Ricardo van der Ende starts the first race of the Competition102 GT4 European Series from pole position. At the historic Monza race track, the Dutch driver for Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport performed best in the qualifying for PRO drivers. Andreas Gülden secured pole position for race two in the following session, putting the Sin R1 GT4 in front.
Van der Ende wasn’t sure if he would be able to challenge for pole position after the two practice sessions, but the Ekris M4 GT4 driver and his team clearly found momentum to beat Hendrik Still, who topped both earlier sessions. The German competing for Sofia Car Motorsport came just 0,067s short to Van der Ende but was four tenths clear of Peter Terting with the Porsche Cayman PRO4 GT4. Simon Knap, also driving the Ekris M4 GT4, secured fourth place. The Dutchman was just 0,013s faster than Maserati racer Giorgio Sernagiotto.
Gülden dominated the second qualifying practice. The Sofia Car Motorsport driver was seven tenths of a second faster than Marko Helistekangas, racing the KTM X-BOW GT4 for RYS Team Pankl. He drove two tenths quicker than ‘Reiter Young Stars’ colleague Lennart Marioneck. Luca Anselmi put his Villorba Corse Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 in fourth, ahead of Romain Monti driving the same type of vehicle.
Giuseppe Ghezzi of Autorlando Sport was the fastest AM driver in the first session. The driver for Autorlando Sport secured twelfth place overall and beat Jan Kasperlik driving with the Allied Racing BMW M3 GT4. Ghezzi’s team mate Giovanelli Allessandro became the best placed driver of an all AM line-up as he qualified sixth in the second session.
Reigning champions Jelle Beelen and Marcel Nooren face challenging races with the V8 Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4. They start in eight and tenth position.
The first race of the 2016 season starts Saturday on 13:55 hr and will be streamed live
Competition102 GT4 European Series – Autodromo Nazionale Monza – 22 April 2016
Top ten, qualifying 1:
1 Van der Ende, Ekris M4 GT4, 1:58.907
2 Still, Sin Cars Sin R1 GT4, +0.067 seconds
3 Terting, Porsche Cayman PRO4 GT4, +0.512
4 Knap, Ekris M4 GT4, +0.743
5 Sernagiotto, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, +0.756
6 Monti, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, +0.826
7 Coronel, BMW M3 GT4, +1.060
8 Freiburghaus, KTM X-Bow GT4, +1.166
9 Calamia, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, +1.309
10 Beelen, Chevrolet Camaro GT4, +1.675
Top ten, qualifying 2:
1 Guelden, Sin Cars Sin R1 GT4, 1:58.869
2 Helistekangas, KTM X-Bow GT4, +0.789
3 Marioneck, KTM X-Bow GT4, +1.007
4 Anselmi, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, +1.056
5 Monti, Maserati Trofeo MC GT4, +1.087
6 Allessandro, Porsche 911 (997) GT4, +1.120
7 Lackinger, BMW M3 GT4, +1.248
8 Nooren, Chevrolet Camaro GT4, +1.373
9 Zamparini , Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, +1.934
10 Severs, Ekris M4 GT4, +1.985
Competition102 GT4 European Series
The Competition102 GT4 European Series consist of six rounds, held at premier race tracks in Europe and partnering top level GT or touring car championships except from the last round in Zandvoort where the GT4 category will be the main programme. The championship includes two endurance races and one round at a street course.
SRO Motorsports Group, architect of modern GT Racing
SRO Motorsports Group was founded by Stephane Ratel and has specialised in the promotion, support and organisation of many national and international motorsport series since 1995.
In 2016, SRO Motorsports Group will promote several championships and series, such as the Blancpain GT Series, including the iconic Total 24 hours of Spa, the British GT Championship, the Blancpain Sports Club with the GT Sports Club and the Ultracar Sports Club, the GT4 European Series and the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
SRO Motorsports Group runs also the SRO Race Centre by MMC, a high-level technical centre at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France.
SRO has offices in London, Paris and Liège.
Pirelli, official tyre supplier
Pirelli is a tyre manufacturer and world leader in the automotive industry. It has an exclusive relationship with over 50 racing series worldwide, including Formula One.
Pirelli has a long and illustrious history in endurance racing, and has also claimed a huge variety of class wins in GT racing all over the world. The design of the new Pirelli GT tyres meets the needs of GT racing while maintaining the performance characteristics that endurance drivers have appreciated in the past. The slick tyres used for GT racing are branded Zero: just like the slicks that have become a central feature of Formula One. The name P Zero is used in the highest categories of motorsport such as GT racing.
Competition102, unique fuel for maximum performance
Competition102 is premium petrol with an octane number of 102. The unique high octane number of 102 (RON 102) and MON number of at least 90 ensures optimal performances. Competition102 is suitable for all petrol-powered vehicles: from classic (Formula 1) cars and normal passenger vehicles to cross motorcycles and high performance racing cars. Competition102 fuel is exclusively produced, stored and distributed by Salland Olie Maatschappij B.V. in the Netherlands. It’s available at over 60 petrol stations nationwide and is sold in 60-litre barrels.
