Perfetti Takes 935 to Victory in First Porsche GT2 Race at Spa

FIA World Endurance Championship racer Egidio Perfetti won the first of two Porsche single-make GT2 races being held at Spa this weekend.

Perfetti, who started from pole, controlled the race in his Porsche 935 after retaking the lead from James Sofronas on lap two and took the checkered flag 13.529 seconds ahead of Jan-Erik Slooten’s Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport.

Sofronas, who was driving an Uwe Alzen Automotive-entered Clubsport machine, made a perfect start from the second row to leapfrog Perfetti and Slooten into La Source.

However, the U.S. racer lost his advantage when Perfetti executed a dive down the inside into the 180-degree Bruxelles right-hander, before Slooten found a way past later on the lap.

Sofronas then appeared to hit trouble with an issue which forced him to pit on lap three and drop to last, promoting Klaus Abbelen to third in his 911 GT2 RS Clubsport.

At the front, Perfetti went on to extend his grip over the field while the margin between Slooten and Abbelen also drew out to more than 10 seconds by the end of the race.

Six-time Olympic track cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy and 2018 Le Mans GTE-Am class winner Christian Ried had an entertaining scrap over fourth position.

While Hoy initially appeared to have stabilized the gap heading into the final five minutes, Ried got a better run out of Raidillon to draft his way past on the penultimate lap.

The pair crossed the line half a second apart, while Philipp Neuffer finished behind in sixth place following a close four-way battle also involving Georg Bernsteiner, Steffen Goerig and Frank Kraeling.

Friday’s single-make event marked the first race involving cars built to SRO Motorsports Group’s new GT2 formula, while the category’s first multi-manufacturer race will be held in September.

A second contest for the 24H Spa Porsche support paddock is bookmarked for Saturday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. local time (7:15 a.m. eastern).