After a podium result in the GT4 European Series in Misano, the 6h race in the Nürburgring Endurance Series is on the schedule for PROsport Racing.
The third race weekend of the GT4 European Series was on the agenda in Misano. The team traveled to the race on the Italian Adriatic coast rather pessimistically due to the adjustments to the Balance of Performance, but PROsport Racing already showed the potential of the team in Friday’s practice when Mike David Ortmann set the overall best time in the second practice session.
Saturday’s race ended with a jumbled field when a Full Course Yellow phase was called during the pit stop window, benefiting the cars that had not yet headed to pit road. Mike David Ortmann and Hugo Sasse, who most recently won both races at Le Castellet and the ADAC GT4 Germany at Zandvoort, finished 14th overall, which is equivalent to third in the Silver Cup. In the second race, the successful duo dropped out on the starting lap after a puncture caused by contact.
In the sister car, gentleman driver Rodrigue Gillion showed a strong performance and continues his trend of improving from race weekend to race weekend. But the race weekend of the Belgian, who shares the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 with his compatriot Nico Verdonck, ended after the first race. In the closing stages of the first race, Gillion was innocently involved in a collision that damaged the car so badly that it could not be repaired until the second race.
“After the BoP change, I never expected to take any points at all,” said team boss Christoph Esser after the race weekend. “An accident like Gillion’s just happens with almost 50 cars and when you go to the limit with everything, including the air pressure, it’s unfortunately also an unpleasant side effect at what feels like 45 degrees outside that a tire collapses or, as with others, the engines or gearboxes. Let’s look at it positively: The gap between Mike and Hugo in the Silver Cup standings to the first position is now 23 points, instead of 50 after Imola, or 31 after Le Castellet. At Spa, there will be a different car classification at the next race weekend, because of the track variation, so we’ll see where we stand.”
For PROsport Racing, the season continues with the ROWE 6 Hours ADAC Ruhr Cup race in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. The race is considered one of the season highlights in the NLS. The team from Wiesemscheid will bring one Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and one Vantage GT4 to the start.
Christoph Breuer will take his place at the wheel of the GT3 vehicle for the first time, having most recently successfully contested the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring with the team in an Aston Martin Vantage GT4. The veteran will share the car with the two regular drivers Maxime Dumarey and Jean Glorieux. Taking turns at the wheel of the Vantage GT4 are Emil Heyerdahl, Simon Balcaen and Guido Dumarey. The team is looking to build on the good performance from the last round of the NLS and continue to improve.
As usual, the race will start at 12 noon on Saturday, with qualifying taking place beforehand from 08:30. Fans at home can follow the race in the official livestream on www.vln.de. For €18 admission, spectators can also watch the race on site. This not only takes them to the open grandstands at the Grand Prix circuit and the exclusive spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, but also to the paddock, the pit lane and the starting grid. A visit to the ring°werk, the motorsport experience museum at the Nürburgring, is also included in the ticket price.
