The Buriram penultimate lap switcheroo between then leader Olivier Beretta in the #3 DH Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 and the sister #3 car of Michele Rugolo not only saw the lead, and subsequently the class win change hands, it also means, with troubles for the other major title contenders in Thailand, that the GT class title has been won by DH Racing with a race remaining, and that Michele Rugolo wins the Drivers title too.
STOP PRESS – a post race penalty for driving too slowly in the fast lane of the pits has seen the #5 Ferrari dealt a time penalty – the car now finishes third in the official standings, still leading the Championship points but not by enough to clinch the title!
It also means that the DH Racing team, in their first season of competition, have secured an automatic entry for the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours in GTE Am, a major coup for the team and their backers, and Asian Le Mans Series Partners Daohe Group.
DH Racing then look set to field the fourth automatic Ferrari entry so fsr.
Automatic entries have already gone to the following:
2016 Le Mans class winners
Porsche (the LMP1 Le Mans winner),
Signatech Alpine (the LMP2 winner),
Ford Chip Ganassi (the LM GTE Pro winner) and
Scuderia Corsa (the LM GTE Am winner)
ELMS
G-Drive Racing/ Jota Sport – LMP2 Winners
United Autosports (an LMP2 entry for the LMP3 Champions
Beechdean AMR – GTE Class Winners
JMW Motorsport – GTE class runners up
Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup
TF Sport (Aston Martin)
IMSA Nominees
Scuderia Corsa (a second GTE Ferrari Entry)
plus an as yet un-named LMP2 team
The LMP2 and LMP3 class winners from the Asian Le Mans Series will be known in two weeks time after the final round of the 2016/17 Series in Sepang Malaysia with Jackie Chan DC Racing and Algarve Pro still in the running for the overall title and in LMP3 ARC Bratislava the new leaders of the Championship, Tockwith Motorsport and Jackie Chan DC Racing all very much in the running too.
