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| A pack of GT3 cars at the start of the Intercontinental GT Challenge California 8 Hours. Image Credit: 2019 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
California 8 Hours Has Worldwide Appeal
Words By:Brandon J. O'Brien
Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images unless otherwise specified
The 2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli became the first major event of the racing season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The Intercontinental GT Challenge features five endurance races on five continents (Australia, North America, Europe, Japan, and Africa). In 2019 it features eight manufacturers (Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda/Acura, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan, and Porsche) using GT3 homologated cars. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca hosts the shortest race of the series at 8-hours with SPA hosting the longest at 24-hours.
Last year at Laguna Seca Tristian Vautier was crowned the series champion after finishing the 8-hour event in third place thus securing his title. Audi secured the manufacturers' title.
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| Tristian Vautier on his way to a Third Place finish securing his 2018 Driver's Title at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2017 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
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| One of the 2018 Audi Sport Team WRT Audi R8's that helped secure the 2018 Manufacturers Title. Image Credit: 2018 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
Mario Farnbacher's qualifying time of 1:23.156 in the No. 30 Honda Team Motul Honda NSX GT3 EVO placed him on the pole. The top ten positions were only separated by 0.558 seconds and included seven of the eight manufacturers. Filling out the grid was a GTC and few GT4 cars.
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| The Pole Winning Honda Team Motul Honda Acura NSX GT3 Evo exiting Turn 11. Image Credit: 2019 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
With twenty-two cars on the grid for the start the first 30 minutes was anything but boring. The No. 35 KCMG Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 took the initial lead followed closely by the No. 30 Honda Team Motul NSX GT3 Evo. They were followed closely by the remainder of the field. The No. 107 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 started from pit lane after not completing qualifying the previous day. Within 45-minutes he had caught up with the sister Bentley.
After about two hours of racing the first five positions were fairly well established with the No. 27 HubAuto Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 leading followed by the No. 911 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, No. 34 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3, No. 44 Mercedes-AMG Strakka Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, and the No. 999 Mercedes-AMG GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Excluding the normal position changes due to pit stops these five remained fairly constant.
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| The overall winning HubAuto Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 after exiting the "corkscrew" at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2019 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
With half the race run there were still about 15 cars on the lead lap and there had not been a full course yellow. This is primarily attributable to the high quality and professionalism of the drivers some of whom had never raced at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
The race continued into the late afternoon without incident and the final 30-minutes saw the top four being on the lead lap. It appeared that Augusto Farfus driving the No. 42 BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M6 GT3 in fifth place was trying and would have been able to get back on the lead lap if he had been driving on fresher tires.
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| The Team Schnitzer BMW M6 GT3 with A. Farfus trying to get back on the lead lap. Image Credit: 2019 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
The No. 27 HubAuto Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 took the checkered followed 12.509 seconds later by the No. 999 Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 which in turn was followed 8.259 seconds later by the No. 911 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3-R.
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| The Second Place finishing Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Mercedes-AMG GT3 during Friday Practice. Image Credit: 2019 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
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| The Third Place Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3-R leading a pack of cars through Turn 3 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2019 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
The GTC and GT4 top finishers were the No. 88 ARC Bratislavia Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo and the No. 41 PF Racing Ford Mustang GT4.
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| The sole GTC ARC Bratislavia Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo (2015). Image Credit: 2019 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
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| The winning GT4 class PF Racing Ford Mustang GT4. Image Credit: 2019 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images |
With a third place at Bathhurst in the first event and a second place here, Maxi Buhk, Raffaele Marciello, and Maxi Gutz hold the drivers lead and Mercedes-AMG is leading the manufacturers championship.
The next stop for the Intercontinental GT Challenge will be on July 28 for the 24-Hours of SPA.
TAGS: Acura, Audi, Augustus Farfus, Bentley, Bentley Continental GT3, Bentley Team M-Sport, BMW, BMW M6 GT3, Brandon O'Brien, California 8 Hours, Ferrari, Ferrari 488 GT3, Honda, HubAuto Corsa, Intercontinental GT Challenge, Maxi Buhk, Maxi Gutz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-AMG GT3, Motor Driven Images, Nissan, NSX GT3 EVO, Park Place Motorsports, Porsche, Porsche 911 GT3-R, Raffaele Marciello, Strakka Racing, Team GruppeM Racing, Team Schnitzer, Walkenhorst Motorsport, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
