SunEnergy1 Closing In on Pro-Am Challenge Title

Photo: Regis Lefebure/SRO

SunEnergy1 Racing’s Kenny Habul and Martin Konrad could clinch the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli Pro-Am Challenge title in this weekend’s Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS with one race still to spare, following a strong start to the season.

The U.S.-based Australian, who has two previous IGTC titles to his credit, claimed overall victory in the season-opening Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour prior to finishing second in the Pro-Am class at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa in July.

With no other drivers entered this weekend to score Pro-Am Challenge points besides Habul and fellow Bronze-rated co-driver Konrad, the title could theoretically be clinched if the No. 75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo is classified at the end of the race.

This comes despite the Pro-Am Challenge not offering a throw-away race as is the case this year with the Pro drivers and manufacturers’ titles.

Full-season drivers Habul and Konrad are joined by Mercedes-AMG ace Dominik Baumann in the Akkodis ASP-run entry this weekend.

“In 2018 I  won the Bronze Cup and then last year the Pro-Am Cup. This will be the third time for the same Cup, if possible. Touch wood,” Habul told Sportscar365.

“The car is really good. Our times are good. Marty is good. We raced here a few times, Marty and myself.

“Dominik is new to this place, but he put down a [1:]22.9 yesterday in his first few laps. He’s a really talented kid. We’re Looking good.

“I think, for us, it’s like every race [is] just about staying out of trouble. The starts can be problematic. You have more Bronzes here than normal. You’ve got to be careful as people learn the place.

“That’s it for me; just stay out of trouble.”

While entering Indy with a total of 40 points out of a maximum of 50, Habul has questioned SRO Motorsports Group’s scoring from Spa, which awarded him third place points despite finishing second on the road in the the Pro-Am class.

A SRO spokesperson explained to Sportscar365 this was because of registered Pro-Am Challenge drivers competing in the Gold Cup class at the Belgian endurance classic, which was an additional option for that race only.

Both Sky-Tempesta Racing’s Jonathan Hui and Brendan Iribe of Inception Racing finished ahead of the SunEnergy1 Mercedes in the overall results and therefore received first and second placed points in the Challenge.

“We came second in the Pro-Am but there was some discrepancy with the Gold Cup that we don’t understand,” Habul said.

“The Gold people took our points from second. We got points for third, although we finished second. Because the Gold Cup car was ahead of us. Apparently, it’s in the rules.

“I love SRO, but I don’t understand it. The Gold Cup also gets points for Pro-Am. For that race. In that race, unfortunately we got… for second, we should have got 18 [points]. But we got 15.

“And that car [Sky-Tempesta] is not in the Pro-Am [class at Spa]. I’m assuming they’ll fix it for next year. I’m not sure what that’s about. The Gold Cup should have a Gold Cup.

“If I had known that, theoretically, I wouldn’t have gone to Spa with two Bronzes. I would have had a Gold Cup car and I’d score points.

“You’re always going to do better with one Bronze versus two.

“Nothing against me or Marty, but it would be me, a Silver, a Gold and a Gold. For sure that’s better than Platinum/Gold/Bronze/Bronze or whatever we had.

“I don’t know about that, but we’re on 40 points.”

With neither Hui or Iribe present this weekend, or at Bathurst in May, the discrepancy is unlikely to play a factor in the championship outcome.

SunEnergy1 Planning Full-Season IGTC Return; Bathurst Prep

Habul is set for another globe-trotting season of racing in 2023, likely again kicking off at the Hankook 24H Dubai in January, where he scored a third place overall finish this year.

It will then be followed by the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the start of another full season of IGTC competition, beginning with Bathurst.

An outing in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS round at Mount Panorama in November could be in the cards for Habul to help gain extra seat time in preparation for the 12-hour.

“That’s the problem, even with the 12-hour: I think I had 12 laps before the race, between four drivers. You just couldn’t get enough time,” he explained.

“That’s one of the things I’m working on, with the organizers of that race, to give more time to the Bronze. They need a full two-hour session.

“Thirty minutes for a Bronze driver, when you have two, is nothing. By the time you come in, change tires and whatever, you’re lucky to get three or four laps each.

“So we’ll start with Bathurst, and the rest of the Intercontinental. Daytona will be thrown in. Maybe Sebring [as well].”

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