Not their day and not their season for Garage 59 after a disappointing visit to the Nurburgring

In fact, the results of the Pro-Am class after this round completely reshaped the championship standing with new drivers coming through to take the lead but for the #188, the goal of another season title had gone.

Having qualified P8 in class and P38 of the 43 starters, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the #188 but adversity they have faced before in the series to come through with the remnants of some decent points. A ten second penalty at their first stop against West for turning around the #77 Barwell Lamborghini in the first half an hour of the three hour race however saw them lose more time before a pit stop infraction between the Goodwin/Adam stint saw their season efforts confined to the annuals of ‘what might have been’ with a further drive through penalty.

The crew would eventually finish P31 overall and P9 in class to claim just two points when those around them claimed significantly more.

For the team’s #159 Silver Cup effort of Alex MacDowall, Nicolai Kjaergaard and Valentin Hasse-Clot, things seemed to be better for them after a podium finish together last time out in the Spa 24. Qualifying for the Nurburgring saw them start P11 overall and second in class just behind the class pole setting GRT Grasser Lambo.

That early success in the event would unfortunately unravel for them as rear contact for MacDowall in the opening stint affected something within the car for the lanky Brit to eventually hand the car over to Kjaergaard with body language that said it all having gone on to endure the loss of three places in one corner later!

After the halfway stage, and despite three full course yellows/Safety car periods bunching the field back up again there was simply nothing ‘in the tank’ for the Aston Martin Racing crew to mount any kind of challenge against their advisories and they would ultimately finish P19 overall and P8 in class.

With a haul of just two points for themselves as well, that result dropped them down to P13 in the Silver Drivers Championship with also an insurmountable points deficit to counter at the final round in Barcelona.

Next up for the team are two visits to Spain - first the finale of the Sprint Cup at Valencia at the end of the month before the conclusion of the Endurance Cup at Barcelona two weeks later.

Photo credits – GTWCE / Garage 59