Gounon Focused on Kyalami Pro-Am Honors With SunEnergy1

Photo: Jules Gounon FB

Jules Gounon said he’s focused on helping secure the Pro-Am class win for SunEnergy1 by SPS in this weekend’s Kyalami 9 Hour before considering making a points haul in the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli championship.

Gounon, Kenny Habul and Luca Stolz head into the second round of the IGTC season atop the overall drivers’ standings following their historic outright victory in the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

While split up between two Pro-Am class entries this weekend, Gounon and Habul are again sharing a SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo alongside Silver-rated Swiss racer Yannick Mettler.

Gounon set the quickest time of the day on Thursday, having topped two of the three timed sessions in preparation for Saturday’s enduro.

The Andorra-based Frenchman explained to Sportscar365 that his ride in the SPS Automotive Performance-run entry only materialized after the Bathurst win earlier this month.

“This came a bit late,” Gounon said. “I think it was dependent on the points that we scored in Bathurst and AMG would send the drivers that scored the most points to the other customers.

“The start of the season was fantastic. To start with the win at the 24 Hours of Daytona plus then winning Bathurst a third time in a row for me and back-to-back for Kenny [Habul] and Luca [Stolz].

“I think it was something extraordinary and that we should really enjoy. I’m feeling blessed about this.”

Gounon, who won last year’s Kyalami 9 Hour race overall in Akkodis-ASP’s Mercedes, said his focus this weekend is helping Bronze-rated Habul score maximum points in the newly renamed Independent Cup.

The U.S.-based Australian forfeited Independent Cup points at Bathurst as he was registered in a Pro class entry, although rules allow for one drop score out of the five races in the globe-trotting GT3 series.

“Thanks to Kenny, I’m here with him to help him to win in Pro-Am for his IGTC title defense because he’s been the reigning and back-to-back [Pro-Am Challenge] champion,” Gounon explained.

“On top of that if we can do a nice result outright, why not?

“Our main goal is to really focus on us, do a good job. I think we always take the racing with humbleness. You should always stick to being humble, work hard in silence.

“There are very few cars so we don’t expect a lot of yellows. It’s going to be a race on pure pace. Let’s see how it turns out.”

With Gounon set for full-time programs in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup and Intelligent Money British GT Championship this year, he’s unsure if he’ll contest further IGTC rounds beyond the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

The Belgian endurance classic doubles as a round of GTWC Europe Endurance Cup, meaning Gounon will be with his season-long team at Spa and not with SunEnergy1.

“I don’t know yet,” Gounon said on his prospects for the rest of the IGTC season.

“In AMG they privilege the ones that have the most points, so let’s see how it goes afterwards for Indianapolis and Abu Dhabi. But one step at a time.

“There’s a lot of races. I think it’s important for me to focus on one race at a time.”

Gounon “Still on the Cloud” from Third Straight Bathurst Win

The 28-year-old, who now races under an Andorran license, said he feels like he’s still on top of the world after becoming the first three-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner.

“It’s pretty amazing because that track is so hard, you feel when you win at that place, it’s something that means a lot,” Gounon said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win Spa twice, Daytona, GT Masters and now Bathurst three times.

“I think Bathurst is always something special because the track is so dangerous and so old school that you feel you are kind of playing with your life a bit.

“When you win there, you really feel alive, when you go against the walls at 220-plus km/h, it’s a unique feeling.

“After driving in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with 50 meters of run-off area, it’s totally different.

“I think that’s why I love that track, [also] the British tracks like Oulton Park and Brands Hatch. For me this is racing, when you have very little margin for error.”

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