Kings of Asphalt, Aston Martin Break Through for First Endurance Cup Victory at Monza

Kings of Asphalt, Aston Martin Break Through for First Endurance Cup Victory at Monza
  • Brazilian Entrants Oliveira and Moreira Outduel Competitors for First Win
  • SideMax x Black Hawk Racing’s Podium Propel them to Championship Lead
  • Event Results - PDF Link
  • Championship Standings - PDF Link

Kings of Asphalt – Maxon Oil teammates Vinny Oliveira and Fidel Moreira broke through to win GT World Challenge Esports America Endurance Series Round 2 at Monza while a second-consecutive podium finish for SideMax x Black Hawk Racing's Tinko van der Velde and Chris Severt propelled them to the top of the points table with one round remaining.

Moreira and Oliveira ran in podium contention for the duration of the 3-hour race in their No. 35 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 but only emerged as the leading contender for the win in the final hour.

After solid opening stint from Oilveira, Moreira left the pits to begin his second and final stint having jumped erstwhile race leaders Jordan Grant-Smith and Taha Malih in the No. 3 PPR Esports Purple Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for second place on the road with under an hour remaining as the Mercedes drivers lost around six seconds during their stop while making repairs to light bodywork damage.

Moreira then ran down race leader Chris Severt and made the winning move after the McLaren driver slipped wide on the approach to the Lesmos complex. Once out front, Moreira extended the gap and held on for a comprehensive 13.974 second victory.

Malih also managed to catch and pass Severt and secure the runner-up spot for the polesitting tandem that dominated the first two thirds of the contest.

PPR Esports Gold's No. 1 Bentley Continental GT3 of Cody Pryde and Renato Dornelles and the No. 5 Williams Esports McLaren of Igor de Oliveira Rodrigues and Phelipe Roberto completed the top five, followed by newly-minted double Sprint champion Michael Kundakcioglu and his teammate Killian Ryan-Meenan for FFS Racing.

Several frontrunners encountered drama at the very start including the Williams Esports entry that qualified second in the hands of de Oliveira Rodrigues. That car was shuffled back on the opening lap and was spun after contact with HPD JAS Pro America driver Nicolas Hillebrand less than 20 minutes into the race, but ultimately recovered for a fourth place finish and set the fastest lap of the race.

For the second-straight Endurance event, PPR Esports Blue and drivers Niels van de Koekelt and Cody Blanton were on the back foot from early on after receiving a drive-through penalty for gaining an advantage by using the escape road at the first chicane on the first lap. The pair drove back through the field to secure a single point with a tenth-place finish.

With just one round remaining nine teams remain mathematically eligible for the title and the top four crews are all within seven points.

Despite not having won either of the first two races, van der Velde and Severt hold a six point edge over both the Bathurst-winning No. 93 HPD JAS Pro America tandem of Josh Staffin and Nicolas Hillebrand and Oliveira and Moreira from Kings of Asphalt – Maxon Oil, while PPR Esports Purple's Malih and Grant-Smith are a further point in arrears in fourth place.

The season wraps up November 20 with a 6-hour contest at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.