The 488 GT3 of Spirit of Race crewed by Matt Griffin and Duncan Cameron secured a splendid victory in the Pro-Am class in the first race of the International GT Open, held today at Hockenheim. After topping the overall standings in the first part of the race with Griffin at the wheel, Cameron finished in second place, but still triumphed in the Pro-Am class. The 488 GT3 of Tempesta Racing crossed the line in fourth in the same class.
First row. In the morning, Matt Griffin took the spotlight in qualifying, in second place overall 355 thousandths of a second behind the Mercedes of Tom Onslow-Cole. However, Chris Froggatt in the Tempesta Racing car endured a difficult session and had to start from the eighth row.
Griffin pulls away. Griffin was fastest away at the green light and took the lead, while at the back Froggatt left the track at the entrance to the Motodrom ending up at the back of the group. A lap later, an accident involving Liang and Rovera at the hairpin bend forced the stewards to send out the Safety Car. Once the cars had been cleared, the race restarted with Griffin still in the lead. After holding off an attack from the Mercedes Tom Onslow-Cole, the Spirit of Race driver put his foot down, building up a small advantage that, with 29 minutes left, he bequeathed to his teammate Duncan Cameron.
Cheever's comeback. A few minutes earlier Chris Froggatt, mounting a comeback after his initial error, handed the wheel to Eddie Cheever III. The Italian driver continued his teammate's mission, gaining ground due to his excellent pace before finally crossing the line in tenth position overall and fourth in the Pro-Am class. Out in front, Duncan Cameron managed his lead over his class rivals, avoiding a potentially counterproductive battle with the McLaren of Rueda-Saravia, winners in the Pro class. The British driver's Ferrari 488 GT3 wrapped up proceedings on the top step of the Pro-Am podium, clinching a fantastic second place overall.
Race 2. On Sunday, qualifying will start at 9:35 am while the 60-minute race sets off at 2 pm.