MIKI KOYAMA & CARRIE SCHREINER Take GT3s’ Absence & Run With It at NLS Light

July 7, 2025

by MIKA BÖCKER // from www.racers-behindthehelmet.com

• When GT3s stayed home for the NLS Light round, female drivers seized their moment at the Green Hell. CARRIE SCHREINER and JANINA SCHALL’s GirlsOnly BMW M4 GT4 qualified seventh overall with Schreiner setting a team record 8:33.857, while MIKI KOYAMA’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 slotted in ninth. The reduced traffic meant what drivers called “top qualifying” conditions normally reserved for the big boys—and these women were ready to capitalize.
• The race turned into a proper thriller between the female-driven GT4s battling for overall podium honors. Schreiner fought transmission oil temperature issues that forced cool-down laps, while her teammate Schall briefly became the fastest driver on track mid-race. KOYAMA and her co-driver Kotaka ran a steady campaign, staying patient as mechanical gremlins struck their competition. When the leading Golf expired with 20 minutes left, suddenly an overall podium was within reach for both teams.
• Drama struck in the final act when GirlsOnly received a 46-second penalty for a short pit stop, handing the overall podium to KOYAMA’s Toyota squad—third overall and second in SP8T class. The typically reserved Japanese team erupted in celebration while GirlsOnly had to settle for third in class after missing their shot at overall glory. Meanwhile, JANINA SCHALL extended her Ladies Trophy points lead over DESIREE MÜLLER, who finished fourth in Cup3 class despite late-race mechanical troubles.
• The NLS Light format proved what we’ve been saying all along—give these drivers equal machinery and track conditions, and they’ll deliver the goods. Without constantly dodging faster GT3 traffic, the women could finally show their true pace on the Nordschleife. Schreiner called the event “really cool” despite the heartbreak, and honestly, we need more opportunities like this where talent gets to shine without the usual disadvantages of mixed-class racing.

aston martin vantage amr gt4, nls, nurburgring, sp8t