04 October 2016
Barcelona, 4 October 2016 – Martin Lanting at Circuit de Barcelona last weekend was able to retain the Iron Cup title inside the GT Sports Club series. This class is reserved for drivers aged 60 and Lanting won it by a single point from Stephen Earle, who won his second Main Race of the season.
Just one point. With just five Iron Cup-entered drivers taking the start, points leader Martin Lanting knew that merely finishing would be enough to give him the title regardless of what his sole rival Stephen Earle could muster after the American’s Qualifying Race puncture resulted in him losing further ground in the championship. Earle was in fine form though and had soon passed Lanting for the class lead. After that he was reliant on the Monegasque failing to finish, which almost came to pass when his Ferrari spun as a result of contact with Daniel Vogt’s Mercedes. Both time and positions were lost while recovering but fifth in class was still enough to give him the Iron Cup title by just one point.
Overall. In the overall class Cedric Leimer, on the X Bionic Racing Team Lamborghini, lined up on pole position alongside 2016 champion Michal Broniszewski after winning the day’s opening race, but it was fast-starting Nicolas Vandierendonck, on the Selleslagh Racing Team Chevrolet, who shot from fourth to first at Turn 1 with a brave move down the inside. The Corvette’s lead was short-lived, though, as Leimer soon re-took the lead and Michal Broniszewski also reclaimed second place. Vandierendonck came home third.