13
Jun 2018
Victory in the Am class at the GT Open Spa
Rinaldi Racing travelled to the Ardennes for the third round of the GT Open. In Spa, the team took to the grid with three Ferrari 488 GT3s.
On #33, in the AM class, Christian Hook and Steve Parrow shared the car. On the #333 in the ProAm class Vadim Kogay and David Perel. Rinat Salikhov drove as a guest starter in the Am class on the 993.
On Saturday morning, the 27 GT3 cars took to the track for the first qualifying session. David Perel put in a brilliant performance. He put his Ferrari 488 GT3 on pole position, the first GT3 pole of his career. And he did so with a lap time of 2:15.807 – a track record for a GT3 car. Rinat Salikhov had a top qualifying and snatched pole in the Am classification and was also rewarded by his performance with seventh overall. Good prospects for the first race. Christian Hook piloted the #33 to seventh on the grid in the Am class.
The qualifying drivers also went straight into the race in the afternoon as the starting drivers. David Perel got off to a great start and was able to leave the chasers behind. After just a few laps, he was able to pull away by a few seconds. He kept the lead until the obligatory pit stop and shone with the fastest lap times. Rinat Salikhov was able to make up a position right at the start and thus improved to sixth overall. He also retained first place in the Am class with a dominant lead. Christian Hook on car number 33 was able to keep his place in the Am class and tried to work his way to the front from the start. Unfortunately, he had to retire the Ferrari 488 GT3 after ten laps. This fate also befell Rinat Salikhov on the #993. At the pit stop of the #333, they switched to Vadim Kogay. He returned to the track in first place in the ProAm class. A few minutes before the end, he too had to park his car in the pits due to an accident.
In the second race on Sunday, Vadim Kogay in the #333 started from the ninth position in the ProAm class; Steve Parrow in the #33 from sixth in the Am class and Rinat Salikhov in the #993 from third in the Am class. All got off to a good start and stayed out of everything. Rinat Salikhov was able to work his way up to second place in the Am class. After an excellent pit stop, he was able to secure the lead in the Am class and extended a considerable lead over the second-placed driver. David Perel took the wheel of the #333 and was immediately the fastest car in the field. In the last ten minutes of the race, the #333 and the #993 were the fastest cars in the field, gaining two to three seconds per lap on their opponents. In the end, Rinat Salikhov crossed the finish line as the leader in the Am class. David Perel was able to make up some ground, but it was still only enough for ninth place in the ProAm class. Steve Parrow also crossed the finish line in sixth place in the Am class.