GT Open - Reicher-Haase (Eastalent Audi) got everything right in Race 2 at Hockenheim

Simon Reicher and Christopher Haase in the Audi R8 LMS of reigning champion team Eastalent Racing went back to victory after a difficult start of the season by winning Race 2 at the Hockenheimring. The Austrian and the German had a day as clear as the skies, with Haase securing the pole in the morning and a faultless performance in the afternoon.

“Today there was no bad luck and everything went well”, they agreed at the end of the race, “The car was mega and it was nice to be in pole. We had fun, good weather and a lot of fans and friends visiting, so we couldn’t ask for more”.

Diego Menchaca and Marcos Siebert were second in the Motopark Mercedes and their consistency is starting to pay off, as they are now the new leaders in the points standings, given also the retirement because of technical problems of the GetSpeed Mercedes of Bartone-Schiller. Third, completing a podium with three different car brands, the Car Collection Porsche of Gustav Bergströn-Nico Menzel.

The Pro-Am class saw a stunning win of the racing one Ferrari with Ernst Kirchmayr and Luca Ludwig, while Timo Rumpfkeil-Heiko Neumann (Motopark Mercedes) won in Am.

THE RACE - At the start, Christopher Haase, who had taken the first pole of the year for the Eastalent Audi #1, flies away ahead Basz, L.Proctor, Abril and Leonardo Pulcini, but it is drama at turn 9 as these four cars get in contact and Basz does a full spin. The race is over for the McLaren.

Haase leads ahead of Cheever and Ludwig, who have passed Menchaca, then Lomko, Baumann, Menzel, Wallenwein and Abril, but there is contact between the last two, who are out of the race and prompt the safety car out (lap 4).

At the restart, in lap 8, Haase leads on Cheever, Ludwig, Menchaca, Menzel, Baumann, Lomko, Grunewald, Lomko, Ikin and L.Pulcini.  Osieka leads in Am. Things and positions stabilize up to the opening of the pit stop window, in lap 14.

After all driver changes, Reicher has a 13-second margin on Siebert, then Kirchmayr, Schiller, Bergström, Pitamber, Ineichen, Blanchemain,  Pepper and Petrov. There is rubbing between the two Lambos, with Petrov spinning, and more drama as the Mercedes of Schiller slows down with technical problems and retires in the pits. There is also a contact between Cozzi and Khodair who has been fighting fiercely.

At the top, Reicher manages to extend his lead and wins with no stress ahead of Siebert and Bergström, while Kirchmayr takes a resounding win in Pro-Am ahead of Khodair and Stromsted, while Rumpfkeil nets the Am.

Results are HERE