GetSpeed won the opening race of the 2024 International GT Open at Portimão for a second consecutive year, again with Fabian Schiller, but this time paired with Anthony Bartone with the American taking his maiden win in the series and a welcome present on his 24th birthday!
The duo ran a perfect race, beating Pro-Am winners Marco Pulcini-Eddie Cheever (Spirit of Race Ferrari), who secured P2 overall and the class win on the last lap when they passed the Olimp Racing Audi of Marcin Jedlinski-Karol Basz.
In Am, Heiko Neumann and Timo Rumpfkeil (Motopark Mercedes) took a clear win.
Race
On a track still wet after a violent storm, Karol Basz (Olimp Racing Audi R8 LMS) led the field at the start after taking a brilliant pole ahead of Fabian Schiller (GetSpeed Mercedes).
The Pole kept the advantage at the start, followed by Fontana, Dunner, Rumpfkeil, Cheever and Rugolo.
With 34 cars on track, there were contacts and rubbing right down through the order, the Mercedes of Al Zubair (Al Manar) ans Pitamber (SPS) dropping positions while Diego Menchaca (Motopark Mercedes) had to retire because of the same engine problems encountered at the end of qualifying.
The major incident of the race though involved two Lamborghionis, Marzio Moretti’s #19 Oregon team Huracan losing its brakes and taking out team-mate Rolf Ineichen in the #63 Oregon car. The damage was enough to put the #19 out of the race.
Basz kept the lead up to pit stops but with a marginal gap (1.5 seconds) ahead of Schiller, Fontana, Dunner, Cheever, Rumpfkeil and Rugolo. Right behind those, there was a great fight, with some rubbing, between Stanley, Pepper and Marinangeli, while Kirchmayr and Hahn had a real contact.
After the pit stops and driver changes, Bartone took the lead from Jedlinski followed by Marco Pulcini, Hash, Bateman, Abril, Neumann, Baumann, Deledda, Menzel and Grenier. The
last five involved in a lively fight, from which Grenier emerged in front, while Menzel got a 5-second penalty for contact.
Bartone though held the lead with no problems, while Jedlinski would only lose P2 (and P1 in Pro-Am) on the last lap, as he was passed by Marco Pulcini. Grenier, Bateman, Abril, Menzel, Baumann, Leo Pulcini and Haase completed the overall top 10 while, Stromsted-Ikin took P3 in Pro-Am.
In Am, behind Neumann, Cipriani and Osieka crossed the line as second and third.
