Moscow Pre-Race Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***Markus Winkelhock will be driving solo today after co-driver Niki Mayr-Melnhof was forced to leave the circuit due to a family emergency. As a result, the No. 6 Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra, which qualified second, will not score team or driver points, with no minimum time set for its mandatory pit stop.

***The last driver to race solo in the Blancpain Sprint Series was Alex Zanardi, who was eligible to score points throughout last year’s championship due to receiving special dispensation.

***The No. 56 Attempto Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Sergej Chukanov and Ivan Samarin has been moved up to the Pro Cup class after starting the weekend in Pro-Am Cup. The pairing did not qualify for Silver Cup, due to both drivers being over the age of 25.

***It has resulted in a reduced three-car entry for the Pro-Am Cup, with class pole having gone to the No. 71 GT Russian Team Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 of Marko Asmer.

***The sister No. 70 car was rebuilt overnight following an accident in Friday’s Free Practice. Alexey Vasilyev flew overnight to the team’s workshop in Prague to retrieve spare parts and only arrived moments before the start of the qualifying session.

***Both BMW and Nissan have struggled so far this weekend, with the No. 0 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil BMW Z4 GT3 of Sergio Jimenez the highest-placed in 10th overall, and not advancing to Q3. The No. 73 MRS GT Racing Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, meanwhile, qualified 14th overall.

***Be sure to download the official SRO Spotter Guide, which features all 18 starters for today’s pair of races, including the new livery for the No. 84 HTP Bentley Continental GT3. Click here to download the latest version.

***Eurosport 2 will carry live coverage of Saturday’s Main Race, beginning at 4 p.m. CET, with Mark Cole and Stuart Hall as commentators. North American viewers can watch same-day coverage of the event on CBS Sports Network, on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET, with a re-air Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John