It was a busy weekend for Iron Lynx, competing in four categories across two circuits. At the ELMS event at Paul Ricard, Iron Lynx entries featured in the headline LMP2 class, the prestigious LMGT3 category and the supporting Ligier European Series, while two cars contested the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia round at Sepang.
European Le Mans Series
LMP2
In the ELMS LMP2 class, Jonas Ried started in third and held firm for the opening stages. Through the opening stint though, the #9 Iron Lynx – Proton car lost ground as the chasing pack capitalised on any opportunity.
With the first stop completed, the #9 re-joined the circuit in a net seventh place overall. During his second stint, Jonas settled into a rhythm to maintain a gap to the cars behind.
With an hour and 30 minutes of the race completed and with Maceo Capietto now at the wheel, he joined a four-way battle for eighth position. By the halfway point, Maceo had battled his way back to eighth after making a fourth pit stop of their own.
As the race went under Virtual Safety Car conditions, Matteo Cairoli got behind the wheel. Although a late Safety Car period and multiple Full Course Yellows brought the pack within reach, the final stint was hampered by a Drive Through penalty from Maceo’s stint. Unfortunately for Matteo, that was the defining factor of his stint, and he brought the car home in ninth.
LMGT3
The #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini started from third in the LMGT3 class with Hiroshi Hamaguchi at the wheel. In the opening lap drama, Hiroshi conceded a place to the #50 Formula Racing car, but quickly made his way back past and into the top three.
Hiroshi continued his charge by pressuring the Spirit of Race car through the first half of the opening stint. Finally, at the 30-minute mark, the #63 car prized the door open to seize second in class, with only the Iron Dames car now in front of him.
After the first round of stops, Hiroshi had slipped back behind the Kessel Racing Ferrari but quickly set about regaining lost ground. With an hour and 15 minutes on the clock, he clattered over the kerbs of the 1.8km Mistral Straight to take back second in class.
Just before the halfway point, Axcil Jefferies took over and held firm in second through his stint. He then pitted under Virtual Safety Car and the ensuing Safety Car period reduced the gap to the lead to just six seconds. With the race restarted, he set about closing the gap further, and by the time of the final stops, he had reduced it to three seconds.
Andrea Caldarelli took over for the final stint and emerged in third, close behind the GR Racing Ferrari that he made short work of dispatching. In the final 30 minutes, the Ferrari ahead suffered on older tyres allowing Andrea to close the 15-second lead gap down to five, but he ran out of time as the chequered flag fell. A hard-earned second place takes the #63 car up to second in the standings, just two points shy of the top of the table heading into Round 3 at Imola.