The Kirchberg GT3 Motorsport Team, led by Team Principal Peter Reicher, delivered an impressive performance last weekend (10 to 12 May) at the debut of the 2024 International GT Open. While the racing series was celebrating its debut at the Hockenheimring, Eastalent Racing was practically at home. “Each of us has already raced at the Hockenheimring. We are well prepared for the conditions,” says Peter Reicher.

Competitors were occasionally reminded that car number one, their Audi R8 LMS evo II, is not to be underestimated. The team used the first free practice session to prepare the perfect setup, which proved successful in the second session. The reigning GT Open champions secured the top spot with car number one.

How much these free practice results were worth became clear on Saturday morning. Qualifying was handled by Simon Reicher. With 11th place and just half a second off the pole setter, the result was “within the green zone,” according to his team manager. But the optimism was short-lived when Simon had a moment of late braking at the hairpin. Thanks to his quick and controlled response, a serious accident was avoided.

Sunday proved especially tough for the competition. In the morning, the second qualifying session was on the schedule. Audi Sport driver Christopher Haase made his presence known. With a six-tenth second advantage, he put the Eastalent Audi on pole. And the reigning champions’ dominant form continued into the Sunday race. Right from the start, Christopher pulled away from the field. Even a safety car phase couldn’t slow the team down. With a 14-second lead, he handed the Audi over to his teammate Simon Reicher at the halfway mark of the one-hour race. Simon extended the lead by another two seconds during his stint. After a dominant performance, the Austrians claimed the win on Sunday.

Team manager Peter Reicher said: “Today we got what we ultimately deserved this weekend. Actually, we wanted to make it happen yesterday. We’ve taken a step in the right direction and we’re back. You have to count on us, and we’re very excited for Spa-Francorchamps. At Spa, we want to build on this great result from Hockenheim and underline that we are the true number one in the GT Open.”

Audi Sport driver Christopher Haase celebrated the success: “Everything came together again this weekend. Still, Friday’s free practice set us on the right path. It showed us that when we work well, we can expect a good result. As is well known, the Audi performs well at Hockenheim. Saturday’s race was a shame. I’m sure we had a real chance at a podium. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take advantage of the race due to a technical defect. But at least we were able to use Saturday to refine the setup. And as we saw, we got it right for Sunday. We were the most dominant car I’ve seen in a long time—throughout the entire day,” explains Haase.

Simon Reicher reflected on the weekend: “In the first free practice we sorted things out, and in the second session the Audi ran really well. I made a few driving mistakes in the first sector, so there was actually still room for improvement. The starting position for the race wasn’t bad at all. If the technical brake issue hadn’t got in our way, we probably would’ve come very close to a podium. But in motorsport, you’re simply not allowed to take anything for granted. We used Saturday’s race to work on the setup and laid a strong foundation for Sunday. I’m incredibly proud to have taken over the car from Christopher with such a lead. As a driver, and especially as a team, we did a fantastic job. But to be honest, we’re still missing a bit of performance. We’ve shown what we’re capable of, and now our competitors are warned—we’re no pushovers. I’m really looking forward to Spa. All in all, I’m super happy, and the team did a fantastic job again. Today, no one could hold a candle to us.”

The third round of the International GT Open will take place from 24 to 26 May at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

Text: kartpress.de/Michael Schulz
Photos: kartnet.de/Michael Schulz.

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