GT3 Europe

Corvette 1-2-3 in first GT3 race at Brno

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat

The Corvette Z06R GT3s dominated the first FIA GT3 European Championship race at Brno this afternoon. On a wet track the American cars secured a 1-2-3, with the pole sitting Argo Racing Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 of Geipel and Von Thurn und Taxis the first non-Corvette in fourth place.

The start of the first GT3 race of the weekend was delayed after a crash in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo race. And just before the start of the race it started to rain, leaving the race director with no other option than to start behind the safety car.

With the safety car still on track the first car to come into the pit was the #98 Marc VDS Racing Team Ford Mustang GT3. At the end of lap 2 the safety car pulled in and the field was released, with Philip Geipel leading the field into turn 1.

Behind him it was the #9 Team S-berg Racing BMW Alpina B6 GT3, but Mayr-Meinhof was soon caught by the Callaway Corvette Z06R GT3 of Daniel Keilwitz. Into the first corner on lap 4 the German passed the Austrian and moved into second place. A drive through for violation of the starting procedure meant the BMW Alpina dropped even further down the order.

Despite the sun still out there and shining brightly the rain started to intensify, but this did not prevent Joakim Lambotte (#16 Graff Racing Corvette) from closing the gap to Geipel’s Lamborghini and to start a fight for position. On lap 7 a small mistake by Geipel meant Lambotte was able to pass the Lamborghini.

Just before the pit window opened and all cars would come in for their mandatory driver changes Bernhard van Oranje got into a battle with the Hexis AMR cars, a battle he lost as the Dutchman spun the Corvette and lost several places.

After all teams had completed their stop the Argo Racing Lamborghini of Albert von Thurn und Taxis was given a drive through penalty, as the engine of his car was not switched off when changing drivers.

Mike Parisy had combined the strong performance of his teammate and a quick and faultless pit stop to move into the lead, nine seconds ahead of the Callaway Corvette and 12 seconds of the Argo Lamborghini that had yet to serve its penalty. A minute later there was another penalty, this time for the #6 Audi R8 LMS for stopping 26 seconds too late, the car had to stop for 26 seconds.

Behind the leaders the battle heated up for seventh place, with the #33 Black Falcon Audi and the #1 Hexis AMR Aston Martin bumper on bumper around the track for several laps. It took until the first corner on the 21st lap for Makowiecki to pass Stück…when the Audi driver slid wide.

In the remaining laps nobody was able to challenge for a top position anymore and so after 25 laps it was Mike Parisy who crossed the line in first place in the #16 Graff Racing Corvette Z06R GT3. 18.776 seconds behind was the #101 Callaway Competition Corvette Z06R GT3, while Dino Lundardi completed a Corvette podium in the Toni Seiler Racing car, at 24.347 seconds from the leader.