GT Open: Overall GT3 podium for Team Novadriver Audi in Barcelona race one

The International GT Open is hosting the season finale at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona this weekend. Two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars were entered for the GT Open finale.

The GT Open finale is being held alongside the finale of the Spanish IBER GT Championship, with both series running together on track. Both championships are split into two categories: the SGT class for GTE specification vehicles and GTS for GT3 specification vehicles.

Three Audi R8 LMS ultra cars are on the grid, of which two are GT Open entrants. The first car is from Team Novadriver, who has entered their #81 Audi R8 LMS ultra in GT Open with drivers Cesar Campanico and GT Open GTS class (GT3) title hopeful, Rafael Hideo Suzuki. This #81 car is also entered for the Spanish IBER GT. Team Novadriver also entered a second Audi in the event, but this #81 car is only entered in the Spanish IBER GT class. The second GT Open entered car is entered by Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, the #88 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Filipe Albuquerque and Yves Weerts.

Qualifying saw the #81 of Campanico and Suzuki taking seventh on the overall combined grid. Thus they took seventh overall within the GT Open and second in the GT Open GTS (GT3) class. The #88 WRT Audi qualified way back in the field by taking thirty-fifth overall.

The first race was held late on Saturday and concluded with the #81 Audi R8 LMS ultra finishing fifth overall within the combined standings. They took third place within the GT Open GTS class. The WRT Audi was running at the back of the field, but Albuquerque was able to recover during his stint and the #88 WRT Audi finished in twenty-fifth place.

The second and final race is set for tomorrow afternoon.

Photo credit: Team Novadriver

By Johan Laubscher