At the halfway point of the Eset Cup, ISR Racing remains the benchmark with the GT3 version of the Audi R8 LMS. Filip Salaquarda remained unbeaten three times at the Red Bull Ring. The Audi RS 3 LMS and Audi R8 LMS GT4 also remain successful in customer hands.
Audi R8 LMS GT3
Winning streak continued: Filip Salaquarda remains the measure of all things in the Eset Cup. The 39-year-old Czech won the one-hour endurance race with a 5.6-second advantage in the Audi R8 LMS on the third Eset Cup race weekend at the Red Bull Ring. In the first sprint, he even prevailed by 12.5 seconds on a damp track with slicks. The white Audi R8 LMS from the Prague-based ISR Racing team remained unbeaten in the second sprint as well: Salaquarda crossed the finish line 7.1 seconds ahead of his pursuer in his Lamborghini. He had already won the endurance race and the second sprint at the season opener in Oschersleben. He was then unbeaten again over the long distance at the second race weekend at the Hungaroring in April, where he also won both sprints.
Third place in America: At the fourth event of the GT America powered by AWS race series, James Sofronas recorded a podium result. The Californian scored third place in the first race in Austin with his Audi R8 LMS in a field of 21 cars competing in different GT classes.
Audi R8 LMS GT4
Class successes in South Africa: Joseph Ellerine enjoyed a successful third race weekend in the G&H Extreme Supercars Series. On the Zwartkops circuit, the South African in the MJR Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT4 won his class in all three sprints.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
Strong start to the new season: Swede Kevin Engman started the TCR Denmark season with a victory. On the first race weekend at the Jyllandsringen, the privateer driver in the Audi RS 3 LMS won the second sprint. As the runner-up in the third sprint, he was again the best of six Audi drivers in the field.
Victorious season opener: At the first round of the Sports Car Championship Canada presented by Michelin, Justin di Benedetto won the TCR classification in the Audi RS 3 LMS in the first sprint. With Dean Baker in third place, another Audi privateer achieved a podium result at Mosport. Baker subsequently won the second race while Ron Tomlinson finished third in another Audi. After his victory in the third race ahead of Audi brand colleague Richard Boake, Baker leads the TCR standings by ten points.
Good start in endurance racing: Stefan Lorenzen clinched third place in the first race at the start of the Danish Endurance Championship at Jyllandsringen. The Dane drove an Audi RS 3 LMS fielded by the Dan Agro Racing team.
Trophies in Austria: Bas Koeten Racing returns from the second round of the Supercar Challenge with two trophies. Laurens de Wit crossed the finish line in second place in his class in the Audi RS LMS in the first race at the Red Bull Ring and finished third in the second race.
Podium results in the Eset Cup: Team Aditis Racing finished the third round of the Eset Endurance Series at the Red Bull Ring in second place. The Czech Radim Adámek and the Pole Bartosz Groszek had taken turns in the cockpit of the Audi RS 3 LMS.
Second place in the TCR Eastern Europe: On the third race weekend of the TCR Eastern Europe, Sebastian Steibel celebrated a podium result. The German finished the second sprint at the Red Bull Ring in Aditis Racing’s Audi RS 3 LMS in second place, just half a second behind.
Coming up next week
26–27/05 Red Bull Ring (A), round 2, GT2 European Series
26–28/05 Spa (B), round 2, TCR World Tour
26–28/05 Spa (B), round 3, TCR Europe
26–28/05 Ningbo (CHN), round 2, China Endurance Championship
26–28/05 Oschersleben (D), round 1, DTM
26–28/05 Fuji (J), round 2, Super Taikyu Series
27/05 Oulton Park (GB), round 3, British Endurance Championship
27–28/05 Spa (B), round 2, International GT Open
28/05 Varano (I), round 2, Coppa Italia Turismo