Weekly Racing Roundup (5.1.23)

Strong Start for GetSpeed as GT Open Kicks Off

Al Manar Racing by GetSpeed made a strong start to the new International GT Open season as Fabian Schiller and Al Faisal Al Zubair finished first and second in the pair of races at Portimao.

A greatly increased field of 32 GT3 cars got the campaign underway in Portugal, with David Fumanelli leading from pole position in Race 1 aboard the No. 11 Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020.

Fumanelli faced sustained pressure from Yannick Mettler and Karol Basz, while Al Zubair followed closely in the highest-positioned Pro car.

Al Zubair pitted earliest out of the front-runners, which helped to bring Schiller out into the lead. The Mercedes-AMG factory driver remained ahead until the checkered flag, finishing 15 seconds ahead of Charlie Fagg who charged to second in Optimum Motorsport’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

The second race saw Schiller make the best start, with AF Corse Ferrari driver Eddie Cheever slotting into second and Christopher Haase into third.

Schiller stretched away from Cheever and was 7.5 seconds clear when they pitted, but Al Zubair dropped to third after taking over once the success penalties had shaken out.

Al Zubair slotted in behind new leader Marcos Siebert, who had taken over the Team Motopark Mercedes-AMG from Diego Menchaca, and Haase’s co-driver Simon Reicher in Eastalent Racing’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

After dispatching Reicher, Al Zubair set his sights on Siebert but the Argentinian driver kept the GetSpeed-prepared Mercedes-AMG at bay to win by two seconds.

RESULTS: Race 1 / Race 2

Double Delight for Gidley at NOLA

Memo Gidley won both GT America powered by AWS races at NOLA Motorsports Park to increase his early-season lead in the SRO3 championship standings.

The TKO Motorsports driver twice converted pole to victory in the No. 101 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, putting himself 19 points clear of Jason Daskalos after two rounds.

Gidley dominated the opening race, setting off to a 13-second winning margin, but the battle for second was closer and involved Daskalos defending from Adam Adelson.

As tire wear came into play during the latter stages of the 40-minute contest, Daskalos and Adelson came under pressure from Antony Bartone and George Kurtz.

Bartone first overtook Adelson for second with a braking move into Turn 13, before Kurtz got past both drivers on the run down to Turn 1.

However, Bartone’s attempt at a repeat move up the inside at Turn 13 ended in contact that rotated Kurtz’s Mercedes-AMG around and incurred a 44-second penalty.

Daskalos went on to claim second, ahead of Adelson and Kurtz, who went on to improve on his result by two positions in the second race.

As Gidley drove away to another clear win, Kurtz tailed Daskalos for most of the duration until he seized second by scything past his fellow Mercedes-AMG driver through the esses.

Ross Chouest and Elias Sabo shared the weekend spoils in the GT4 category.

RESULTS: Race 1 / Race 2

First Win for Porsche in GTWC Australia

Yasser Shahin and Garnet Patterson delivered the first overall victory for Porsche in Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS during the second round of the season at Wanneroo Raceway near Perth.

The EMA Motorsport pairing won the opening 60-minute race before Max Hofer and Liam Talbot returned Audi to the top spot in the second encounter.

Talbot made the best start to Race 1 and opened an early five-second lead, but that evaporated after 15 minutes when the Audi driver made a mistake at the final corner, enabling JAMEC Racing driver Geoff Emery to pounce.

More trouble befell Talbot later in the stint when he made contact with Justin McMillan, causing terminal damage to both cars.

Emery soaked up the pressure from Shahin at the head of the field, but the order changed during the pit stops as Patterson came out in front.

Patterson crossed the line a second ahead of Whincup, who shared the No. 88 Triple Eight Race Engineering Mercedes-AMG with Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim and came out best in a battle with Emery’s co-driver Christopher Mies.

Talbot atoned for his Race 1 retirement by taking victory in the second race alongside his Audi Sport factory co-driver Hofer who gradually drew clear from Jordan Love early on.

Mies overtook Love for second before the pit stops, after which Talbot led by around 10 seconds with Emery in second, Prince Jefri Ibrahim in third and Love’s co-driver Tony Bates in fourth.

Talbot increased his advantage to around half a minute as Emery and Ibrahim completed the podium, ahead of Shahin in the EMA Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R.

RESULTS: Perth

Other Racing Action & News

***Prototype Cup Germany opened its second season at Hockenheim last weekend with a 15-car field of LMP3 cars from Duqueine, Ligier and Ginetta. Oscar Tunjo and Julien Apotheloz won the first race for JvO Racing by Downforce Motorsports, while the Racing Experience duo of Markus Pommer and Gary Hauser prevailed in the second contest and took an early points lead. Race 1 / Race 2

***The Ultimate Cup Series was in action at Navarra, where Racing Spirit of Leman won the four-hour endurance prototype race with a Nova Proto NP02. The Visiom Ferrari squad won the corresponding four-hour GT race by a one-lap margin.

***Several Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS entries were announced last week. 2021 DTM champion Maximilian Goetz will partner with Jeffrey Lee in the first of two confirmed Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos for Craft-Bamboo Racing.

***Additionally, 2018 GTWC Asia champion Dennis Lind will return to the series driving for Chinese outfit Climax Racing. Lind is set to share a new Type-992 Porsche 911 GT3 R with team owner Zhou Bihuang, while Climax is also fielding a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for Hu Yuqi and Bian Ye.

***Phantom Pro Racing is bringing two Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo IIs to the GTWC Asia grid. Reigning China Endurance Champion and Audi Sport Asia Trophy winner Chris Chia will be joined by Danish racer Mikkel Mac. The other car features Cao Qi and Kang Ling.

More News

***DTM title winner Schubert Motorsport will continue in ADAC GT Masters this year with a single BMW M4 GT3, halving its commitment from last year. Ben Green remains with the German squad for a second season while his co-driver Eduardo Coseteng is set for his GT racing debut after a prior stint in British Formula 4. Schubert fielded two BMWs in GT Masters last year.

***Liqui-Moly Team Engstler will make its GT Masters debut with an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II driven by a South African-Chinese pairing. Kwanda Mokoena and Dylan Yip will line up for Engstler, which is expanding into GT Masters and the DTM after achieving success in TCR Germany.

***Inception Racing will make an Intelligent Money British GT Championship cameo in this weekend’s Silverstone 500. Brendan Iribe will be joined by Lexus factory driver Ben Barnicoat for the one-off entry with an Optimum-run McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

***Greystone GT has added a third McLaren for the three-hour Silverstone enduro. GT Open race winner Fran Rueda will share the wheel with Andrew Gilbert. Additionally, Blackthorn Motorsport will make its series debut with an Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

***Toyota recently produced the 100th example of the Toyota GR Supra GT4, just over three years after the car’s sales launch in March 2020. Toyota updated the vehicle with an EVO kit last year.

**Imperiale Racing’s second Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 for the Italian GT Endurance Championship will be driven by Jack Bartholemew and Manuel Garcia, with the third driver still to be confirmed. Bartholomew competed in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe three years ago, while Paraguayan racer Garcia comes from TC2000 Series Argentina.

On this weekend: Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America (Miami), Super GT (Fuji), 24H Series (Spa-Francorchamps), Intelligent Money British GT Championship (Silverstone)