Pirelli World Challenge Race Report
Sunday, Round 2
In Round 2 of the GT/GTA class, the wet Sunday weather meant officials called for the race to be moved up by 30 minutes and a double-file rolling start at the Circuit.
As nearly 40 cars raced up turn 1 in a cloud of mist, Kevin Estre, in the No. 9 K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S GT3, overtook pole-sitter Nick Catsburg’s Blancpain Racing Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 FL2, jumping from 4th to 1st after the uphill left turn. He maintained that position, with the gap widening to 30 seconds from second-place Ryan Dalziel’s EFFORT Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R and the rest of the field - even after a mid-race caution.
Estre’s dominance in the 50-minute sprint also meant the first global win for McLaren’s 650S and his second-ever World Challenge race.
Unfortunately, surprise entrant and endurance racing star, Guy Cosmo (No. 23 Tampa Bay Jaw Surgery Audi R8 LMS ultra for M1 Racing), was hit after a brief stint on track and suffered damage that called for his race to be finished once again after mechanical issues kept him from racing more that one lap the day prior.
Once again, Michael Lewis took the lead in the GTA Class, followed by Henrique Cisneros in the MOMO Ferrari 458 GT3. Italia, and TRG-AMG’s Christina Nielsen took 3rd the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 after being pushed from the field in Saturday’s race.