John |date=2016-01-22 |title=Abbelen (Frikadelli): “Daytona Was a Dream I Had 15 Years Ago” |url=https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/abbelen-frikadelli-daytona-was-a-dream-i-had-15-years-ago/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> Abbelen was also married to German racing driver [[Sabine Schmitz]] before her death in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Luke |date=2021-03-17 |title='Queen of the Nurburgring' Sabine Schmitz dies aged 51 |url=https://www.autosport.com/gt/news/queen-of-the-nurburgring-sabine-schmitz-dies-aged-51/5769006/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Autosport}}</ref>
== Racing career == Abbelen started his endurance career in 1999, joining class A in the Ferrari Porsche Challenge in a Porsche, finishing second in his class.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/ferrari-porsche-challenge---class-a/1999/|title=Ferrari Porsche Challenge - Class A 1999 standings {{!}} Driver Database|website=www.driverdb.com|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> In 2002, Abbelen attempted to run the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, but failed to get in. In the same year, Abbelen joined the A Class in the Euro GT Series, where he joined Team W&A, placing 3rd overall.
In 2003, Abbelen joined multiple series, beginning with the Euro GT Series. Then, he joined the [[FFSA GT Championship]], driving a [[Porsche 911]] for Chateau Sport for two races along with racer [[Stéphane Ortelli]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/french-gt-championship/2003/|title=French GT Championship 2003 standings {{!}} Driver Database|website=www.driverdb.com|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> The pair would fail to reach podium and would settle for a 41st in the final standings. Abbelen would then join Zwaan's Racing in the [[FIA GT Championship]], driving their Chrysler Viper with Arjan van der Zwaan and Robert van der Zwaan. In 7 races, the team would fail to reach podium, finishing the championship 19th in points. Abbelen would then move to the [[Porsche Supercup]], racing for DeWalt Racing driving their Porsche 911 for a single race.
In 2004, Abbelen ran in the [[European Le Mans Series]], driving a [[Saleen S7|Saleen S7-R]] for [[Konrad Motorsport]] in one race. In 2004, Abbelen returned to Zwaan's Racing in the FIA GT Championship before not making podium again.
In 2006, Abbelen and [[Sabine Schmitz]] drove the No. 97 [[Porsche 911 (997)]] in the [[Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie]] [[Endurance racing (motorsport)|endurance racing]] series on the [[Nürburgring]], entered by Land Motorsport.
Abbelen competed in the [[24 Hours of Daytona]] for the first time in [[2016 24 Hours of Daytona|2016]], racing alongside [[Patrick Huisman]], [[Sven Müller (racing driver)|Sven Müller]], [[Frank Stippler]], and his wife [[Sabine Schmitz]].<ref name=":1" /> On race day, the crew finished 12th in the GTD class.
Abbelen announced his retirement ahead of the NLS8 round in the [[2025 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie]]. After suffering an early end to his race with a gearbox issue, he momentarily postponed his retirement to compete in the next round in NLS9 with the aim of both finishing a race as a proper sendoff and completing all four hours of the race as a solo entry.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2025-09-24 |title=Frikadelli Racing: Klaus Abbelen startet bei NLS 9 zu neuem Solo-Versuch im GT3 |url=https://frikadelli.de/news/frikadelli-racing-klaus-abbelen-startet-bei-vln9-zu-neuem-solo-versuch-im-gt3/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Frikadelli Racing |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2025-10-01 |title=Ein letztes Kapitel auf der Nordschleife: Klaus Abbelen verabschiedet sich mit starkem Solo-Comeback |url=https://frikadelli.de/news/ein-letztes-kapitel-auf-der-nordschleife-klaus-abbelen-verabschiedet-sich-mit-starkem-solo-comeback/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Frikadelli Racing |language=de}}</ref>
== Frikadelli Racing == [[File:GT World Challenge Europe 2024 Nürburg Nr. 333 Abbelen, Fernandez Laser, Perel (2).jpg|thumb|Frikadelli Racing's [[Ferrari 296 GTB#296 GT3|Ferrari 296 GT3]] at the [[Nürburgring]] in 2024.]] Abbelen owns and is the co-founder of [[Eifel]]-based [[sports car racing]] team Frikadelli Racing.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Frikadelli Racing joins as a regular starter {{!}} Prototype Cup Germany |url=https://www.adac-motorsport.de/en/prototype-cup-germany/news/2024/frikadelli-racing-joins-as-a-regular-starter/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=www.adac-motorsport.de |language=en}}</ref> He and his wife [[Sabine Schmitz]] founded the team together in 2005 and were partners in the operation until Schmitz's death in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guy |first=Jack |date=2021-03-17 |title=Sabine Schmitz, 'Queen of the Nürburgring,' dead at 51 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/17/motorsport/sabine-schmitz-death-scli-intl-spt |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>
One of Frikadelli Racing's most notable achievements came in 2023, when the team scored a breakthrough victory at the [[2023 24 Hours of Nürburgring]] with a [[Ferrari 296 GT3]], driven by [[Earl Bamber]], [[Nicky Catsburg]], [[Felipe Fernández Laser]], and [[David Pittard]].<ref name=":0" /> It was the first victory in the event for [[Ferrari]], and the first for a non-German manufacturer since 2002, when [[Zakspeed]] won the event with a [[Chrysler Viper GTS-R]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Euwema |first=Davey |date=2023-05-21 |title=Frikadelli Ferrari Ends German Dominance at N24 |url=https://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/frikadelli-ferrari-ends-german-dominance-at-n24/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=Sportscar365 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[http://www.abbelen.com Company website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbelen, Klaus}} [[Category:1960 births]] [[Category:German racing drivers]] [[Category:European Le Mans Series drivers]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Racing drivers from North Rhine-Westphalia]] [[Category:Porsche Supercup drivers]] [[Category:24 Hours of Spa drivers]] [[Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers]] [[Category:WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers]] [[Category:24H Series drivers]] [[Category:Nürburgring 24 Hours drivers]] [[Category:Le Mans Cup drivers]] [[Category:Porsche Carrera Cup Germany drivers]]
{{Germany-autoracing-bio-stub}} [[Category:GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup drivers]] [[Category:Prototype Cup Germany drivers]] [[Category:Vitaphone Racing drivers]] [[Category:FFSA GT Championship drivers]] [[Category:British GT Championship drivers]]