Leonardo Pulcini and Benja Hites are back in the race for the InternationaL GT Open championship after winning Race 2 at the Red Bull Ring yesterday, their fourth success of the season.
After some set-backs, the Chilean-Italian pair had a faultless race that elsewhere saw two safety-car periods. They completed a perfect weekend for Oregon Team, who won yesterday with Glenn Van Berlo-Kevin Gilardoni.
Saturday’s winners were eighth in Race 2 but keep a 1-point advantage in the standings on their teammates (99 to 98 points).
Steve Jens and Sébastian Baud took a great second with the GetSpeed Mercedes, ahead of the surprise of the day, the Aust Motorsport Audi of Dino Steiner-Max Hofer, who win in Pro-Am after having led the race for some laps.
Adam Osieka and Kiki San Nana (GetSpeed) took their second success in Am.
It was a lively start under overcast skies. Karol Basz (Olimp Racing Audi), in pole for the second time this year, made a good start with Osborne, Hofer, Jefferies and Pulcini fighting hard right behind.
Basz pulled away and built up a 1.5-second advantage over Osborne, Hofer, Jefferies, Pulcini and Korzeniowski in full fight and closely followed by
Valente, Christodoulou and Baud.
On lap 5, there is a short intervention of the safety-car, because Kirchmayr spun after being hit by a Lamborghini. At the restart, Basz kept the lead but Hofer managed to pass Osborne for second, while Jefferies ran a little bit wide at turn 1 but kept third, although constantly under pressure from Pulcini, who managed to mrwek the pass on lap 14.
On top, Hofer came back into the wheel tracks of Basz, as the pit stop window opened on lap 16. The duel intensified between the two, and the Austrian managed to pass n lap 21, although the fight would continue until both pitted on lap 22 and beyond with Steiner and Jedlinski taking over the duel, which ended when there was contact between the two at turn 4, with the Pole hitting the barrier and getting stuck in the gravel.
The safety-car was out, but only for a very short time as there was immediately a big crash in the braking zone of turn 1, as a light rain starts to fall. Hirsch missed the braking point crashing into Juffal and Neumann who collected Van Berlo. There is severe damage to the three first cars.
The final restart only allowed for two laps of racing, with Hites passing Steiner in turn 2, imitated shortly after by Jens, while Steiner managed to maintain the lead in Pro-Am for the class win and third overall ahead of Osborne and Kranz. Osieka would take the win in AM after a 10-second penalty for
the Antonelli Mercedes for not serving their entire pitstop handicap.
22-14 GTO RBR Race 2 Result22-14 GTO RBR Race 2 Result
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