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Victory at the season finale propels Augusto Farfus and Nick Catsburg to the drivers’ title in the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Sat Dec 12 22:21:24 CET 2020 Press Release
Victory and a title win at the season finale in the Intercontinental GT Challenge in Kyalami for the BMW M6 GT3: a dramatic finish to the ‘Kyalami 9 Hour’ saw Sheldon van der Linde, Nick Catsburg and Augusto Farfus emerge victorious in the #34 BMW M6 GT3 of Team Walkenhorst Motorsport. Catsburg and Farfus, who had already triumphed at the 8 Hours of Indianapolis, claimed the drivers’ title in the IGTC.
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Munich.
Victory and a title win at the season finale in the
Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) in Kyalami (RSA) for the BMW M6
GT3: a dramatic finish to the ‘Kyalami 9 Hour’ saw Sheldon van der
Linde (RSA), Nick Catsburg (NED) and Augusto Farfus (BRA) emerge
victorious in the #34 BMW M6 GT3 of Team Walkenhorst Motorsport.
Catsburg and Farfus, who had already triumphed at the 8 Hours of
Indianapolis (USA), claimed the drivers’ title in the IGTC. In the
#35 BMW M6 GT3, Martin Tomczyk (GER), Nick Yelloly and David Pittard
(both GBR) crossed the finish line in sixth position after nine
hours. BMW completed the season in second place in the
manufacturers’ standings.
Starting driver Farfus began the race from third
place and was able to defend his position in the early stage before
handing over the #34 BMW M6 GT3 to local hero van der Linde. The South
African was able to move up one place due to a competitor suffering
from technical issues. However, the #34 BMW M6 GT3 then lost three
places, reaching the halfway point of the race in fifth position. The
trio then managed to battle their way back to third place, before
losing a place once again during the penultimate pit stop. One and a
half hours before the end of the race, heavy rain moved in over the
circuit just outside Johannesburg (RSA). The #34 BMW M6 GT3 was the
first car from the leading group to head for the pits and change to
wet-weather tyres. Competitors then spun out and made later pit stops
as Catsburg moved into the lead around half an hour before the end and
he was able to cross the line first under Full Course Yellow conditions.
Tomczyk started the race from sixth place in the #35 BMW M6 GT3
and gained two positions on the first lap. He defended fourth place
until the first pit stop, when he handed over to Yelloly. The British
driver was initially unable to keep up the pace, losing several places
before handing over to Pittard in seventh. In the second half of the
race, the trio improved by one position to finish in sixth place.
The IGTC season 2020: turbulent global tournament with ups and
downs for Walkenhorst Motorsport.
The Kyalami race marked the end of the second complete season in
the Intercontinental GT Challenge for Walkenhorst Motorsport. The
season lost one event after the cancellation of the ‘Suzuka 10 Hours’
but still featured four endurance events on four different continents.
For the season-opener, Walkenhorst Motorsport headed to Australia,
where the team from Melle (GER) competed with one BMW M6 GT3 at the
‘Bathurst 12 Hour’. Farfus, Catsburg and local hero Chaz Mostert (AUS)
shared driving duties but were forced to retire from the race early
after an unfortunate collision with a kangaroo. Things went much
better in the second race – the 8 Hours of Indianapolis (USA).
Walkenhorst Motorsport produced the perfect race with the two BMW M6
GT3s on the legendary circuit. Catsburg, Farfus and Connor De
Phillippi (USA) triumphed in the #34 BMW M6 GT3, with Pittard, Tomczyk
and Yelloly following right behind in the #35 BMW M6 GT3 to confirm
the one-two result and start the celebrations. At the third race of
the season, the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), the team endured
bad luck similar to that in Bathurst. At the classic race in the
Ardennes, the two BMW M6 GT3s retired after two collisions. However,
luck was back on their side at the season finale in Kyalami. Victory
for Catsburg and Farfus saw them top the drivers’ championship.
Reactions after the race:
Niclas Königbauer (Walkenhorst Motorsport Team
Manager): “What a race. We proved again how important it is
to keep a cool head under crazy conditions and work together closely
as a team. I am unbelievably proud of how everyone performed, on and
off the track. Everyone did a phenomenal job without mistakes and
that’s the key to finish and win a race. For everyone this is a
superb finish to the 2020 season which was difficult in many ways.
However, having the big trophy at the end gives us all great momentum
as we prepare for 2021. Many thanks again to everyone involved in
those achievements.”
Nick Catsburg (#34 BMW M6 GT3, Walkenhorst
Motorsport): “Unbelievable. We are the champions in the
drivers’ standings. Up to the final two hours of the race, we really
did not expect that to happen. We hoped for something crazy to happen.
Just like last year, it wouldn't be Kyalami if something mad didn't
happen. It was just like that, apart from the fact that there was a
restart at the end of the race last year. Congratulations to the team
for getting it right. I am delighted to have won the race and the
championship. I am a bit sorry for the Honda team. They dominated
today and would have earned a good result.”
Augusto Farfus (#34 BMW M6 GT3, Walkenhorst
Motorsport): “I am a bit speechless. It was a difficult year
with many challenges on and off the track. I am very glad that BMW and
the Walkenhorst Motorsport team stayed strong together. We delivered a
very strong campaign. The race today wasn't easy but we executed very
well. None of the drivers made any mistakes and the car worked very
well. I am very happy with this championship. Let's celebrate!"
Sheldon van der Linde (#34 BMW M6 GT3, Walkenhorst
Motorsport): “To be honest, it feels like a title today. It
is fantastic to drive with these guys. We didn’t make any mistakes and
the car was just perfect. At the moment, I am lost for words. We came
close last year and this year we managed it. Simply unbelievable.”