Double Top for Hohenadel and Keilwitz at Paul Ricard

Daniel Keilwitz and Christian Hohenadel took another win to score a maximum 50 points in the two FIA GT3 European Championship races at Paul Ricard.  Keilwitz crossed the line in the nr101 Callaway Competition Corvette Z06R GT3 ahead of championship rival Joakim Lambotte in the nr16 Graff Racing Corvette, with Paul Van Splunteren finishing on the podium for the second time in two races in the nr61 Prospeed Competition Porsche 911 GT3-R.  The top 3 cars were covered by just 1.8 seconds at the end of the 60-minute race.

The race started with Diego Alessi in the Chad Racing Ferrari 430 Scuderia making a charge from 14th on the grid to exit the first corner in 2nd place.  Two corners later the nr2 Hexis AMR Aston Martin DBRS9 of Thomas Accary was tapped into a spin and then hit by the unfortunate Jerome Policand in the nr10 Team S-Berg Racing BMW Alpina B6 GT3, who had no chance of avoiding the stationary Aston Martin bringing out the red flag.  The racing resumed with the leading Porsche being passed by the second placed Ferrari.  HoweverAlessi was judged to have strayed beyond the track limits at the initial race start and had to serve a drive through penalty, dropping the Italian out of contention.

The nr16 Graff Racing Corvette of Mike Parisy was, having passed Marco Holzer's Porsche, now at the head of the field, with the Need for Speed by Schubert Motorsport BMW Z4 of Edward Sandstrom in 3rd as the pit stop window approached.  Championship leader Christian Hohenadel was the first to pit in the nr101 Callaway Corvette from 6th place to hand over to Daniel Keilwitz as the other front runners elected to stay out as long as possible.

With the pitstops complete the Graff racing Corvette, with Joakim Lambotte at the wheel, was still in the lead, followed by the Prospeed Porsche of Paul Van Splunteren, the Schubert BMW of Patrick Soderland and Keilwitz in the Callaway Corvette.  Daniel Keilwitz moved ahead of the BMW and then the Porsche to get on terms with the leader. On lap 19 Soderland's BMW slowed and pulled off the track with a punctured left rear tyre, leaving Van Splunteren in 3rd.

The nr101 Corvette closed on the leader and on lap 21 was right behind the nr16 Corvette as they crossed the line.  Keilwitz jinked left, then right and swept around the outside of Lambotte's Corvette at the first corner to take the lead.  The top three cars then held station until the last lap when Van Splunteren saw an opportunity as Lambotte stuggled on worn tyres.  The Dutch driver attacked but Lambotte held onto his hard won second place and at the flag the top three cars crossed the line just 1.8 seconds apart.  Fourth place went to Csaba Walter in the nr77 Need for Speed by Schubert Motorsport BMW Z4, who had to hold off a determined challenge by Siso Cunill in the nr25 Argo Racing Lamborghini Gallardo, the two drivers separated by 0.1 seconds at the chequered flag. 

CLICK HERE for Provisional Result from Round 8

CLICK HERE for Race Facts from Round 8

CLICK HERE for Championship Positions after Round 8

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