FIA GT4 Cup - Nürburgring - Race 2 Report

“Racing together with the HTC Dutch GT4 was a good plan”, double winner Matt Nicoll-Jones commented on the podium of the second race. “We had open races, good fights and a strong field, so what more could you possibly want? This is GT4 at its best!”

Matt Nicoll Jones took both wins in his blue IMS Ginetta G50, on both occasions followed home in the FIA GT4 points battle by Paul Meijer and Michael Mallock, both at the wheel of Aston Martin GT4s. Gianni Giudici and Julian Griffin, on his GT4 European Cup debut, took the spoils in the Supersport division.

Another day and another win for Matt Nicoll-Jones, IMS Motorsport and Ginetta at the Nürburgring. The Ginetta driver lost some places right after the start, as did Paul Meijer in the Rhesus Aston Martin. At the end of lap one, Lucas Ordonez came through in first position, with Matt Nicoll-Jones and Frank Wrathall in the Team LNT Ginetta G50 behind him. Meanwhile championship leaders Paul Meijer and Michael Mallock had a coming together and both had to fight back from the back of the field.

When Ordonez’s Nissan 370Z retired with a transmission problem, Nicoll-Jones moved into first, keeping off Frank Wrathall and Wolfgang Weber in the Mathol Racing Aston Martin. Meijer and Mallock did everything possible and after only a few laps, both Aston drivers were within the top-5 again. After the mandatory stops, the running order was Nicoll-Jones, Mallock, Meijer, Weber and Breeze, who took over from Frank Wrathall in the Team LNT Ginetta.

Paul Meijer moved into second right before the end of the race, and thus we had the same podium as on the previous day, with Nicoll-Jones winning and Meijer and Mallock in second and third.

QUOTES:

Matt Nicoll-Jones: “It was a great weekend, with great races and a fantastic result. I made little mistake in lap 1, but after that I managed to fight back. In the opening stages of the race, I followed the Dutch guys, but I did not want to get involved in their battle. I made an early stop and that was the right decision, giving me a clear lead towards the end of the race. The rain at the end was no problem anymore.”

Paul Meijer: “I made a mistake at the first corner, locking up my rear wheels and lost some places. Later in that same lap, Michael hit me and I found myself at the back of the field. I recovered and got home second, a great result for the championship.”

Michael Mallock: “What happened with Paul was a race incident and I’m sorry for that.”
Julian Griffin (Supersport winner): “Winning in my first ever weekend is great, the races were fun and I really want to come back for more GT4 Cup racing.”

Frédéric Gaillard (2nd in Supersport): “I feel exactly the same about this series, I also want to race in more rounds.” 

Race 2 Result

1 9  GT4  Nicoll-Jones Ginetta G50 41:23.965 18 laps
2 318  DGT4  van der Ende/Huisman BMW M3 GT4 +3.834
3 307  DGT4  de Groot BMW M3 GT4 +6.311
4 365  DGT4  Zumbrink/van Dongen Corvette C6 +8.788
5 322  DGT4  Verheul Aston Martin GT4 +9.480
6 321  DGT4  Molenaar/van der Hoek Chevrolet Camaro +11.722
7 308  DGT4  Knap BMW M3 GT4 +12.114
8 22  GT4  Hancock Lotus Evora GT4 +19.952
9 7  GT4  Meijer Aston Martin GT4 +20.691
10 315  DGT4  Catsburg/Engel Ginetta G50 +21.573
11 32  GT4  Mallock Aston Martin GT4 +22.283
12 24  GT4  Weber Aston Martin GT4 +27.510
13 301  DGT4  Frankenhout/Kool Porsche 997 GT4 +27.941
14 30  GT4  Breeze/Wrathall Ginetta G50 +29.313
15 319  DGT4  Buijs/Verschuur Chevrolet Camaro +43.535
16 213  GT4  Griffiths Lotus 2Eleven +1:08.400
17 305  DGT4  Kroes/Bakker Porsche 997 GT4 +1:11.873
18 364  DGT4  van der Kolk Corvette C6 +1:33.375
19 334  DGT4  Stox/Kamphues BMW M3 GT4 +1:34.376
20 214  GT4  Gaillard Lotus 2Eleven +1:39.014
21 100  GT4  Veltman/Ladas KTM X-Bow +1:43.529
22 19  GT4  Gagliardini/Pittori Porsche Cayman +1:56.593
23 28  GT4  Bauer Aston Martin GT4 +2:16.131
24 212  GT4  Fumagalli Lotus 2Eleven 17 laps
25 27  GT4  Preacher Aston Martin GT4 17 laps
26 304  DGT4  Koster/Sanders Porsche 997 GT4 17 laps
27 3  GT4  Charles Aston Martin GT4 16 laps
28 2  GT4  Tresson/Barff Nissan 370Z 16 laps
29 211  GT4  Giudici Lotus 2Eleven 16 laps
30 303  DGT4  Bastiaans/Harkema Porsche 997 GT4 13 laps
31 363  DGT4  van Putten/van den Heuvel Corvette C6 6 laps
32 1  GT4  Ordonez/Buncombe Nissan 370Z 5 laps
33 4  GT4  Al Masaood Aston Martin GT4 2 laps
34 306  DGT4  Wilschut/Verburg Porsche 997 GT4 1 lap