FAW T2M’s Martin Ragginger and Bao Jinlong snatches GT3 pole ahead of JRM’s Chris van der Drift and Li Chao, and Audi Hong Kong’s Marchy Lee and Alex Au at Round 7 of the China GT Championship. GTC title contender Ling Kang and Xu Wei of Xtreme Motorsports manages to stay ahead of championship leader D2’s Huang Hsi Chan for pole, while JRM’s Andrew Tang and Pan Chao takes third in the second row. Yang Mengqiao, aided by Aston Martin Racing’s rising star, Briton Ross Gunn tops the timesheet ahead of old rivals Xtreme Motorsports’ Chen Yinian and teammates He Xiaole and Zhou Yong for GT4 Class. China GT is now back in full swing and more exciting races will take place here at the Shanghai International Circuit.
This weekend is giving us much to look forward to: new entrants, BBT and Spirit of the race, have brought us Chinese motorsports superstar Franky Chen and 2017 season’s first Ferrari 488 GT3. GT4 features record-breaking number of entries, and has drawn Touring Car and Rally racing legends He Xiaole and Zhou Yong into GT racing. The Audi R8 LMS Cup also adds to the spectacle for the Shanghai audience.
In GT3, Ragginger and Bao of FAW T2M in the #99 Porsche 911 GT3 R took pole ahead of fellow PCCA drivers JRM’s Li Chao and Chris van der Drift. The FAW T2M pair, currently second in the GT3 championship standings, both put in a solid performance during the session, and is confident about closing the 2 point gap with the front runner this weekend. Audi Hong Kong’s Marchy Lee and Alex Au are a close third, only twentieth of a second off the pace of Li and van der Drift. Single entry contestants Franky Cheng and Liu Xu in the #37 Audi R8 LMS of BBT both put in the fastest laps in their respective sessions to claim top spot in the overall classification. The florescent green prancing horse fielded by Spirit of the Race’s Max Wiser and Jiang Xin was only less than a second off the pace, and claims the front row alongside the Audi.
From fourth to ninth are: Alex Yoong and Xu Jia of Kings Racing, Li Jiaqi and Maxime Jousse of JRM JiaRui – TengDa, Martin Rump and Wang Liang of Kings Racing, Melvin Moh and Lim Keong Wee of Audi Hong Kong, Morris Chen and Hiroki Yoshimoto of FAW T2M, Maxx Ebenal and Kuo Kuo Hsin of D2 Racing.
In the hotly contested GTC race, Xu Wei and Ling Kang took home their third pole start of the season with an average lap time of 02:11.210, after some impressive laps from Ling Kang who is also starring in the GT4 category. Current championship leader and SIC rookie D2’s Huang Hsi Chan trails Xu/Ling by about a second, ahead of Pan Chao and Andrew Tang who finished third with a time of 02.12.563 for JRM Jia Rui – TengDa.
From fourth to fourteenth are: Liang Kaifeng and Pu Shu of TSRT Tianshi Racing, Bian Hao and Will Bamber of JRM Jia Rui – TengDa, Han Huilin and Yang Yuan of Kings, Xie Xinzhe and Lu Zhiwei of Hanwe DMS, Xiao Min and Zhang Dasheng of JRM Force China, Zhang Jian and Li Huiwei of Yashe 300+, Min Heng and Shang Lei of JRM Force China, Zheng Hui and Long Lingyun of JRM Elite, Huang Yiqing and Chang Jiong of TSRT Tianshi Racing, Li Xuefeng and Yangxi of JRM Elite, and Yuan Bo and Yan Kai of Hanwe DMS.
ChinaEquity AMR’s new drivers’ lineup has brought home a commanding P1 and P3 finish for the team. Ross Gunn is new to Shanghai - Asia even, but looks every bit the savvy driver he is when navigating the Shanghai track, achieving the fastest lap time of 02:16.579 in GT4 Class. Co-driver Yang Mengqiao finished the job brilliantly and put the pair on pole. Xtreme Motorsports Ling Kang and Chen Yinian squeezed into the front row ahead of the other Aston Martin fielded by He Xiaole and Zhou Yong.
From fourth to ninth: Roelof Bruins and Dong Liang of the Winning Team, Naomi Schiff and Shi Liang of Xtreme Motorsports, Anthony Chan and Julio Acosta of Team Lotus, Robert Webb and Bill O’Brien of Team Lotus, Rodolfo Avila and Yang Zhiyi of ZIA FEA Racing, and Zhang Dongqi and Yin Jinge of ZIE FEA Racing.
Watch the race live at Beijing Time (GMT +8:00) 9:25AM Saturday 9 September on the official China GT Facebook page (@ChinaGTChampionship).
