As things start to quiet down around the motorsport world as the end of the year approaches, there’s still unfinished business overseas for several of our international Kiwi contingent.
IMSA wraps up for 2022 this weekend with Petit Le Mans, full-time driver Earl Bamber back in action for the prestigious 10 hour race. Compatriots Brendon Hartley and Scott Dixon will also be on the grid in third driver positions, Hartley the one under pressure as he partners with championship leaders Ricky Taylor and Felipe Albuquerque.
Brendon Leitch also returns to action in Europe, a busy weekend in Spain seeing him compete in both the GT World Challenge Europe 3 hour endurance race and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
We also have our own major event on back home, being Rally New Zealand, for which all information can be found here.
Three of New Zealand’s Endurance Racing specialists will take to Road Atlanta this weekend for the prestigious Petit Le Mans. The final race of the season, a lot is on the line in a tight championship battle in the DPi class with two driver partnerships still in contention for the title.
The #02 Cadillac DPi-V.R of Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn sits fourth in the championship and can finish as high as third come race end. Race honours will be the primary focus of the duo as they partner with IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay.
The pressure will be on Brendon Hartley in the event as he partners with championship-leading duo Ricky Taylor and Felipe Albuquerque, a 19 point buffer to their advantage meaning they must more or less finish in front of teammates Tom Blomqvist and Oliver Jarvis.
Scott Dixon rounds out the Kiwis in action at Road Atlanta as he partners the regular duo of Sebastian Bourdais and Renger van der Zande in the #01 Cadillac DPi-V.R. They currently sit third in the championship which is mathematically the highest they can finish.
The race also sees out the DPi era of IMSA racing as they switch to LMDh-spec cars next year, parallel to what is used in AOC racing events throughout Europe, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Leitch returns to the GT World Challenge Europe to see out the season at the prestigious Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the #27 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo in partnership with Isaac Tutumlu Lopez and Tyler Cooke for Leipert Motorsport.
The GT World Challenge runs multiple classes in each race, Leitch and co running in the Silver Cup category.
Having established himself in endurance racing over the course of the past few years, Leitch is one to pay close attention to as he rises through the European ranks at just 26-years old.
It’s been a difficult season for the team who have yet to finish a race since the season began at Imola in April, although pace has not been an issue throughout the campaign.
Whilst neither Tutumlu or Cooke haven’t driven the car at that particular circuit before, fans are sure to get behind Spaniard Tutumlu, hopefully giving the team a lift to score a solid result.
A very busy weekend for Leitch continues in the Super Trofeo, partnering with German Gerhard Watzinger to take part in two 50 minute races at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Leitch and Watzinger currently sit fourth in the Pro-AM standings, helped by consistent results throughout the year.
The duo, however, are yet to score a podium in the series this campaign, their championship position indicating that they should be in contention to change this come race weekend.
The weekend acts is the penultimate round for Lamborghini Super Trofeo, which concludes in early November at Portimao.
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