Motor Racing Legends celebrated the 20th anniversary of GT3 this weekend by staging two GT3 Legends races as part of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. A special trophy was presented to Stéphane Ratel, the creator of the category.
Motor Racing Legends celebrated the 20th anniversary of GT3 this weekend by staging two GT3 Legends races alongside the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. A special trophy was presented to Stéphane Ratel, the creator of the category.
Launched in 2006, the GT3 category entered the world of historic racing last year thanks to Motor Racing Legends. Eligible cars are those homologated by the FIA between 2006 and 2012, and they may be entered in their 2015 technical specifications.
The series quickly found its rhythm, with three events this season and grids regularly exceeding 20 cars: Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of GT3, Motor Racing Legends organised two GT3 Legends races this weekend alongside the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. The program for the celebration included two 50-minute races on Friday and Saturday, held in sweltering heat, with air temperatures of 35°C and track temperatures of 55°C. On the starting grid, a special anniversary trophy was presented to Stéphane Ratel, the creator of the category and organiser of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Pierre-Antoine Lecoutour, CEO of Motor Racing Legends: “Twenty years ago, Stéphane Ratel launched the GT3 category. This set of regulations has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become the most prolific in global endurance racing, as evidenced by the 65 cars on the grid at today’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. To celebrate this 20th anniversary, Motor Racing Legends is delighted to present a symbolic trophy to Stéphane. And above all, I hope he enjoyed the show put on by our field, and that some of the cars brought back great memories for him.”
Race 1 – Friday, June 26 Click here for Race 1 Replay
The opening race was driven by the duel between poleman Graham Davidson and Danny Winstanley. For more than 30 minutes, the latter tried repeatedly to overtake at various points on the circuit – La Source, Les Combes and even at the foot of Raidillon at Eau Rouge – without success. The driver of the #78 Audi R8 LMS Ultra eventually found a way past the #47 Aston Martin V12 Vantage on the inside at Bruxelles…for nothing! In the end, both drivers were penalised: 65 seconds for Winstanley (speeding in the pit lane) and 10 seconds for Davidson (track limits infringement). Victory ultimately went to the Neary family, Richard and his son Sam, in the #30 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3.
Sam Neary, winner of the first race with his father Richard in the No. 30 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: “It was terrible. It's probably the worst-feeling car I've ever had. The tyres went off, and we were a lot slower – about nine seconds – by the end. The team told me that Graham Davidson had a penalty, so I stayed behind, monitored the water temperature, and managed myself. The car was missing something. It was bloody hot. And I'm really happy – the team did a mega job.”
Race 2 – Saturday, June 27 - Click here for Race 2 Replay
Starting from fifth, Charlie Kennedy surprised everyone on the opening lap. Already third at La Source hairpin, the driver of the #23 Nissan GT-R passed Danny Winstanley on the run down to Eau Rouge, then Graham Davidson up the Kemmel straight. The race was then disrupted by two short safety car periods following off-track excursions by Jeff Smith (#46 Audi R8 LMS Ultra) and James Parker (#77 Lamborghini Gallardo GT3) at the double left-hander of Pouhon. Defending hard, Charlie Kennedy managed to hold the lead until his pit stop. Marcus von Oeynhausen and his son Christoph then benefited from a shorter pitstop than the leader – penalised by 20 seconds due to his status as a 26-year-old solo driver – to take the lead, and they held on to it until the finish.
Christoph von Oeynhausen, winner of the second race with his father Marcus in the No. 45 BMW Z4: “The Belgians love our Marc VDS Racing–liveried BMW. It's their car, and we are very happy to have brought it here. We did everything to get it here, and we took first place in the end. That's fantastic. My father is an experienced driver. He knows his stuff. I think I can always count on him because he does everything right and he defends like a king, and it is just really nice to be on the podium with him. It couldn't be better. It couldn't be better.”
