FIA GT Championship

All-out attack by JetAlliance at Brno home race

© JetAlliance Racing

Each and every year, the race on the Masarykring near Brno is the home event for Jetalliance Racing, and this year is no different – the 5.4 kilometre long track, just about a two hours’ drive by car from Vienna, is the venue for the seventh round of the 2008 FIA GT Championship this weekend (September 12th to 14th).

Traditionally, a lot of Austrian racing fans will be at the track. A circumstance which also constitutes an obligation for the team from Lower Austria:
Team owner Lukas Lichtner-Hoyer: “The ambience at Brno has always been very good. We want to add our contribution to make sure the Austrian fans will drive home contentedly – and perhaps be able to celebrate something with us beforehand, meaning that we want to get involved in the battle for victory.”

The turbulent weeks in which the team failed to score points in both Spa and Bucharest are now forgotten – after all, the causes are sufficiently known. Lichtner-Hoyer, who will share the number 36 Jetalliance Aston Martin DBR9 with Germany’s Alex Müller: “We are only looking ahead from now on.”

Karl Wendlinger, who will again team up with his Scottish partner Ryan Sharp (Jetalliance Aston Martin DBR9), has a similar view:

Karl Wendlinger: “The championship train has steamed off without us. We are only focusing on the individual races now, we just want to score some good results. We have already proven many times this year that we are competitive. As a case in point, I finished in the top three of every qualifying session – with the exception of Monza, where I suffered a tyre failure. I’m convinced that we will play an important part in the battle for victory at Brno.”

GT4 European Cup
The GT4 European Cup is about to enter the home straight: Brno is the penultimate round – three races will be run, just like at the season finale in Nogaro. And Jetalliance Racing has very good prospects in the championship, both in the drivers’ and in the teams’ classification.
Klaus Engelhorn from Vienna is currently in second position with 67 points, seven behind the leading Belgian Eric de Doncker, whose compatriot Jürgen van Hover in third has just five points less on his tally than Engelhorn. And Jetalliance Racing is in the lead of the team standings, level on points with “Motorsport 98” from Belgium (74 each). Apart from Engelhorn, Niki Mayr-Melnhof and Leo Willert will also drive an Aston Martin N24 in Czechia.

Klaus Engelhorn: “As can be seen in the tables, it’s bound to be a narrow decision. We have to try to score consistently at Brno. Failing to finish is not an option. That’s why we’ll need to take a somewhat tactical approach.”

Timetable, Brno:

Friday, September 12th
10.30 – 11.20 a.m. GT4 European Cup, Free Practice
1.45 – 2.35 p.m. GT4 European Cup, Free Practice
5.40 – 6.25 p.m. GT4 European Cup, 1st Qualifying

Saturday, September 13th
9.00 – 10.20 a.m. FIA GT, Free Practice
12.40 – 2.00 p.m. FIA GT, Pre-Qualifying
5.15 – 5.50 p.m. FIA GT, Qualifying
6.15 – 7.05 p.m. GT4 European Cup, 1st Race

Sunday, September 14th
8.30 – 9.00 a.m. FIA GT, Warm Up
10.20 – 10.45 a.m. GT4 European Cup, 2nd Race
1.15 – 3.15 p.m. FIA GT, Race
3.45 – 4.10 p.m. GT4 European Cup, 3rd Race