Dakar Rally News: Thrilling GT Cup Opener at Donington Park
Donington Park, UK – The 2024 GT Cup championship kicked off with four action-packed races at the sunny Donington Park circuit, delivering an exciting mix of the latest GT machinery in competition. Newcomers Forsetti Motorsport emerged victorious after the opening round.
Race 1
In the first race, Team Abba’s Richard Neary and Ian Loggie dominated proceedings, taking a comfortable 27-second victory in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. The National Motorsport Academy Lotus Evora GTE driven by Jay Shepherd finished second, with the G-Cat Porsche 911 GT3R of Shamus Jennings taking third.
Race 2
The second race saw more thrilling action, with the G-Cat Porsche of Greg Caton snatching victory from Neary’s Mercedes-AMG in the closing stages. Topcats Racing’s Tom Rawlings and Charlotte Gilbert claimed the GTC class win, while Forsetti Motorsport’s Matthew Higgins and Mikey Porter took the GTH class victory.
Race 3
Sunday’s pitstop race saw another impressive performance from the Lotus Evora GTE, with Jay Shepherd leading early on before being passed by the rapid G-Cat Porsche of Greg Caton. Shepherd finished second overall, with Topcats Racing’s Charlotte Gilbert and Tom Rawlings taking the GTC class win.
Race 4
The final race of the weekend was not without drama, as the Abba Mercedes of Loggie and Neary was forced to retire before the start. Jay Shepherd dominated the race, securing his first overall GT Cup victory in the Lotus Evora GTE. Topcats Racing enjoyed a one-two finish in the GTC class, with Charlotte Gilbert and Warren Gilbert taking the top two spots.
The 2024 GT Cup championship now heads to the iconic Brands Hatch circuit on May 18th/19th for the second round of the season.
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