Summer Rintoule and Zoe Woods end GT4 Australia campaign with podiums in Hampton Downs
- MIKA BÖCKER
- 6 minutes ago
- 4 min read
At the season finale of GT4 Australia in Hampton Downs, Summer Rintoule and Zoe Woods were able to achieve good results once again, both clinching podium finishes – with the former securing third in the championship standings.
At the season finale of GT4 Australia in Hampton Downs, Summer Rintoule and Zoe Woods were able to achieve good results once again, both clinching podium finishes – with the former securing third in the championship standings.
For the first race, the starting position looked very good for the #87 Mercedes shared between Hughes & Rintoule in third place, as well as for the #210 Porsche of Morris & Woods. However, this would change into turn 1; while Hughes got a good start and claimed the inside line, the #71 Mustang also moved from the outside to the inside, causing the two cars to collide and spin.
There was no significant damage to either car, but several minor subsequent accidents occurred among other drivers trying to avoid them. While the two cars involved in the initial incident were able to rejoin the back of the field, further accidents occurred in the following corners, some of which were less fortunate, requiring the deployment of the safety car to clear the track. Morris in the #210 Porsche was able to benefit from this and move up to 2nd place.
The restart took place with 47 minutes remaining. This led to some bizarre scenes, as the leading car did not accelerate as it approached the start line. Morris, behind him, ran into the back of him, while drivers to the left and right reacted to the green flag and overtook the leading duo before the start line. Morris consequently dropped back to 6th place. Hughes was in 19th place at this point.
Just a few laps after the restart, Morris was still battling with the former leader. In the downhill hairpin, a collision finally occurred between Morris and Haymen, with the latter sustaining the most damage, although both cars were able to continue. Due to the debris left on the track, the safety car was deployed again.
The restart took place with 36 minutes remaining, shortly before the pit stop window. Morris and Hughes stayed out for a long time and were able to gain many positions. Rintoule returned to the track in the #87 car in 5th place overall and 2nd in class. Woods lost some ground and returned in 9th place overall and 3rd in class.
13 minutes before the end of the race, Rintoule launched a comeback, overtaking car #101 in turn 10 and then car #56 two laps later. The race is interrupted when car #66 gets stuck in the gravel, and with only 9 minutes remaining, the safety car comes out again. In the final lap remaining after the neutralization, neither Rintoule nor Woods are able to gain any positions, so Rintoule finished in third place and second in her class, and Woods finished in 8th place and 3rd in her class.
Race two also started promisingly, with Rintoule in 3rd place and Woods in 6th. This time, everyone made it through the first corner, although Rintoule dropped back to 4th. Woods was pushed slightly wide in the first corner and lost a lot of momentum, dropping her back to 12th place. Within the first 10 minutes, however, she had already managed to climb back up to 10th. Shortly afterwards, she caught up to a battle ahead of her. She was able to take advantage of this and overtake car #777 on the outside in turn 10. Rintoule also improved again and regained 3rd place.
With 38 minutes remaining, car #66 ended up in the tyre barrier, but managed to free itself and avoid a safety car. A short time later, the same thing happened with another car. The replay showed that the ABS had apparently failed, making it impossible to control the car. Since the second incident occurred during the pit stop window, all the teams came in to take advantage of a possible safety car, blocking each other in the process.
After getting out of the car, Rintoule explained: “I was a bit nervous, not as nervous as yesterday. But it’s a long race and so far it’s going pretty well. Hopefully, it all goes well and hopefully we get that third place in the Championship. The first weekend was tough with the disqualification, but after that, it was a wicked season.”
Woods also commented: “We had a good start at Phillip Island and all the rest, but then we hit a bumpy road with our BoP, but everyone complains about that, right? We had a very good year and Nash is an amazing person, mentoring me and helping me along,” she explained gratefully.
During the interview, car #635 had to stop in turn 2. The safety car came out to recover the car. The restart took place with only 4 minutes remaining, but neither Hughes in car #87 nor Morris in car #210 were able to gain any positions. Rintoule finished the race in 3rd place and 3rd in her class, while Zoe Woods ended in 4th place overall and in class. Rintoule and Hughes thus secured third place in the Silver Championship, followed by Morris and Woods in fourth place.