McLaren Trophy Champions crowned
Artura Trophy pairing Gonzalo de Andres and Tomas Pintos were crowned inaugural McLaren Trophy champions after a dramatic final weekend of racing at the Spanish Grand Prix venue last weekend. David Foster and co-driver Bradley Ellis claimed the 570S Trophy class title after a tense battle that went right down to the wire.
Coming into the weekend overall title favourites de Andres and Pintos had a 17-point lead over nearest rivals Mark Hopton and Euan Hankey, so nothing less than victory in the opening race for the latter pairing would do to keep their championship hopes alive.
The British duo’s chances looked to be over after a spin for Hopton sent him plunging down the order early in the race, but while Hankey was unable to close the gap, a moment of drama for Pintos while fighting for the lead almost ended the Spanish pairing’s race. Pintos eventually settled for third place and the championship.
With the overall title settled, attention turned to the close battle for 570S Trophy class honours on Sunday, with only four points separating the top three in the championship. Rafa Martinez and Jem Hepsworth had the points advantage ahead of the race, but pole position for race one winners Foster and Ellis gave them an advantage that was extended after early challengers and title contenders Danny Henrey and Joe Osborne succumbed to a pit stop penalty. The British pair took a second victory, and in doing so, secured the class championship in dramatic fashion.
Foster and Ellis’s 570S Trophy success and Hopton and Hankey’s overall title challenge helped lift the Teams’ championship for Greystone GT, ahead of rivals SMC Motorsport.
The inaugural McLaren Trophy season was contested by 40 drivers across 20 driver pairings and 12 teams, with driver pairings consisting of an amateur and professional driver. More than half of the field raced the new Artura Trophy race car.
NM Racing joins GT2 European Series field
NM Racing Team is set to join the GT2 European Series field for the season finale at Paul Ricard. The team will race with Stephane Perrin and Jakub Knoll in the Am class with a new Mercedes-AMG GT2.
The entry list for the Paul Ricard event features 16 cars, a healthy number. The GT2 challengers from Audi, KTM, Lamborghini, Porsche, Maserati and Mercedes-Benz are all represented too.
https://twitter.com/GT2European/status/1709121216001253691
Keating to make Mazda MX-5 Cup debut
Reigning FIA WEC GTE Am champion and Le Mans winner Ben Keating is set to make his debut in the Mazda MX-5 Cup in the final weekend of the 2023 season at Road Atlanta, held in the build-up to Petit Le Mans later this month.
Keating’s first appearance in the series comes as he joins forces with Saito Motorsports Group.
“I am extremely excited to be racing in the MX-5 Cup with Saito Motorsports Group and, to be honest, quite nervous. It looks like a total blast to drive and the competition looks like a ton of fun,” said Keating. “I have never raced in a series where I may be pushing someone else or might be being pushed by someone.”
With multiple prestigious wins, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the 52-year-old Keating has solidified his reputation as a dominant force on any circuit. His decision to venture into the MX-5 Cup underscores his passion for racing and his relentless pursuit of new horizons in motorsport.
“I have been a longtime admirer of Keating’s on-track pursuits,” said Jay Saito, team owner of SMG. “Ben’s arrival is a game changer for us and a very important moment in our team’s history. We are honored and privileged to participate in this series and, to have the opportunity to compete with Keating, it’s just beyond words. Ben is sure to ignite new and additional enthusiasm for the series and we are looking forward to seeing him embrace this new challenge. In such a competitive field of drivers and teams, success is always hard to achieve, but we look forward to the challenge for the weekend.”
During the meeting Keating will take part in the two 45-minute Mazda MX-5 Cup races.
Frikadelli commits to NLS9
Frikadelli Racing is set to make a second NLS appearence with its new Ferrari 296 GT3 in NLS9. The German team, which had to source a new 296 GT3 chassis this summer after its N24-winning car was retired to become a museum piece.
David Pittard, who won the N24 with the team, will race with team boss Klaus Abbelen. In NLS8, the team finished second to Walkenhorst’s #34 BWM M4 GT3.
We are ready for the last race of the season on the Nordschleife. David Pittard and Klaus Abbelen share our #30 Ferrari 296 GT3 at NLS 9. @vln_de pic.twitter.com/N7hr1pgJN3
— Frikadelli Racing (@Frikadelli_R) October 3, 2023
Featured image courtesy of Frikadelli Racing
