Glorious sunshine greeted the competitors for the third round of the GT Sports Club, at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve. After the runaway win of Mario Cordoni in the qualifying race, everybody expected a repeat performance from the Italian Ferrari-driver in the Main Race.

But at the start Martin Lanting, second on the grid, surprised everybody by taking the lead, followed by Max Bianchi and Mario Cordoni. Soon both Italians passed the Iron Cup leader and the Kessel Racing and the AF Corse drivers ran away from the rest. Bianchi was able to fend off Cordoni’s attacks for most of the race, but on the 15th lap Cordoni managed to surprise the driver of the black Ferrari at the hairpin. Once he was in the lead Cordoni set a scorching pace, gaining over a second each lap. By winning the qualifying and main races, Cordoni is now in third in the overall standings and is still in contention for the title in the inaugural season of the GT Sports Club.

However, leading the standings with only the Misano round remaining is Max Bianchi. He turned a two point deficit into a two point lead, by twice finishing in front of Cedric Mezard. Chances are that the representatives of Kessel Racing and Scuderia Villorba Corse will decide the title fight among them, even though Mario Cordoni, Stefano Pezzucchi (absent in Algarve) and Martin Lanting still have a chance as well.

Lanting is almost sure to take the title in the Iron Cup, reserved for drivers over sixty. With his AF Corse Ferrari he took both wins, even though Stephen Earle finished a close second on his GT Sports Club-debut. Lanting now has a 26-point advantage over Belgian Louis-Philippe Soenen and with 33 points up for grabs at the final round in Misano, it seems that only a stroke of bad luck can prevent Lanting from taking the inaugural Iron Cup title.

Next event 3rd - 4th October: Misano (Blancpain Sprint Series)