News
Dec 8, 2017
Round 5 GT Trophy Series – Wakefield Park
Final round of the GT Trophy series at Wakefield Park with Richard Gartner in the Safe-T-Stop Lamborghini.
Richard did a fantastic job to go from practice sessions at the Challenge Bathurst event, in preparation for the Bathurst 12 hour in 2018, straight to Wakefield Park.
The crew transported the car from Bathurst to Wakefield Park. Richard did a great to job to hit the ground running in practice. He was fast on some very old tyres in practice, with many others using far better tyres.
Come qualifying that paid off and Richard qualified on pole for the first qualifying session in changeable conditions, on a track drying. He then backed that up in the second qualifying session breaking the lap record (by a long way) to claim another pole position.
As the GT cars haven’t been to Wakefield Park for a number of years that was fantastic outcome on the home track for Richard having done plenty of laps there in the past, but not so much in the Lamborghini only having one test day under his belt.
It was a fantastic start to the weekend and the crew did a great job to turn the car around in the short time frame from Bathurst.
Come race day two back-to-back 1 hour races, which is along way around Wakefield Park, 45 to 48 laps. Richard was positive heading into the first race and he slightly missed the start and dropped to second where he ran until the first pit stop, with the shorter pit stop time Richard was able to come out in the lead and was going well. Steven McLaughlan was slowly closing in and unfortunately passed Richard at the fish hook and he finished 2nd in Race 1.
Going into Race 2, Richard was 2nd off the line and came out side by side with the leader, Steve McLaughlan, after the pit stop he really gave him a run for his money and finished closely behind in 2nd. If a few things had gone Richard’s way in that race he would have been in contention for the race win.
Second for the weekend and third overall for the Australian GT Trophy Championship, a great outcome considering it was Richard’s first year with the Lamborghini and for Wall Racing running the car. Overall a very solid year, Richard did a very good and once again the crew did a great job preparing the car with no mechanical DNF’s for the season. Strong showing and now we get ready for the Bathurst 12 hour in February 2018.