As China GT Was Rounded off | XTREME Topped Gloriously
On October 21, Shanghai International Circuit fired the last shot at the 2018 China GT final battle. Strong teams and leading racers at home and abroad were poised to launch an attack on the annual championship throne. The professional athletic style of XTREME team permeated the track with speed and passion.
The following cars No.618 and No.540 collided during bending, crashed parts scattered on the track, and the safety car was immediately dispatched, reducing the gap between cars, which also lost the competitive edge previously pulled apart from the car No.86.
After passing three laps, green light turned on, and the match restarted. Car No.86 fought a fierce offensive and defensive battle with car No.999, took back the first position, set the fastest lap of 2:17.978, and extended the advantage to 8.298 seconds, after completing the pit stop, quickly replaced by the second stick driver Tom Ashton, upon exiting the stop, meeting the opponent again, and two cars were entangled together again, then Tom completed overtaking with solid technique in the hairpin turn. In the subsequent race, car No.86 maintained a consistently robust speed, embracing the annual last checkered flag of the CTC category.
Bo Lemastus/Laura Kraihamer, No.87 (KTM X-BOW GT4) in the same group, adjusted the appearance strategy today, and gentleman racer Bo took the lead. At the time of accident, veteran Bo quickly adjusted the driving route, made emergency avoidance, and played steadily in the subsequent fight, to bring the car back intact to the P room and hand over to Laura, female drive of the second stick.
When the car No.87 exited the stop, coincided with simultaneous exit of multiple cars, under exit stop strategy instructions and team’s tacit cooperation, Laura successfully suppressed car No.618 and finished exiting. In the second half of match, No.87 took the advantage of KTM’s late long-distance speed drawing near to the first T team, joining in the top three competitions, constantly refreshing the personal fastest lap, and making a strong push on the T2 curve to complete the overtaking. In the following curves, a safe distance was established. In the ferocious competition of China GT GT4 category, cars No.86 and No.87 were far ahead. The two cars chased, winning the first and second place in the GT4 category to conclude the competition.
In the afternoon, the second round final of GTC/CT3 category officially started; although the team has already walked away the overall championship of CTC category in advance, car No.25 (Radical RXC Turbo) Dominic Ang/Song Bo and the same car model No.68 Tom Ashton/Liu Kai were still seriously waiting in the face of the final battle.
As green light turned on, the race officially started; the high-horsepower GT3 racing car rushed to the front of team in an instant, and adopted a defensive route, to suppress the rear car, and thus the whole team showed a tendency of entangled fighting. Car No.68 Tom Ashton/Liu Kai suffered attack from both sides, the suppression from the professional driver of No.9 team, whilst entangled in two directions with car No.22 of obvious advantage in big straight line; in a difficult offensive and defensive battle, No.68 collided, but fortunately, the car body was not damaged; overtaking was finished, rising to the top three in the category, and successfully bringing the car into the pit area to complete substitution. After exiting the stop, No.68 seized the opportunity and broke through the car array at one go, achieving the fifth place in the GT3/GTC mixed race and the GTC championship.
After the second stick driver Dominic came on the scene, battle circumstances changed, under a stable and fast lap, seizing the opportunity to surpass No.22 and getting the second place in the CTC category. Eight minutes before the end, car No.69 unexpectedly rushed off the track, slipping across the track.
The safety car was dispatched, narrowing the previously amplified advantages of the entire car group bit by bit, when the warning sign of the last lap appeared on the spot, green light turned on, racers started chasing of the last lap, and car No.25 left no chance to rear cars, steadily taking the runner-up.
The 2018 China GT came to an end, XTREME team won the championship on the annual team table of 2018 China GT Championship GTC category; the third place on the annual team table of the GT4 category. Look forward to the enthusiastic 2019 season.
Last but not least, an episode at China GT Night of Glory, as XTREME’s exclusive insider tidbits will be exposed, stay tuned for highlights.