Matt Griffin and Duncan Cameron won Race 2 at the Nürburgring (today under the sun, but still in the cold), their second success of the season, and an emotional and champagne-less one as AF Corse could pay the best tribute to Pietro Stragliati, their co-worker who lost his life on Thursday in a tragic accident in the paddock, while working for the Trofeo Maserati. The V8 Racing Corvette of Nicki Pastorelli-Miguel Ramos took second ahead of yesterday’s winners Luca Filippi-Andrea Montermini (Villorba Ferrari). These three teams are now detaching themselves in the championship in reversed order.
In GTS, there was another double win for the BhaiTech McLarens, this time with Rafel Suzuki-Giorgio Pantano ahead of Luis Razia-Chris Van der Drift. The Kessel Ferrari of Nicola De Marco-Lorenzo Bontempelli took third.
At the start, poleman Pastorelli keps the advantage despite the furious attacks of Filippi, while Camathias is touched and spins in the middle of the group hopefully without any contact. The Mercedes of Seyffarth is also touched on the rear left.
In first lap, Pastorelli passes first ahead of Filippi, Bleekemolen, Griffin, Pantano, Ladygin, then De Marco, who has to battle to keep behind him Razia, Deverikos, and Longin, then Beretta, Hamilton and Rugolo, while Seyffarth has to stop in the pits. All the emotion is in the fight for 7th, with De Marco sort of holding his opponents, more and more numerous and nervous. Longin spins in lap 6, then Costantini and Beretta collide in lap 9, while one lap later, Razia finally passes De Marco. In the meantime, Griffin has passed Bleekemolen for third, while Pastorelli leads by 3.8 seconds on Filippi.
After the pit stops (which see the Villorba Ferrari and the V8 Corvette serving heavy handicaps, 45″ and 30″ respectively), Cameron is in the lead with 13 seconds over Di Guida, soon passed by Ramos. Fourth is Maleev, also passed by Montermini and Suzuki, then Tutumlu, Bontempelli, Schirò and Van der Drift.
Di Guida cannot hold Montermini (lap 19), losing positions also to Suzuki (who takes GTS lead), Maleev and Tutumlu. In lap 20, the Venezuelan spins, and soon after Tutumlu hits Maleev ruining the race of both. Cameron is still leading from Ramos and Montermini, but the three are now within 11 seconds. Suzuki is fourth and first GTS ahead of Schirò, Van der Drift, Rosell (who has got a penalty for not erving the entire handicap), Bontempelli and Talkanitsa. Positions will not change except for Sijthoff spinning in lap 24.
Source : International GT Open