RNW Staff

After coming up just one lap shy of taking their first victory of the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at Road America earlier this month, Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry are once again aiming for the top step of the podium at VIRginia International Raceway for the Michelin GT Challenge on Saturday.

A famous outfit at a famous racetrack as BWT Mücke Motorsport raced at the Nürburgring last weekend. The circuit in the Eifel hosted the second race weekend of the 2020 ADAC GT Masters season. There was a high-calibre field of entries with 36 super sports cars and right in the thick of it, the two BWT Audi R8 LMS supercars from BWT Mücke Motorsport. Car #25 was driven by the two rookies Igor Walilko and Mike Beckhusen while Stefan Mücke and Ricardo Feller tackled the races in the #26.

The second race weekend of the ADAC GT Masters was totally dominated by one manufacturer: after victory on Saturday, Porsche triumphed again in the second race courtesy of Robert Renauer (35, GER) and Sven Müller (28, GER, both Precote Herberth Motorsport), who were claiming their first win of the season. Second place went to Charles Weerts (19, BEL) and Dries Vanthoor (22, BEL, both Team WRT) in the best-placed Audi R8 LMS as they finished ahead of Lamborghini works drivers Franck Perera (36, FRA) and (Albert Costa Balboa (30, ESP, both GRT Grasser Racing Team). “What a great victory,” said a delighted Robert Renauer. “That was some small recompense for our unfortunate season opener at the Lausitzring.”

COOL Racing claimed the second podium of its debut FIA World Endurance Championship season in the LMP2 class with a second-place finish at the TOTAL 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in wet and changeable conditions.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing returned to winning ways in the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a one-two victory in a dramatic and rain-affected Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the sixth round of the season.

The Porsche GT Team has scored its second win of the season at round six of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. The reigning GTE-Pro world champions Kévin Estre from France and Michael Christensen from Denmark took the flag in first place at the wheel of the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. In a chaotic race with heavy rain and three safety car phases, the factory squad kept cool at all times. Implementing a perfect tactic and with a strong driving performance, the successful team of the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart won the race from pole position. Italy’s Gianmaria Bruni and his Austrian teammate Richard Lietz achieved fifth place in the ca. 515 hp sister car with the starting number 91. In the GTE-Am category, the experienced Dempsey-Proton Racing customer squad finished the race in second place.

United Autosports have won round six of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Spa in Belgium today, as racing resumed after the extended break.

The LMGTE Am class leaders, Perrodo, Collard and Nielsen, recorded an extraordinary triumph at the wheel of the 488 GTE of AF Corse in the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the sixth round of FIA WEC Season 8. The trio executed a perfect performance in a race complicated by the weather. In the LMGTE Pro class, the Ferraris put in a great performance in the first four hours, when rain and the alternation between dry and wet allowed the drivers to compensate for the pace limit due to Balance of Performance. Pier Guidi executed some brilliant passes to take the race lead. When the track finally dried out, car no. 51 almost claimed a place on the podium, while car no. 71 completed the six hours in sixth position.

Aston Martin Racing fought back from adversity in a fiercely-contested Total 6 Hours of Spa – Round 6 of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) – to record a hugely competitive double-podium in Belgium and maintain its convincing lead in the GT Manufacturers’ and GTE Pro Drivers’ standings.

Michael Ammermüller (34, GER) and Christian Engelhart (33, GER) cruised to victory in Saturday’s ADAC GT Masters race at the Nürburgring. The Porsche duo not only chalked up the first win of the season for the 911 GT3 R but also a maiden victory for Munich-based outfit SSR Performance. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of current championship leaders Luca Stolz (25, GER) and Maro Engel (34, Monte Carlo, both Toksport WRT) crossed the finish line 0.7 seconds behind in P2. The third and final spot on the podium was secured on the final lap by last year’s champions Patric Niederhauser (28, CH) and Kelvin van der Linde (24, ZA, both Rutronik Racing) in the best of the large Audi R8 LMS contingent. “What an amazing day,” said a jubilant Michael Ammermüller. “First the pole position and now the victory. The team gave us a perfect car today.”

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will start the sixth round of the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) from second and third on the grid after a solid qualifying session for the Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps today.

In qualifying for the six-hour race of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC in Spa-Francorchamps, the Porsche GT Team has secured a solid starting position. In the hunt for top times in Belgium’s Ardennes, Michael Christensen from Denmark and the Frenchman Kévin Estre initially planted the ca. 515-hp Porsche 911 RSR (#92) on pole position, only to eventually lose it. According to race officials, Estre had breached regulations by exceeding the track limits during his flying lap. His lap time was voided and the vehicle was relegated to the last position. In the No. 91 sister car, his works driver colleagues Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Richard Lietz (Austria) scored position three in the fiercely contested GTE-Pro class. In the GTE-Am category, three Porsche 911 RSR (model year 2017) fielded by the customer teams Dempsey-Proton Racing and Project 1 locked out the first three grid spots. Christian Ried from Germany, factory driver Matt Campbell (Australia) and the Italian Riccardo Pera will take up round six of the 2019/2020 FIA WEC on Saturday from position one.

The Ferraris struggled in qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, with AF Corse’s two 488 GTEs fourth and fifth in the LMGTE Pro class, while in the LMGTE Am class AF Corse no. 83 was the best-placed of the Maranello cars in fifth. This performance was down to the power imbalance between the Ferraris and their rivals, further amplified by the technical characteristics of the Belgian track.

Aston Martin Racing celebrated its return to active duty, following the coronavirus lockdown, with a first ever front-row lock-out for the Aston Martin Vantage GTE in qualifying for the Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, Round 6 of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), in Belgium, on Friday.

Audi driver Patric Niederhauser (28, CH, Rutronik Racing) set the fastest lap in the first ADAC GT Masters free practice session at the Nürburgring. Last year’s champion topped the timesheets ahead of Mick Wishofer (20, AUT, Team Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing) in the best of the Mercedes-AMG contingent and Jordan Pepper (24, ZA, T3-HRT-Motorsport) driving the only Bentley in the field.

Over 7 kms in the middle of the Blue Ardennes. Blue like the dominant color of the livery of the number 47 Dallara LMP2, that is ready to re-start the engine alongside the circus of FIA WEC Championship.

With escalating Covid-19 numbers in Victoria, increased restrictions have hampered an earlier start to the 2020 Australian GT Championship season than had been proposed forcing organisers to again postpone the start of the sprint campaign until the Bathurst 1000 in October.

After a thrilling season opener at the Lausitzring, the teams and drivers travel to the Nürburgring next weekend (14th- 16th August) for the second fixture of the 2020 ADAC GT Masters. Among the field of 36 super sports cars will be the championship leading Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo of Toksport WRT driven by Luca Stolz (25, GER) and Maro Engel (34, Monte Carlo). Toksport are based in the surrounding Eifel region and regard this as their home race. Formula 1 star Nico Hülkenberg (34, Monte Carlo, Team mcchip-dkr) initially planned a guest entry at Nürburgring, but is now in a limbo. After this strong comeback in Silverstone, Hülkenberg is on call for Racing Point in Formula 1, which a guest entry in a Lamborghini his other option for the weekend.

Seven months after the last race held at the Circuit of the Americas and following the radical alterations to the calendar brought by the pandemic, the FIA WEC World Championship is back with the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Five 488 GTEs will tackle the challenging Belgian track in the last round before the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As announced a few days ago, the 24 Hours will be held behind closed doors, just like next weekend’s race in the Ardennes.

After missing out on an overall Sprint Cup title for the first time last year, Belgian Audi Club Team WRT made a spectacular return to form as GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS staged its first triple-header weekend at Misano.