Competition102 GT4 European Series paddock stories

Historic atmosphere, changeable weather conditions and slipstream racing. Spa-Francorchamps has it all. Racing at another Formula 1 track partnering the ADAC GT Masters was enjoyed by the teams and drivers of the Competition102 GT4 European Series. The event welcomed a new winner as Pavel Lefterov, competing in the AM division, won both races with his Lotus Evora GT4. The Bulgarian race car driver impressed by showcasing his skills in the Belgian Ardennes by beating Duncan Huisman (NED) and Sandor van Es (NED) who celebrated victories in the PRO division. It was the first time since the championship’s creation in 2014 that competitors had to deal with a wet track during the races.

“It is my favourite circuit and I practice the track in the simulator all the time,” revealed Lefterov, who is now challenging AM class leader Daniel Uckermann (GER). “Thanks to the team and the support of Lotus, we found the perfect setup for the Evora GT4. Hopefully we can repeat this performance during the remaining two events.”

Highlight

For some of the drivers the seven kilometre Belgian track was quite new. José Luis Talermann from Argentina enjoys his first full year of motorsport in Europe after having competed in karting and Formula Renault 1.6 in South America. To race at legendary tracks like Spa-Francorchamps and the Red Bull Ring, the 25-year-old feels privileged to gain experience in the Competition102 GT4 European Championship with Sofia Car Motorsport, driving the Sin R1 GT4.

“I like the track as it is very technical, but much more difficult than the Red Bull Ring. Especially the Eau Rouge corner is a challenge and you have to take that with great precision,” said José Luis Talermann who saw the barriers from up close. “In practice I lost the car and went straight for the barriers. Luckily I was able to put the car sideways to slow it down, so the impact wasn’t great.”

Guests from the UK

David Pattison and Luke Davenport entered the event at Spa as guest drivers with the Ginetta G55 GT4. Both are competing for Tolman Motorsport in the British GT championship and they discovered having an interest to race at an European level. “It’s great to see that the European championship is developing and becomes bigger and bigger”, noticed Davenport who enjoys racing the Ginetta, which is an upgrade from those that were spotted in the 2014 championship of the GT4 European Series.

“The car is really good under breaking and we can win time in sector two,” he responded when asked about the cars’ strengths. “The handling through Eau Rouge is fantastic and we win a lot of time there. But we do struggle a bit on the long straights. It’s our first year with the team and everyone is learning. We have to see how it goes and this series is always an option for us to compete in.”

Perfect debut

Sandor van Es stepped in for Luc Braams, partnering Duncan Huisman in the Chevrolet Camaro GT4. The automotive journalist has raced against his teammate mainly in Dutch national championships in the past and completed a handful of GT races in the recent years. He enjoyed getting back behind the wheel of a powerful race car at Spa-Francorchamps, he said: “It’s such an awesome track, especially when you get to drive a massive car like the Camaro. It’s different to drive compared with the Nissan 370Z I raced a few years ago. The Camaro is heavier and very powerful and therefore you can correct a small mistake more easily.” Together with Huisman he won both races in the PRO division.

Optimal performances

Competition102 is not only title sponsor, it also provides the teams with fuel: a premium petrol with an octane number of 102. The unique high octane number of 102 (RON 102) and MON number of at least 90 ensures optimal performances. “It’s great to see that new cars have entered the championship, like the KTM X-BOW GT4 and the Chevron GT4,” says Michel Claessen, project manager at Salland Olie Maatschappij B.V. “The response from drivers about the Competition102 fuel is positive and also the new teams take the fuel seriously as they are testing with it as well. We are very pleased with our partnership as the GT4 European Series raises the profile of our fuel internationally.”

Competition102 fuel is exclusively produced, stored and distributed by Salland Olie Maatschappij B.V. in the Netherlands. It’s available at over 35 petrol stations nationwide and is sold in 60-litre barrels. Competition102 is suitable for all petrol-powered vehicles.

Next event: Nürburgring

The penultimate event of the Competition102 GT4 European Series will be held at the Nürburgring. The German circuit have been practiced by most of the drivers multiple times and has often been shortlisted as favourite track as well.

“I’m living just a few kilometres away from the Nürburgring, so I’m looking forward to race at my home track. A lot of friends and family will support me there,” said Carsten Struwe, who has also raced DTM in the 90’s. Today he partners Thomas Krebs, a young talented racing driver from Denmark at PROsport Performance, driving the Porsche 981 Cayman SP. “The Nürburgring will suit our car better than the Red Bull Ring and Spa-Francorchamps, because it requires less horsepower. After our third place at Spa, we aim for the win in the AM class in Germany.”

Both races during the weekend of 14 – 16 August can be followed live at www.gt4series.com/live, the iPhone app and via the social media channels.