16.09.08 Another Citation Cup victory

The first free practice session on the newly re-paved track at Brno brought no luck for Wolfgang Kaufmann.

Pushing it to the limit - Wolfgang Kaufmann

Wolfgang Kaufmann and Alexander Talkanitsa

After a few short laps, the differential lock on his Corvette C5-R failed and had to be replaced. It was only at the end of Pre-qualifying that the american sports racer was again good to go. Alexander Talkanitsa used the remaining time to acquaint himself with the new track conditions. Not being able to take part in the two practice sessions meant a los of valuable track time for adjusting the Corvette to the fresh track surface.

Wolfgang Kaufmann then took the wheel for Saturday's evening qualifying session to ensure a good starting position for the 2 hour race. "With the hard GT3 tyres that are mandated for the Citation Cup, we have to accept a significant difference in lap times as compared to the other GT1 cars. I have tried to get the most out of the given package, with maximum effort", Kaufmann talks about his 12th place on the grid.

This grid position turned out to be an advantage in the mayhem that unfolded directly after the start of the race on Sunday. In the following laps, Kaufmann raced his way into the top 10 places, and handed the Corvette to Alexander Talkanitsa. The Austrian-based man from Byelarus started his motor racing career on the traditional Brno circuit two years ago, and toward the end of the race returned the car to Kaufmann after a solid performance. The remaining laps saw Kaufmann having to ease off the pace with the rear tyres deteriorating noticeably.

With two rounds to go in the FIA-GT Citation Cup, their fourth victory secures Kaufmann & Talkanitsa the title.