6Hrs COTA - LMGTE post race news round up
Aston Martin’s Double-Win in Austin (Pro and Am)
Aston Martin Racing has won both the GTE Pro and GTE Am classes of the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Austin, in a dramatic race that saw the drivers and team deal with torrential rain and hours of darkness.
For the full story, go to Aston Martin Racing's website HERE
Best Porsche Team Manthey 911 RSR scores second
At the six-hour race on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, the Porsche 911 RSR finished second in the GTE-Pro class. At the action-packed fourth round of the Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC, the French Porsche works drivers Patrick Pilet and Frédéric Makowiecki looked like they might even bring home their second win of the season for the Porsche Manthey squad in front of 50.000 spectators. But although they held the lead until shortly before the finish, they were ultimately beaten to the flag after a spirited fight by a mere 16 seconds.
For more news on Porsche's LMGTE competitors at COTA, click HERE
AF Corse (Pro and Am)
Third step on the podium and retention of the championship lead. Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander, in the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia #51, finished the “6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas” – fourth event in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) – with a result that does not change the top position in the GT Driver standing. Bruni and Vilander have 106 points, 25 ahead of Makowiecki. Ferrari is first in the GT Manufactures classification with 157 points. Staying in the GTE Pro category, Davide Rigon and James Calado took the chequered flag in the American race in fifth position.
In the GTE Am category, Luis Perez Companc, Marco Cioci and Mirko Venturi, in their AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia #61, gained the fourth spot. The three drivers have third position in the GTE Am Driver standing with 76 points. At the end of the “6 Hour of Circuit of the Americas”, the 8Star Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia #90 – managed by AF Corse – was fifth with Gianluca Roda, Paolo Ruberti and Jeff Segal. Their race result was affected by the suspension of the race while they were in pit lanewhile there was 7th position for Steve Wyatt, Michele Rugolo and Andrea Bertolini in the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia #81.
Corvette Racing
Hard Rain Leads to Hard Luck for Team America. Indeed sometimes when it rains, it does pour… as was the case Saturday for Corvette Racing’s No. 65 Konica Minolta/Michelin Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. The entry of Tommy Milner, Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor was a victim of cruel luck as the trio finished seventh in the GTE Pro class of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Six Hours of Circuit of The Americas. The Konica Minolta/Michelin Corvette was the only All-American entry in the FIA WEC field. It followed the earlier TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race in which Corvette Racing ran its two full-season Corvette C7.Rs.
Milner drove a solid opening stint that saw him quickly move up a position thanks to laps that were consistent with the leading cars. He spun the Corvette midway through his stint but immediately began setting quick laps again. He handed off to Jordan Taylor at the one-hour mark, but 30 minutes later heavy rain pelted the circuit and caused numerous cars to slide off track in the monsoon.
For more information go to the team's website
ProSpeed Competition
Pole Position - First major step for ProSpeed Competition. Austin, Texas, in the south of the USA was the meeting place for the fourth round of the World Endurance Championship. For ProSpeed Competition it turned into an important rendezvous in the annals of the Belgian team. For the first time the brand new “Type 991” Porsche 911 GT3 RSR was competing. The French drivers François Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and Matthieu Vaxivière, who was back in action following his accident in Monaco, promptly grabbed the Belgian team's first pole position in the WEC, a brilliant way in which to welcome the new German GT car.
