IMSA Performance Porsche Wins Barcelona 24
IMSA LS Group Performance claimed an impressive overall victory at the Hankook 24H Barcelona last weekend on its endurance racing return, overcoming a race-long scrap with new GT3 Teams’ champion Haas RT and three-time event winner Herberth Motorsport in the process.
Atlas BX Motorsport meanwhile, sealed the overall GT European Trophy honours in Catalunya, in its first full 24H SERIES powered by Hankook season no less, after a faultless run in GT4.
The pole-sitting #76 IMSA LS Group Performance Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Julien Andlauer, Grégory Guilvert, Simon Tirman and Laurent Hurgon, on its first start with CREVENTIC since 2017, spent a big chunk of the race in a multi-team battle.
The team’s major rivals throughout were the Haas RT Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II of Miika Panu, Mathieu Detry, Max Hofer, Gavin Pickering and Kris Cools and Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R of Ralf Bohn, Daniel Allemann, Robert Renauer, Alfred Renauer and Patrick Kolb, before the #76 crew took control overnight.
Despite leading 479 laps, the 2010 24H DUBAI winner was pushed hard and finished just 97 seconds clear of Haas RT. Such was the pace of the GT frontrunners that the winning Porsche demolished the CREVENTIC-era distance record at the Hankook 24H Barcelona, completing 29 laps more than WTM by Rinaldi Racing managed en route to overall victory last year.
“It’s been great, but it was a tough race,” Julien Andlauer explained. “All the other teams were pushing so much during the whole race, so no mistakes were allowed! We were pretty strong during the night, but it was tough in the beginning, and at the end, the [Haas RT] Audi was very, very quick and we were not sure, with the strategy, where we would end up for the last stint.
“A lot happened during the last Code 60s too, so we really had to push for the last couple of hours to be safe. But it was a fantastic job by the whole crew. Everyone did great, and [the result] couldn’t be better.
“I have to say it’s a great achievement for the team, back in endurance racing after so many years. We made no mistakes, the pace was pretty good and for two of us, this was the first time at a 24-hour race, so this will be quite special for them. The whole team did great and it’s what they deserve.”
The overall runners-up spot for Haas RT was enough to secure the Antiguan team the GT3 Teams’ title in its first full season of motor racing.
Meanwhile, a seemingly innocuous spin into the turn three gravel trap shortly before half-distance – while leading – ended up causing significant problems for Herberth Motorsport, when gravel blocked the Porsche’s vent pipe. Unable to take on fuel, the 991.2 GT3 R had to pit several times before the issue was cleared, by which point Herberth had lost three laps and dropped to 5th. Impressive pace during the night however meant the three-time Hankook 24H Barcelona winner was able to recover and the final spot on the overall podium.
Outgoing GT European Trophy winner Scherer Sport PHX’s #1 Audi R8 LMS EVO II of Michael Doppelmayr, Pierre Kaffer, Elia Erhart, Christer Jöns and Swen Herberger overcame a puncture and an earlier moment in the gravel to finish fourth overall. The #1 R8 led home the Car Collection Motorsport Porsche 992 GT3 R on the road by just 14.9 seconds, although the latter was later docked one lap for failing fulfil the minimum ‘Am’ driving time.
CP Racing’s Mercedes of Charles Putman, Charles Espenlaub, Joe Foster, Shane Lewis and Philip Quaife had looked on course to finish fourth overall and claim GT3-Am class victory, but ended up retiring just 90 minutes before the end with a propshaft failure. Despite the disappointment, the American team was still able to secure the GT3-AM Teams’ title ahead of the E2P Racing Porsche 991 GT3 R, which lost several hours during the night to a drivetrain issue.
The #34 Land Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II was the beneficiary of CP Racing’s misfortune, securing its first GT3-AM class win of the season – and sixth overall in Barcelona – after a quiet run. The #72 Juta Racing Audi finished second in GT3 Am, while the #11 Hofor Racing Mercedes completed the class podium.
Elsewhere, after a race-long fight for the 992 class victory between Red Ant Racing’s #903 crew of Ayrton Redant, Yannick Redant, Kobe de Breucker and Huub van Eijndhoven the #909 Red Camel- Jordans.nl entry of Ivo Breukers, Rik Breukers, Luc Breukers and Fabian Danz went down to the wire, the latter eventually came out on top by 26.7 seconds.
Newly-crowned 992-Am Teams’ champion RPM Racing meanwhile bounced back from an accident in Free Practice to take its third class win of the season.
The Razoon – More Than Racing KTM GTX Bow driven by Daniel Drexel, Christian Loimayr, Artur Chwist and Dominik Olbert took a closely fought win in GTX, despite being ordered to pit when its rear wing started to collapse on Sunday morning. The Austrian team was followed over the line by the returning #758 VDS Racing Adventures MARC II V8, which also hit trouble when its right rear wheel detached itself on-track.
Atlas BX Motorsports sealed its fourth event win of 2023 in GT4, and its second Hankook 24H BARCELONA class win in succession, after an untroubled run for its Mercedes-AMG GT4 and three-time Overall TCE Teams’ champion Wolf-Power Racing secured a long-awaited first TCR win for its Audi RS3 LMS, despite losing time early on with a driveshaft failure.
With its European season now in the bag, CREVENTIC’s endurance racing program continues in 2023 with the second annual Hankook 12H KUWAIT on 7-8-9 December, round one of the Dutch promoter’s 2023/2024 Middle East Trophy.
Image courtesy of 24H Series
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