The ADAC GT Masters season finale at the Hockenheimring was dominated by highs and lows from the viewpoint of Reiter Engineering’s race team. The free practice and qualifying sessions and the first race were extremely disappointing for the race team supporting the ‘Bavarian Muscle Car’ SaReNi Camaro GT3: any hope of good positions in the two qualifying sessions disappeared with 19^th and 25^th positions in the two practice sessions. Twenty fifth position for Albert von Thurn und Taxis in first qualifying merely confirmed the muscle car’s previous performance during this final race weekend. However, ex-Formula 1 driver Tomas Enge gave a small glimmer of hope after taking 11^th place in second qualifying.

The team of mechanics put in a nightshift to try and locate the problem. The complete engine was removed and the setting change. Unfortunately, as things turned out in the first race on Saturday, without success: after the driver change, the starter motor failed while cranking the engine in the pit lane, the mechanics tried to bump start the Camaro. The technical problem delayed the pit stop to such an extent that Tomas Enge could only finish the race in last place after taking over the car from Albert von Thurn und Taxis.

“New day, new dawn” was the motto on Sunday: after Tomas Enge was demoted three grid positions in the Camaro – due to pushing the car in the pit lane yesterday – and started the final ADAC GT Masters race this year from 14^th place, the Czech made up four positions before the pit stop and driver change and handed over the black racer in 10^th position to his team mate Albert von Thurn und Taxis. He also demonstrated his driving skills and crossed the finish line in an excellent 8^th position.

“First I would like to congratulate Prosperia C. Abt Racing on winning the championship! They really deserved the title! Over our performance here at the Hockenheimring: I’m pleased that we did have a reasonably happy end to the race weekend. Eighth place really is an acceptable result,” said Hans Reiter, owner of Reiter Engineering, satisfied with today’s race. “Our goals for next season are clear: the Camaro has already shown this year that it can run at the front. Now we just have to be a little more reliable and a little bit faster,” outlined Reiter the goals for the forthcoming season.

True to the motto ‘after the race is before the race’, the problems with the starter motor will be solved during the coming week. The first tests are schedules in 2 weeks in Rijeka.