Race Reports – Page 6 – Champion Motorsports

VWSC 1971 – 2.4 Hours of Le Mans

Race Report by George Angelidis Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith May 22, 2021 – Today the drivers and crews all have recouped themselves after the 2-month summer break and be ready to give it all at it again with high spirits at the 3 Laps at the narrow streets of Targa Florio. An intense race for high nerves will surely be spectacular… But before that, let’s go back 2 months ago and remember what happened at the previous round, the 2.4 Hours of Le Mans. They say Le Mans picks its winners. Even the most dominant of displays, such as that of the #00 n00n Racing Lola T70 Mk3.B of Ross Smith that weekend, isn't enough sometimes. How fitting that this, a 1971 Virtual World Sportscar Championship season that was deemed to be oh-so-predictable with Yassin Marzoug dominating with 3 wins at the beginning of > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: Le Mans, rFactor2. rFactor 2, VWSC|

NARS Virtual GT1 Championship Round 5 – 60 Minutes of the Sachsenring

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith June 24, 2021 - It was with a sense of expectation and curiosity that the NARS VGT1 Championship teams and drivers arrived at the picturesque Saxony countryside for the Sachsenring racing weekend. With almost none of the drivers have had any experience on this tight, weaving ‘rollercoaster’ of a track more often used for motorcycle racing, chances were good for some upsets in the standings. With 24 drivers on the shortest track of the season, there was no concern in the paddock that drivers would be ‘losing focus’! The weather throughout the week was overcast with frequent bouts of rain that had every team scrambling to get the most out of the practice sessions to settle both car and driver on the optimum setups and lines for both dry and wet conditions. While the final > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: GT1, NARS, rFactor2. rFactor 2, Sachsenring|

NARS Modern Sportscar Championship – Round 6 at The Glen

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith June 17, 2021 - Watkins Glen and the beautiful countryside and wine-tasting heaven of the Finger Lakes region of upper New York State were the venues for the 6th round of the VMSC, continuing the US stay for the series. Hot and clear weather gave the 19 drivers and teams plenty of excellent conditions for the practice, and it stayed that way through the practice rounds and for the race itself. With several championship contenders in both GTE PRO and AM choosing to sit out this round, there was a heightened sense of anticipation both in the paddock as well as in the stands that this race could be a significant turning point in the overall standings. Qualifying It was a newcomer to the series, Pedro Gomes in his Ferrari FXX-K that set the track > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: NARS, rFactor2, rFactor2. rFactor, VMSC|

ACC GT4’s at Silverstone

Race Report by Josh Staffin June 21, 2021 - The Assetto Corsa Competizione GT4's were in action at Silverstone this past week. Qualifying With just a 14-minute qualifying session and a long track, only 6 flying laps were possible for those first out of the pits. But D. Bourne needed only 2 laps to unlock a 2:10.596. Though ultimately good enough for pole, it was still early in the session and so they went for a second stint on the quickly improving track - 2:10.326 being the final nail in the coffin. J. Steele also attempted 4 flying laps over 2 brief stints resulting in a 2:10.776. Just 0.204 seconds back was J.T. Tami on their third of four consecutive flying laps. A mere 1.3 seconds separated D. Bourne from last place (occupied by J. Staffin, known far and wide for his last-to-first race start). Qualifying Results Position Driver > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: ACC, Assetto Corsa Competizione, GT4, Silverstone|

NARS Virtual GT1 Championship Round 4 – 60 Minutes of Zolder

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith June 10, 2021 - From the warming breezes of southern France, the GT1 teams and drivers packed up and made their way back north to Belgium and the guaranteed excitement that comes from a race at Zolder. With another BoP laid upon the Ford GTs as the championship technical advisors grappled with how to deliver level racing potential across the field, the teams focused on their preparations. The Belgian countryside and conditions proved as welcoming as the south of France, with dry and warm conditions from practice to race, giving the fans some great opportunities to see the drivers at their very best and very fastest on this demanding track. Qualifying It was Maserati again at the top of the qualifying results, this time privateer Pedro Gomes with a time of 1:22.962, a full second ahead > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: GT1, NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2, Zolder|

NARS Virtual GT1 Championship Round 3 – 60 Minutes of Paul Ricard

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith June 3, 2021 - Sunny southern France was the locale for Round 3, with the demanding Paul Ricard welcoming 30 drivers, including 8 teams of paired drivers for what turned out to be a thrilling race weekend. The flat and technically demanding track marked a dramatic change of pace from the Brno circuit with plenty of opportunities to pick different lines through the high and low-speed corners. Anticipation was high that the competition would become that much closer with the announcement of a BoP adjustment aimed principally at the Ford GT. In addition, there was speculation that the Nissan GT-R would be making a reappearance in the series after a period of intense negotiations between the manufacturer and race organizers that resulted in some demanded BoP adjustments to the Nissan. Qualifying Maserati claimed a second > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: GT1, NARS, Paul Ricard, rFactor 2, rFactor2|

NARS Virtual GT1 Championship Round 2 – 60 Minutes of Brno

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith May 27, 2021 – NARS made a long-overdue return to the rolling hills of the Brno circuit with the arrival of the Virtual GT1 Championship to the venue last week. 31 drivers, making up 7 teams and 17 independent drivers arrived in the Czech Republic to contest the second round of the 9 race championship. The weather cooperated to provide the drivers with consistent conditions for both learning the track and becoming more familiar again with their cars. Qualifying It was PRO driver Ahmed Abdallah that set the pace, laying down a 1:47.679 in a Maserati MC12, nosing ahead of Dan Kirby and Eduardo Beninca, both in Ford GTs. A 1:50:590 was the best that top AM driver John Maher could wring out of his Corvette C6.R, which left room for almost all of the > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: Brno, NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2|

NARS Virtual GT1 Championship Round 1 – 60 Minutes of Silverstone

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith May 20, 2021 – Excitement was high as the racing teams, drivers and fans flocked to Silverstone on a dreary race weekend for the inaugural event of the NARS GT1 short series. 30 cars, including 6 teams of paired PRO and AM drivers ensured that the paddock was abuzz with activity as work was completed to get the cars and drivers ready for their first racing test. The weather throughout the week varied from cool, dry, and sunny to heavily overcast and steady rain, giving each team major headaches in tuning their cars for the track and conditions. Qualifying Good conditions under broken clouds allowed the drivers to get out and stretch their legs a bit, with PRO Ahmed Abdallah setting the fastest lap with his Nissan GT-R at 1:50.623. Close behind was Dan Kirby > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: GT1, NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2, Silverstone|

NARS Modern Sportscar Championship – Round 5 at Long Beach

Race Report by Matthew Overton Image by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith May 13, 2021 - It was back to the USA for the VMSC and the always demanding street circuit at Long Beach California. Beautiful skies greeted the 19 teams (10 LMH/9 GTE) on their arrival and the weekend carried on in the same manner, providing for some excellent racing conditions. Qualifying Qualifying was as ever, hotly contested, with Norm Graf setting the crowd abuzz, seizing his first pole position of the series with a 1:12.241 in his Ferrari FXX-K. Brian Hall and George Angelidis, also in Ferraris, completed a lock-out of the top spots in LMH PRO for that manufacturer, an indication of things to come in the race. In LMH AM, Ross Smith and his Nissan G-TR were only slightly behind the top PROs, with a 1:12.603, which was only just ahead of the Ferrari > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: Long Beach, NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2|

VWSC 2021 – 60 Minutes of Long Beach

Race Report by George Angelidis Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith May 15, 2021 - It was truly a day for the British brand with McLaren getting a full return on the effort they put into the LMH class and getting their first win of the VWSC ‘21 Championship courtesy of Wouter de Bruijn. A total of 26 cars and drivers arrived to contest the tight streets of Long Beach. It was clear that many teams had been hard at work, though not all were able to put past difficulties behind them, as the race was not without its fair share of drama and many became “victims” of the walls and tight space of the track. Qualifying LMH-Pro Storm Rider Racing driver Ahmed Abdallah set the pace with his Nissan by grabbing pole ahead of LMH-Pro contender driver Yassin Marzoug and his Triploski GorillAAAH Nissan. Marzoug > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: Long Beach, rFactor2. rFactor 2, VWSC|

VWSC 1971 – 100 Minutes of Spa

Race Report by George Angelidis Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith May 8, 2021 - The annual 100 min historic race for sports cars, took place on the magnificent Spa-Francorchamps circuit without any bitching and binding from any outside organizations, or complaints from the participants and used the full-scale circuit, ignoring the “safety chicane” put in at Malmedy for the puny little Grand Prix cars and their timid drivers. The Francorchamps circuit was at its glorious best during practice, which was held under a clear beautiful sky, much to the pleasure of few English drivers that have been tormented by rain the past few weeks on the island. The entry for the Spa race was not large, but it had all the necessary ingredients with the Rookie Monsters and CMS Pro 5-Liter Porsches, for Ben Boorman, Jon Uyan, and Jerry Chen, the sole existing flat-12 Alfa > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: rFactor 2, rFactor2, Spa-Francorchamps, VWSC|

NARS Modern Sportscar Championship – Round 4 at Spa-Francorchamps

Race Report by Matthew Overton Image by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith April 22, 2021 - The VMSC carried on with the globe-hopping nature of the series, stopping this time at the renowned Spa-Francorchamps of Belgium, home to some of the most electrifying sprint and endurance racing to be found anywhere. Since the last event at Sebring, the teams and drivers have been hard at work to optimize their cars for the high-speed racing that has been a hallmark of this iconic track, all the more difficult with the imposition of an updated LMH BoP by the series officials, raising hopes for even closer competition as a result. While many other CMS series have been bitten by the ‘spring rain bug’ while in Europe, the VMSC benefitted from clear skies which provided plenty of time for fine-tuning of the setups before the serious work of qualifying. Qualifying > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2, Spa-Francorchamps, VMSC|

iRTES Round 4 at Monza

Race Report by Doug Atkinson Results / Data by Jason Lundy April 18, 2021 – Round 4 of the Champion Motorsports 2021 iRacing Team Endurance Series (iRTES) at Monza was rinse and repeat. At the end of the day, the VRS Satellite Racing Team of Paul Darling and David Williams won again in LMP2, while the Unified Performance Racing Team of Justin Hess and Kurt Polter took home another win. LMP2 start at Monza GTE start at Monza LMP2 Pulling in the second spot in the prototypes was the TNT Racing (Carbon) of Everett Paddock and Scott McIntyre. The third place was taken by the Imperial Motorsports - Shake Team of Chris Paiz and George Kuekes. The winning VRS Satellite Team of David Williams and Paul Darling. GTE The podium in the GTE class after Unified was the SimHQ Motorsports 2 Team of > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: GTE, iRacing, iRTES, LMP2, Monza|

NARS VDTMC Final Report – Round 9 Spa-Francorchamps

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith April 8, 2021 - It was 21 drivers and crews that arrived at the historic location of Spa-Francorchamps to contest the final round of the CMS NARS Virtual DTM Championship. Anticipation was running high with a number of teams determined to show true racing colors and close out the season on a high note. It also marked the return to NARS racing for Guilherme Bencke and the first race of the season for Pedro Crulas Gomes – perhaps heralding a more regular attendance? A glorious weekend, more like an early summer than spring, provided for some excellent racing conditions, even with bands of clouds regularly passing overhead. The final practice provided hints of the close racing that was in store and the qualifying session was a great taster of the action to come. Qualifying Perennial > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2, Spa-Francorchamps, VDTMC|

VWSC 1971 – 100 Minutes of Brands Hatch

Race Report by Matthew Overton & George Angelidis Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith April 3, 2021 - Southeast England provided a beautiful race weekend for the 4th round of the CMS VWSC ‘71 Championship, much to the delight of the drivers and crews. On the deceptively simple Brands Hatch GP circuit, the drivers, in particular, were relieved to be pitted only against each other rather than a wet track! A total of 20 drivers presented themselves for the briefing for the marshals, with all the levels of competition well represented. After the practice sessions, it was on to qualifying, where Ahmed Abdalla (Purist) in his Ferrari 512M took top honors with a 1:21.132, ahead of Marouane el Idrissi (Pro) and Wouter de Bruijn (Pro) in another Ferrari and Porsche 917K respectively. Setting the pace in Am was Leone Gennari in another Ferrari with a 1:25.283. > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: Brands Hatch, rFactor 2, rFactor2, VWSC|

NARS Virtual DTM Championship – Round 8 at Hockenheimring

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith Another beautiful week and another weekend of off-and-on-again weather that is so typical of Europe in the spring. 21 drivers (11 PRO and 10 AM), including a late PRO series entry, Juan Salas Morales, assembled in the paddock for the race weekend, guaranteeing great action for the penultimate race of the season. Qualifying Spring delivered the required dose of rain during the final practice, but the generally warm weather and steady breezes meant that by the start of qualifying, the conditions were almost ideal, giving over to a number of PBs as the drivers jostled for their starting positions. Once again, PRO Ahmed Abdalla seized pole position with both hands, laying down a 1:31.849, over a half-second ahead of Daniel Kirby. In AM, Matthew Overton's 1:33.499 placed him .02s ahead of Danny Corriveau , with > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: Hockenheimring, NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2, VDTMC|

NARS Virtual DTM Championship – Round 7 at TT Assen

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith March 25, 2021 – It was a thankfully short trip for the drivers and teams as they left Austria for the Nederlands and the city of Assen to prepare for the next round of the CMS NARS VDTM Championship. With only 3 races left and the series wins for both PRO and AM virtually locked, there was still much to race for in the battles for the remaining podium positions. And so it was 19 drivers (9 PRO and 10 AM) enjoying the Dutch hospitality and working to further refine the tuning of their cars in preparation for their race at a venue more renowned for the MotoGP than motorcar racing. While during the week, the practice conditions were bright and dry, by the weekend itself, spring had reasserted herself with a good lashing of > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2, TT Assen, VDTMC|

iRTES Round 3 at Le Mans

Race Report by Doug Atkinson Images by George Deane Results / Data by Jason Lundy March 21, 2021 – Round 3 of the Champion Motorsports 2021 iRacing Team Endurance Series (iRTES) at Le Mans had the same class winners as previous events, but the action until the finish was anything but dull. LMP2 No surprise the REVO Satellite Team of Paul Darling and David Williams again pulled out the win, climbing to a lead of nearly a minute at one point in the race. Three-in-a-row for REVO Satellite and now the discussion begins if anyone can take home the top spot at any track the rest of the 2021 iRTES year. Second place was won by the Imperial Motorsports - Shake Texas Team of Chris Paiz and Leif Peterson. After some first lap woes, they stormed back to the podium result. The TNT Racing (Carbon) Team of Everett Paddock > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: GTE, iRacing, iRTES, Le Mans, LMP2|

NARS Virtual DTM Championship – Round 6 at Red Bull Ring

Race Report by Matthew Overton Images by Jerry Chen and Danny Corriveau Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith March 18, 2021 - Austria, in particular the lovely area of Styria, was the 6th of 9 stops for the drivers and crews of the NARS VDTMC. The Red Bull Ring was the venue and there was great anticipation for a high-speed contest along the long straights of this storied course. 21 drivers (10 PRO and 11 AM) completed the weekend of racing, much to the delight of the few fans permitted at the venue as well as the record crowd watching remotely. With periods of rain punctuating the practices, the odds were high that the drivers would be very lucky indeed to avoid a wet track for two weekends in a row. A notable absence from the initial practices was PRO driver Ahmed Abdallah, raising speculation that there could be a > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: NARS, Red Bull Ring, rFactor 2, rFactor2, VDTMC|

NARS Modern Sportscar Championship – Round 3 at Sebring 1.2

Race Report by Matthew Overton Image by Jerry Chen Broadcast by Ross “Tnadz” Smith March 11, 2021 - No rest for the drivers and teams of the VMSC as it was back to Sebring for the third round of the series. Like Daytona, the race would feature both day and night driving as the drivers fought the bone-shaking and suspension-breaking surface of this historic track. Despite some concerns over the weather in the lead-up to the race, the furrowed brows disappeared as quickly as the clouds with the drivers enjoying the cooler temperatures that stood in contrast to the very hot racing that they delivered. 22 drivers raced over the weekend (7 LMH and 15 GTE) with the biggest news being the entry of CMS CEO David Anderson in the GTE AM class, driving a Ferrari 488 that had been provided and prepped at short notice by Ferrari USA > more

Categories: Race Reports|Tags: NARS, rFactor 2, rFactor2, Sebring, VMSC|