Turkey Wins Qualifying Race 2, Pole for Main Race

Photo: Dirk Bogaerts/SRO

Turkey won the second and final qualifying race for the FIA GT Nations Cup and will start this evening’s main race from pole position.

Salih Yoluc survived a hectic final restart to take his RAM Racing-run Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the win in the second race of the weekend at Bahrain International Circuit.

His co-driver Ayhancan Guven assumed the lead early in the race after the pole-sitting Belgian entry spun at the first corner. 

He was caught in a battle with Denmark’s Johnny Laursen for the lead before the French car of Jim Pla and Jean-Luc Beaubelique became the main challenger for the lead later in the race.

Beaubelique spun on the restart, which came after a ten-minute safety car period to clear debris, and dropped back down the field, allowing Alexander Mattschull to move into second for Germany.

He was later passed by a charging Chris Buncombe who eventually finished second for the United Kingdom, ahead of Mattschill.

The Russian and Argentine entries were classified fourth and fifth.

The main race will get underway at 7:30 p.m. and will decide the inaugural FIA GT Nations Cup champions. 

RESULTS: Qualifying Race 2

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.