Renee Gracie collects top five in Pro-Am entry at GT World Challenge Australia finale
- MIKA BÖCKER
- 37 minutes ago
- 2 min read
It was a mix of joy and misfortune for Renee Gracie at the GT World Challenge Australia final in Hampton Downs. In her first outing in the ProAm class after clinching the Am class championship in dominant fashion, Gracie collected a top five result on Saturday.
It was a mix of joy and misfortune for Renee Gracie at the GT World Challenge Australia final in Hampton Downs. In her first outing in the ProAm class after clinching the Am class championship in dominant fashion, Gracie collected a top five result on Saturday, but the bad luck at the start of Sunday’s race ended her weekend early.
The first race of the weekend saw Renee Gracie starting from fifth position. Towards the end of the formation lap, a light drizzle began, but it wasn't heavy enough to soak the track. Nevertheless, it proved to be a distraction for some drivers. At the start, there were several slips throughout the field, creating large gaps early on, and Gracie was able to gain one position.
Once the other drivers had adjusted to the conditions, they put Gracie under pressure again, and shortly before the pit stop window, she had to relinquish her hard-won position to the #26 Audi. During the pit stop, New Zealander Damon Leitch took the wheel and began chasing the Audi. With 20 minutes remaining, a fierce battle ensued between the #26 Audi, Leitch's #181, and the #27 Ferrari.
In a spectacular maneuver in the downhill hairpin, Leitch went over the inner curb on two wheels, briefly becoming airborne, but landed safely and was able to overtake the Audi. Leitch initially managed to pull away. The Ferrari behind him also benefited from the maneuver and pushed the Audi even further back.
On the following lap, Leitch lost his narrow lead over the Ferrari when a lapped Mercedes got in his way. Leitch initially had to defend hard in Turn 1, managing to hold his position through the start/finish straight and into Turn 1, but lost momentum on the racing line for the next straight and ultimately had to let the Ferrari pass.
The Audi also closed the gap again, but couldn't manage to overtake. Meanwhile, Renee Gracie commented: “I’ve been waiting for this all year, to have a pro-am run and to actually show everyone what I'm made of with a good pro in the car.” Under pressure from the Audi, the team finished the race in fifth place.
The pro driver in the car, Damon Leitch, had to start the second race from twelfth position. The start didn't go as successfully as it had for Gracie earlier. Approaching turn two, he decided to take the inside line, but braked late in an attempt to overtake. A Mercedes ahead of him also moved to the inside in the braking zone, blocking his intended path. Leitch tried to swerve towards the middle of the track, but it was both too late and there was no space. He collided with two other cars, damaging his front suspension and sliding straight into the tire barrier. His race was over very early.
