ADAC GT Masters·12.5.2013

Down to the wire on final lap: Paul Green secures maiden victory for BMW in Gentlemen's class

Sunday´s race in the Gentlemen´s category kept spectators on the edge of their seats right up until the very last lap at Spa. Just two kilometres from the finish line, Paul Green (Vita4One Racing Team) in the BMW Z4 GT3 overtook Christina Nielsen (Farnbacher Racing) in the Porsche 911 GT3 R to achieve his maiden victory in the Gentlemen´s championship on his first weekend in the ADAC GT Masters. After much bad luck the previous day, Corvette driver Toni Seiler (Callaway Competition) finished in third place on the amateurs´ podium for the second time this season.

René Bourdeaux (Tonino by Herberth Motorsport), Saturday´s winner in the Gentlemen´s category suffered a major setback right at the start of the second ADAC GT Masters race at Spa-Francorchamps when his Porsche 911 GT3 R failed to fire up. He then had to chase the rest of the field with a deficit of one lap and forget all hopes of victory. Christina Nielsen´s team-mate Allan Simonsen, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 R, took the lead in the Gentlemen´s standings from the Lamborghini Gallardo of Fabian Hamprecht (rhino´s Leipert Motorsport) and from Corvette driver Niclas Kentenich.

After the driver change-over, Christina Nielsen kept the Farnbacher Porsche in the lead, but Paul Green was fast approaching to her rear. Green worked his way up to second place, reducing the deficit on Nielsen with every lap. On the final lap, the BMW was right behind the blue Porsche; Green saw his chance and secured the class victory with a bold overtaking manoeuvre on Nielsen.

Green: "I tried to push right from the start, which worked very well. In the end, it was touch and go with the tyres, but I successfully overtook Christina Nielsen on the last lap of the race just before Fagnes. I certainly never expected to achieve a first and a second place in the Gentlemen´s championship at my first ADAC GT Masters weekend."

Toni Seiler did not have an easy weekend in Belgium but was satisfied with third place: "We had some problems this weekend, unfortunately, and it took me quite some time to focus on the track because I last competed here seven years ago. We changed some settings on the rear axle for today´s race which made me feel very good about the car."