Star Spotting in GT3

After an absence from the calendar in 2009 the FIA GT3 European Championship makes a welcome return to the Automotodrom Brno this weekend (22/23 May).  In 2008 two action-packed races on the 5.4km Brno circuit resulted in race 1 victory for Diego Alessi / Marcello Zani in an Aston Martin DBRS9, while race 2 went to Thomas Mutsch and Ian Khan in the Ford GT.
 
In 2010 the FIA GT3 European Championship has continued to attract teams and drivers from across the world with 34 full season entries, an impressive number in these tough economic times. GT3 has proven to be an excellent proving ground for drivers on the way to the top of GT racing, the FIA GT1 World Championship and this weekend the FIA GT1 World Championship grid will feature two GT3 champions – Christopher Haase (2009) and Henri Moser (2007) – and four GT3 race winners from last season – Thomas Mutsch, Christoffer Nygaard, Frederic Makowiecki and Maxime Martin – who will all be competing alongside some of the best GT drivers in the world.

In the opening two races of the 2010 season at Silverstone three weeks ago no single team or car dominated the proceedings.  In Round 1 a thrilling battle for the lead saw three different race leaders with the Trackspeed Porsche 911 GT3 R of Jose Luis Cunill and Tim Bergmeister taking the chequered flag to record the first GT3 European win for Porsche since 2008.  The Porsche finished 4.2 seconds ahead of the Toni Seiler Racing Corvette of Dino Lunardi and Toni Seiler on the team’s FIA GT3 debut.

In Round 2 Christian Hohenadel and Daniel Keilwitz brought the Callaway Competition Corvette home in first place, overcoming the mechanical problems they had suffered in Round 1 to celebrate on the top step of the podium.  They finished over 8 seconds ahead of the Hexis AMR Aston Martin of Manuel Rodrigues and GT1 World race winner Frederic Makowiecki.  Bergmeister and Cunill had another superb race to finish third to record their second podium in two races and take the lead in the driver’s championship.

Czech driver Martin Matzke is racing for Austrian Team S Berg Racing and will be partnered with Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof.  The 19-year-old from Roudnice will be hoping to improve on the performance in Silverstone and secure some championship points on his home circuit in the BMW Alpina B6 GT3. 

For the latest news on the FIA GT3 European Championship visit www.gt3europe.com where you can also see live streaming of Round 3 & 4 from Brno this weekend.

CLICK HERE for the official FIA GT3 European Championship entry list

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