A bumpy start for some AMR runners at both Fuji and Hockenheim
Saturday, May 22, 2021
Over at the Fuji International Speedway in Japan, the adverse weather conditions over there first put paid to the Qualifying session of yesterday leaving the fifty-one, multi-class runners to start the third round of the Hankook Super Taikyu Series from their best Free Practice times leaving the #777 D’Station Racing AMR Vantage GT3 of Tomonobu Fujii (starting driver) with a clear view of the still very wet track ahead from the front row.
With visibility and adhesion still an issue going into the opening two hours of the race, a mistake from Satoshi Hoshino early into his opening stint had the sveltely liveried AMR in the tyre wall with both body work and suspension damage.
Fortunately able to get the car back to pit lane, the team lost over forty laps to the ST-X class leader during their repairs but with darkness still around the track at the moment, the team have now risen past two other class hopefuls on the timing screen, so despite the damage and a race win probably being out of the question – a class podium is still possible with still half the permitted race time remaining.
The team’s #47 AMR Vantage GT4 car meanwhile, continues to run at a great pace, as high as second in class for much of the race so far but presently circulating in P3, two laps off the leading ST-Z class leader.
Over at the Hockenheim Ring in Germany, the third round of the 24H Series is also presently taking place with the #410 PROsport Racing AMR Vantage GT4 again representing the marque.
Missing the GT4 Class pole position by just 0.1 second, Nico Verdonck did report that accident damage suffered during this morning’s Qualifying put the German based team under some pressure to get the car ready for the start of the 12-hour race.
Succeeding in that feat, the Belgian driver line up presently lies P2 in class, some six laps off the class leading BMW with an hour of today’s Part 1 of the race still to go!
Photo credits – Super Taikyu / D’Station / 24H Series / Teams
