Sky Tempesta Racing wins Pro-Am race and title

Eddie Cheever and Chris Froggatt, in the  488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Sky Tempesta Racing, won the race and title in the Pro-Am class at the end of a sixty-minute outing full of twists and turns. After their race had appeared compromised at the end of the first lap, the pair made a formidable comeback, also helped by a Safety Car in the last third of the race. The Italo-British crew crossed the line in first, securing the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup title.

Contact. After an excellent qualifying session, the 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Sky Tempesta Racing with Eddie Cheever at the wheel, got off to a lightning-fast start, with the Italian driver moving into seventh overall. However, Mikaël Grenier put a spanner in the works when he collided with car no. 93 as he attempted a manoeuvre, causing it to spin out and finish at the back of the pack. The episode, which compromised the Ferrari's race, was penalised with a drive-through. With the two Mercedes of Keen and Baumann leading the Pro-Am class, Bertolini tried to match the pace of the two German cars while Cheever, from the rear, moved back into contention with fast laps.

Safety Car. The two Ferraris chose different strategies for the mandatory pit stop window. Cheever pitted on lap 16 to make way for Chris Froggatt, while Bertolini used all the driving time available before handing over to Louis Machiels. After the window closed, Lee Mowle, who had taken over Pro-Am class leader Phil Keen in the Mercedes, spun out into the sand, causing a Full Course Yellow and subsequent Safety Car that compacted the group with twenty minutes to go.

Attack. Valentin Pierburg could count on Silver Cup competitor Jefferies to keep the two 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Machiels and Froggatt at bay. At the restart, Froggatt put Machiels under pressure and passed him on lap 23, with thirteen minutes to go to the chequered flag. The Sky Tempesta Racing duo's second-place mathematically secured the Pro-Am class title. However, the British driver was determined to claim the win and so, after systematically pressing Pierburg for the last ten minutes, made the decisive passing move on the final lap. He was first over the line, winning the title with his teammate Cheever, with a race to spare. Louis Machiels was third under the chequered flag, just seven-tenths of a second behind Pierburg.