88 - Racing Karma at Brands?
31st August 2021
The GT World Challenge Europe descended on Brands Hatch for a dual sprint race for round seven of the championship series - a series which contains a mixture of endurance and sprint racing.
The array of machinery on display, together with some of the best drivers provided some real high speed entertainment for the crowds to enjoy, with all of the track being used and at times, a little extra especially the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend.
Team WRT drivers Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 held a commanding lead into the weekends event and as the weekend unfolded secured the championship with an unassailable points tally.
The array of machinery on display, together with some of the best drivers provided some real high speed entertainment for the crowds to enjoy, with all of the track being used and at times, a little extra especially the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend.
Team WRT drivers Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 held a commanding lead into the weekends event and as the weekend unfolded secured the championship with an unassailable points tally.
Race 1 saw Team Jota's Ben Barnicoat really open up a staggering lead in the first shift of the race. The McLaren 720S GT3 at times half a second a lap quicker than the competitors, and it seemed a foregone conclusion. The lead was gradually whittled down by Number 88Timur Boguslavskiy and Rafaele Marcielo and Weerts / Vanthoor which made for an exciting finale as the gap reduced, reduced and finally the cars tail to tail. Five minutes from time, the cars caught in the traffic of back markers, the race unravelled for JOTA as 88 nudged the car trying to overtake which send Barnicoat into and over the safety barriers and out of the race. 88 took the podium with Weerts / Vanthoor runners up, only to be handed a 40 second penalty after the stewards had investigated with the suggestion they may have been the principal cause.
Race two was similar in many respects with the 88 car leading from pole throughout the race, and once again the lead being gradually reeled in under pressure from the chasing cars in the closing stages. Boguslavskiy held off the challenger right through to the final turns of the race when a front right blow out allowed the chasing cars to take the podium places with just 2-3 corners of the race remaining. The Mercedes limped over the line in 6th position, parked up just past the finish with the wheel shredded and rim scuttling across the track. Racing Karma for 88 or just a series of unfortunate events.
