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THR TTM 2025 — Round 2, Horsma Raceway

The Horsma Raceway is a rustic and pure antidote to the smooth Formula 1 circuit of Imola that hosted the season opening round of the THR Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (TTM) 2025. Bumpy old asphalt patched up in various places is lined by aging concrete walls and trees. This atmosphere characterizes the fictional track based on a real location in the Itä-Uusimaa region, roughly halfway between Helsinki and Kouvola in the south of Finland. But make no mistake - this track feels as real as it can get.

Templated off of the real-world weather forecast on site, the weather was cold, overcast and windy, with a wind speed of 19 km/h and gusts of up to 40 km/h at an air temperature of just 7°C. It was a perfect contrast to the heat of battle on track, with a fully-booked grid of 39 strongly-piloted touring cars once again. This time, however, the live broadcast had to fall back to the Autocam with driver radio after the commentator of Round 1 got sick.

Three manufacturers ended up on the podium of Round 2, and all of them were new faces on this season's podium. Kuba Palubicki made up for his tainted season opener and won from pole position in the #20 BMW M3 of Linder Rennsport. Attila Diner followed in the #27 Jolly Club Alfa Romeo 75 ahead of the #46 Mercedes of Ayrton Titos from the 3rd squad of Simruina Racing Team. Regrettably, the race was overshadowed by a large number of incidents throughout the entire field, many of which were not redressed in violation of our community's Gentlemen's Agreement. Surprisingly few of these ended up with Race Control, but the thread of patience with this topic sure became thinner for several drivers.


Qualifying: 2.5 Liter Dominance

The bumpy Horsma Raceway particularly suited lightweight cars with ABS and high downforce, as there was only one medium-length straight for powerful cars to stretch their legs on. After Kuba Palubicki had lost the Round 1 win to a penalty because he had fired a rival into the gravel trap during the battle for the lead, he rebounded in qualifying for Round 2. In the forests of Finland, the Dutchman in the orange Linder Rennsport BMW M3 with yellow headlights and green window banners delivered his second pole position of the season at 2:04.718.

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After a disappointing season opener that showed glimpses of hope, the Mercedes-Benz drivers finally found their rhythm in qualifying and filled up the next three positions: #46 Ayrton Titos from Spain in the best of the Simruina Racing Team entries completed the first row with a 2:04.868. German privateer meisterJäger (#88) was third with a 2:04.886, followed by Titos's direct team mate Marc Orós (2:04.977) from the third pair of Simruina Racing Team entrants.

The defending champion Jaroslav Cerny (#1) finally showed signs of life with a 2:05.428 to qualify 5th ahead of the pair of Jolly Club Alfa Romeos of Attila Diner and Valentin Knechtel. The next Simruina driver completed the 4th row: DJMD19 was the last driver to undercut 2:06 minutes in qualifying. In the best Holden, Adam Celárek qualified 9th and his Czech compatriot Jacopo Hrynecko rounded out the Top 10, aiming to see the checkered flag instead of a black flag this time.

For the remaining manufacturers, Horsma's qualifying proved to be a disaster. HappyKojot put the fastest Ford (#727) into 12th place. The best Nissan (#97) started the race from 18th on the grid with Jayden HW from Australia behind the wheel, and lone warrior Akira struggled to get the only Audi (#91) up to pace in qualifying: 31st place for the Venezuelan.


The race

Wreckfest on Lap 1

The race immediately became chaotic going into Turn 1. Palubicki sprinted off into the lead comfortably, but from 2nd on the grid, Ayrton Titos in the #46 Mercedes of Simruina Racing Team III with purple mirrors and window accent stripes bogged down when he shifted up into 2nd gear too early. That allowed MeisterJäger to attack the Spaniard, who covered off the inside and then squeezed MeisterJäger to the right on the run to Turn 1, completely overlooking that defending champion Jaroslav Cerny had caught the best start of them all from 5th in his black and yellow BMW.

Surprised and startled by the appearance of Cerny's M3 on the inside, Ayrton Titos turned in a little too late while MeisterJäger turned in a little too early.
The German's Mercedes pivoted around the nose of Titos's Mercedes into the front right wheel of Cerny, who was still understeering away from the apex significantly at the time of impact. With all three drivers contributing errors to this accident, Race Control declared it a racing incident with no further action necessary.
The collision led Cerny to spin towards the inside, while MeisterJäger's Mercedes speared off into the outside guardrail, and worse was yet to come for him. Titos escaped unharmed although at the expense of several positions. Attila Diner in the Alfa Romeo with a white windscreen banner advanced into 2nd, and his Jolly Club team mate Valentin Knechtel almost spun off the road by clumsily applying too much throttle while driving across the curb and grass, allowing DJMD19 and Titos to get ahead.
After the orange Mercedes came to rest in the grass facing the wrong direction, meisterJäger was a sitting duck. At the back of the field, Nico Bonnefon (#25) first tapped pitman (#4) and sent him wide entering Turn 1, before Maju in the blue #39 Holden completed the catastrophe. He completely missed his braking point and took both of them with him, with all three of them smashing into the passenger side of meisterJäger's stationary Mercedes. Maju and meisterJäger retired on the spot, but no protests were filed for this secondary accident.
Meanwhile, the happiness of Christoph Mües was short-lived. The SG Stern driver from Germany had delivered his best ever TTM qualifying result with 11th place and capitalized on the Turn 1 chaos. In the approach for Baccarat (the second curve), he was contesting his previous season's team mate Knechtel for 5th place, when he was hit in the back by Adam Celárek. The Czech Holden driver had misjudged how early he should have set the braking point for his Holden's ice cold carbon brakes.
While the Czech Holden driver spun out following the contact, the bump also sent the German Mercedes driver on a detour through the grass, from which he returned to the track ...
... just in time for being hit by another Side Heart Motorsports driver. After a team-internal collision between Jordi Sumoy (#55 Side Heart Pepsi BMW) and Jayden HW (#97 Side Heart Nissan), the Australian's Nissan veered into the side of Mües. The German then hit the concrete wall at the exit of Baccarat at a 30-degree angle before he resumed the race outside of the Top 20.
Going into Cafe Corner, Side Heart Motorsports continued to display their talent for team-internal collisions. After a fantastic start, Samu0332 in the #56 Side Heart Pepsi BMW was running 6th when HappyKojot (#727) tapped his right rear corner.
Predictably, the Italian's BMW was spun into the grass and he lost more than 20 positions.
When Rolf Biber in the #59 Alfa Romeo backed off in response to the spinning BMW of Samu0332 that carefully made its way back towards the track at a shallow angle, Jacopo Hrynecko (#19) drove into the back of him and sent the Swiss Buddy Racing driver skidding through the grass sideways on the inside of the braking zone for the subsequent Rescue corner.
That is where the Swiss driver involuntarily skidded right back onto the track and briefly backed up traffic behind him while trying to start accelerating again. In the black and yellow M3, Jaroslav Cerny had already lost a lot of positions in the accident at Turn 1. Frantically trying to limit the loss of time behind Biber's Alfa Romeo, the Czech driver darted to the left sharply, unaware of the presence of Torbjörn Bloom (#86) on his left.
The collision with Cerny launched the Swedish BMW driver through the rear of the unfortunate Samu0332, making him spin out yet again, while Bloom ended up in the tire wall - a rough "Welcome Back" for the Swede on his return to the TTM after having contested two rounds in 2024.
By the time he arrived at the Stockmarket for the first time, Kuba Palubicki already had a huge lead over Attila Diner, followed by DJMD19 and Ayrton Titos.
In the midpack, Jayden HW swooped through the Baller Curves with five competitors on his tail.
Nico Bonnefon's second contact with pitman on the opening lap occurred at the Northern Loop's hairpin, with the contact sending our admin into the grass. The French BMW driver captured his position and did not redress it - one example of many incidents throughout the race that were not redressed by drivers in contrast to our Gentlemen's Agreement.

Composure Counts in the Pressure-Cooker of Battle

Max Solmyr guided his early battle group through the falling Stockmarket with confidence on Lap 2.
Going into the final corner, he fell victim to the unsafe defensive (!) maneuver of the driver behind him. In the blue #21 Ford of Side Heart HIFI, Rueben Souders tried to defend his position against the ABS-equipped lightweight BMW of Jaroslav Cerny. The driver from the United States braked 20 meters later than usual and simultaneously cut in front of the BMW's nose in the braking zone, which immediately rear ended him as a result of this ill-timed lane change. Souders then hit the rear of Solmyr's Holden, costing him 9 positions, and didn't redress his position to the Frenchman. Following a protest that triggered a post-race investigation, Souders was deemed to be wholly at fault for this incident and received a 17 second penalty with 2 licence points.
Mere seconds earlier, Samu0332 had driven into the back of Nico Bonnefon at the start of the braking zone for the hairpin of the Northern Loop, and fired the Frenchman straight into the guardrail and tyre wall - one of several incidents that the Italian driver did not redress during his frustration-fueled recovery after having been punted out of 6th place by one of his own team mates on Lap 1. Miraculously, neither of his victims filed a protest, but last season's penalty points top-scorer is unlikely to get away with that again next time.

While Kuba Palubicki and Attila Diner sprinted off into the distance with a growing gap between each other up ahead, the rest of the Top 5 were hotly contested.

Ayrton Titos with purple accents on his #46 Simruina Mercedes and the Alfa Romeo of Knechtel soon made their way past DJMD19 (#48 Simruina Mercedes with green accents), who then got under fire from HappyKojot (#727 Ford), Marc Orós (Simruina 190E with white accents), and Adam Keefe (#16 Holden).
After both HappyKojot and Marc Orós made it past DJMD19, Orós managed to capture 5th by outbraking HappyKojot into All-In following a mistake by the Ford driver, and then applied pressure to Knechtel.
The German managed to stay ahead of Orós and just outside of striking distance to Titos until he lost the rear at the exit of Baccarat, causing him to fishtail into the front left wheel of Orós ...
... who then ended up in the grass and brushed the concrete wall.
Knechtel made up for it by waving Orós by in the approach to Rescue, and stayed ahead of HappyKojot.
Soon afterwards, the leader tried too hard. Kuba Palubicki smacked his M3 into the guardrails in the same place after he had swung too far to the left before turning in for the curve. With two wheels in the grass, there was no way to keep the car on the tarmac.
His car survived and carried on with plenty of battle scars, and he retained a healthy lead over Attila Diner.
For Boby Vakuinof who had taken 5th in the first race of the season, Round 2 ended with a sizeable shunt after taking it too far at All-In after 25 minutes. In the meantime, technical breakdowns on their respective PCs had already ended the races of Mika Hakala (#73 BMW) and pitman (#4 Mercedes). Together with the two Turn 1 casualties, five drivers retired from the race, and Vakuinof was the last of them.
Marc Orós rapidly escaped Knechtel before catching and passing his team mate Ayrton Titos for 3rd, but then he overcooked it at Cafe Corner. With two wheels in the grass, he could not get the car slowed down in time ...
... and spun out of Rescue corner. He only managed to get back on track behind Knechtel, who struggled to shake off the Ford of HappyKojot.
Shortly afterwards, the Polish youngster darted into the pits for new tyres. On the Ford and Nissan, none of the tyre compounds provided by the tyre suppliers were durable enough to make it through the race nonstop at this track, leading most of their teams to opt for a 1-stop strategy with the Hard compound. To make themselves heard after the race, the Ford and Nissan teams contacted the trackside representatives of the tyre suppliers in the paddock using opinion amplifiers that they had carved from locally-sourced raw materials.
Orós immediately challenged Knechtel for 4th again in a spectacular battle ...
... but went off in the Baller Curves.
Orós narrowly avoided the tyre wall before slotting in behind DJMD19 again to resume his chase.
A couple of laps later, Orós had caught up to the Alfa Romeo driver yet again. After Knechtel spent his entire Dictionary of Defense on repelling the Spaniard's attacks, he missed a gear while accelerating through the Hill Kink, and that was exactly what Orós needed to get alongside into All-In.
The two stayed side by side all the way through the Bear's Nest ...
... but Knechtel had to surrender 4th place to Orós for good on the brakes at Stockmarket.

The run to the flag

Despite three setbacks, Marc Orós was undeterred in his attempts to get on the podium. Incredibly, he caught up to Ayrton Titos once again on the final lap, and daringly sent his car down the outside in the braking zone for the Northern Loop's hairpin. However, he put his right wheels on the grass and exchanged some paint with his team mate while trying to regain control of his car, forcing him to surrender 3rd place for good. With Ayrton Titos in 3rd and Marc Orós in 4th, this race was a valuable result for the Simruina Racing Team III in their bid for the team championship.
Attila Diner kept his nose clean at Turn 1 and drove a smart race where he kept the car without a scratch en route to 2nd place, with a healthy margin of 9 seconds over Ayrton Titos.
Although Kuba Palubicki carelessly stuffed his car into the guardrail at one point, he was the man to beat and drove home a convincing start-to-finish victory with a winning margin of 18.75 seconds. Linder Rennsport has a bit of work on their hands ahead of Round 3, as both he and his team mate Jacopo Hrynecko (whom he lapped just before the finish) brought their cars home with multiple dents.

The strongest Holden result was achieved by Adam Keefe in 8th place on HX tyres. Happykojot was the top-finishing Ford in 10th place despite pitting for new tyres halfway through. Jayden HW topped the list of Nissan drivers in 17th place, and Akira climbed to 19th in the sole Audi entry. Having gained 12 positions, he was one of the top movers in the race, beaten only by Willphaizer (13 positions gained en route to 9th) and Aymen Assabir, who climbed 15 positions en route to 21st place.

For the defending champion Jaroslav Cerny, Turn 1 was a major setback in his title defense campaign, but he managed to achieve some degree of damage control by recovering to 7th place. The manufacturers that brought the most cars into the Top 10 were Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo, with 3 cars each. BMW had the pace to achieve the same, but their drivers lacked the consistency to bring it home.


Official Top 5 Results

  1. Kuba Palubicki (BMW M3 E30) — 29 laps, 61:41.290 — best 2:05.832
  2. Attila Diner (Alfa Romeo 75) — +18.754s — best 2:06.561
  3. Ayrton Titos (Mercedes 190E) — +27.854s — best 2:07.325 
  4. Marc Orós (Mercedes 190E) — +28.729s — 2:06.386
  5. Valentin Knechtel (Alfa Romeo 75) — +30.822s — best 2:07.501

Next across the line: DJMD19 P6, Jaroslav Cerny P7, Adam Keefe P8, Willphaizer P9 (coming from 22nd), and HappyKojot P10.


What it means for the championship

The season uses the familiar 40‑37‑34‑31‑30‑29… points system with one drop result per driver. That means that after Horsma Raceway, the drivers and teams championship are only fed by each driver's top result, whereas the manufacturers championship doesn't have any drop results:

  • #20 Kuba Palubicki leads on 40 points (drop result: 31)
  • #26 Valentin Knechtel also has 40 points (drop result: 30) 
  • #727 HappyKojot has 37 points (drop result: 25) 
  • #27 Attila Diner also has 37 points (drop result: 25)
  • #17 Adam Celárek sits at 34 points (drop result: 23)
  • #46 Ayrton Titos matches the 34 points (drop result: 15)
  • Rest of the Top 10: Marc Oros (31), Boby Vakuinof (30), DJMD19 (29), and Nat Stevenson (29). 

In the teams championship, Jolly Club move up into the lead at 77 points, while Side Heart Motorsports remain at 71 points after a bad second round. Simruina Racing Team III advances to 3rd with 65 points, and Asahi Motorsport (55) hangs on to 4th. The top 5 are completed by Linder Rennsport (53).

After Round 2, two manufacturers are starting to fall by the wayside. The Nissan teams and the lone Audi driver were unable to deliver strong results yet this season. The midpack is hotly contested between Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and Holden. Alfa Romeo continues to lead the way with 77 points, while a lone ace has been ensuring that BMW remains in striking distance at 71 points.

The mayhem of the opening lap highlighted how little it takes for a driver's race to fall apart, and the impressive climbs from Akira, Willphaizer and Aymen Assabir highlighted just how important it is to remain level-headed in the heat of combat.

Next up: Nürburgring 24h Circuit: High stakes, Green Hell. Let's dance.

THR TTM 2025 — Round 1, Imola

Imola’s 1992 layout has a way of exposing the brave, sparking drama, and rewarding those who stay out of trouble. The season‑opening round of the THR Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (TTM) 2025 ticked all of these boxes in dramatic fashion. Mild conditions with 20°C under the autumn sun in the Emilia-Romagna region set the stage for the clash of a full grid of 39 strongly-piloted touring cars, which was expertly commentated by Microlin100 on the THR Live Broadcast.

Kuba Palubicki crossed the line first under controversial circumstances in the Linder BMW M3 from pole position, chased all the way home by the Jolly Club Alfa Romeo 75 of Valentin Knechtel. Following an early collision during a heated battle for the lead, the unfortunate HappyKojot in the Ford Sierra RS500 of Side Heart Motorsports completed the podium after fighting his way past his team mate Adam Celárek (Holden VL Commodore) and Boby Vakuinof (Alfa 75). When the checkered flag came down after 32 laps of elbows-out fights, four manufacturers were in the top 5.


Qualifying: a four‑brand front row fight

Four makes in the first two rows, and within 0.6 seconds: this is what the TTM 2025 is all about. [Photo: Florian Masse]

The drivers who had narrowly missed out on the drivers title last season set the tone in qualifying. Kuba Palubicki from the Netherlands had missed out on the drivers title last year by just one point while racing under a pseudonym. Trading last year's Mercedes cockpit for the #20 BMW of Linder Rennsport paid off, and translated to a dominant pole position with a 1:51.021. Next up was the man who had achieved the same points score as Palubicki last year, but one race win less had sent him to 3rd. Adam Celárek from the Czech Republic stayed faithful to the mighty Holden VL Commodore and was four tenths off at 1:51.437.

His Side Heart Motorsports team mate HappyKojot underlined the duo's ambitions to defend the Teams Championship in the TTM. Now in a Ford Sierra RS500 after having driven a Mercedes-Benz 190E to 5th place last season, he flogged his new car into third place with a 1:51.559. The second row was completed by Valentin Knechtel (6th of the TTM 2024) with a 1:51.647. The German had also departed a Mercedes-Benz cockpit (from SG Stern) and teamed up with his compatriot Attila Diner (4th of the TTM 2024 in a Holden) to form the new Jolly Club team. On the debut of the new Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo Evoluzione S1 in the TTM, he led the charge for the Italian brand by just a tenth over privateer Boby Vakuinof from Bulgaria.

But where was the defending champion? Jaroslav Cerny stayed faithful to the black and yellow BMW M3 that earned him the 2021 THR DTM and the 2024 TTM drivers titles, but he struggled to find his rhythm at Imola. The Asahi Motorsports driver from the Czech Republic emerged from a disappointing qualifying session in 21st place - a testament to the competitive density of this year's TTM grid.


The race

Launch and lap‑one needlework

The opening lap was classic touring‑car theatre. Palubicki had a superb start from pole position in his BMW, while time stood still for the PCs of Celárek and HappyKojot when the lights went out, causing both of them to struggle to get off the line.

Knechtel immediately threaded the needle between the two Side Heart Motorsports cars and hunted down Palubicki through Tamburello. [Photo: FMG]

In front of Alfa Romeo's roaring home crowd, the German flew past Palubicki's BMW on the right side on the run to Villeneuve, while HappyKojot's 540 bhp Ford briefly made it a 3-wide for the lead on the left before slotting in behind them again at Villeneuve. The second of the Jolly Club Alfa Romeos achieved an even better start: from 12th on the grid, Attila Diner (#27) had already processed half of the cars ahead before Tamburello.

Knechtel defended the lead into Tosa but slightly overshot the entry, allowing Palubicki to get alongside before 2.2 bar of boost pushed the Jolly Club Alfa Romeo back into the lead on the run up to Piratella.

Attila Diner tangled with the Ford of Florian Masse at the exit of Tosa after the Frenchman had lost traction and made contact with Celárek's Holden while fighting over 4th place, sending both Masse and Diner back down the order by several positions. This handed 5th place to Boby Vakuinof, but the Bulgarian driver in the #36 Alfa Romeo had to earn it by outaccelerating the #79 Mercedes of Aymen Assabir, who made a fantastic start from 10th on the grid.

In the Nissan Skylines of Team Suntory, FMG and Flashor had already expected a difficult first race of the season but carefully hinted at the target of a Top 10 result. FMG was off to a great start in the blue Skyline when lap 1 had saw him climbing from 16th to 8th place, but that happiness was short-lived. Going into lap 2, he had a huge moment at Villeneuve where he understeered into the grass. Unable to get the car slowed down sufficiently for Tosa, he had to drive through the gravel trap. The pit wall had just finished their sigh of relief after FMG got back on track in 11th place, when his German team mate went off in the same place in even more spectacular fashion. Flashor one-upped FMG's mistake and spun the golden Suntory Skyline into the Tosa tire wall after capturing 27th from the SG Stern Mercedes of Christoph Mües, and lost 8 of the 9 positions that he had gained since the start. Still: could be worse!

The TTM debut of the pole sitter's team mate was a race to forget about.

Having qualified the #19 Linder BMW with blue window banners into 9th on the grid, Jacopo Hrynecko from the Czech Republic jumped the start, earning him a drive through penalty. He attempted to serve it at the end of lap 1 and pulled into the pits. The TTM rookie was unaware of how to serve a drive through in Assetto Corsa when the automatic pit speed limiter is disabled on the server (stay under 80 km/h by yourself). After botching two attempts to serve his drive through penalty, Hrynecko got disqualified.

Battle for Glory (Laps 3–8)

The top 3 emerged nose to tail from the 2nd lap, with Knechtel still leading the way in the Alfa Romeo. Happykojot then powered past Palubicki after Tamburello and threw the fast Ford into the apex of Villeneuve, directly ahead of Palubicki.

The BMW driver immediately launched a bold dive bomb around the outside at Villeneuve in a bid to recapture 2nd at Tosa, daringly putting 2 wheels on the grass and forcing his 4-channel ABS into overtime.

After the BMW barely stayed on track without torpedoing the leading Alfa Romeo, the Ford pulled alongside Palubicki again approaching Piratella. The BMW driver prevailed around the outside and defended 2nd place, and Celárek's Holden caught up to form a 3-car battle for 2nd place.

Knechtel held on to the lead until lap 5, when Palubicki managed to compromise the German's run through Variante Alta with a mock dive that allowed him to stay close enough to throw his M3 down the inside at the next braking zone. Busy fighting to limit the flat spotting of his front tyres without ABS, the German could only watch helplessly how the BMW driver took the lead out of his hands at Rivazza.

The two rubbed fenders, and the pole sitter was back in the lead. Although Knechtel got alongside again on the run towards Villeneuve on the next lap, his Alfa Romeo was no match for the BMW in the curved braking zone for Tosa, and he slotted back into 2nd place trailing a cloud of smoke from the locked-up front right tyre. A subsequent mistake at Acque Minerali saw the Alfa Romeo driver lose 2nd place to Happykojot, before almost forcing the Holden of Celárek into a spin while slamming the door shut. The Czech driver regained control, and outbraked Knechtel into Rivazza after the German had made another error at Variante Alta.

The battle for the lead boiled over on lap 8. Having hunted down the leading BMW of Kuba Palubicki, HappyKojot took the lead on the run from Tamburello to Villeneuve. Having already succeeded with a risky counterattack through Villeneuve and into Tosa on lap 3, Palubicki decided to play with high stakes again, but this time it went wrong.

Palubicki's BMW slammed into the back of HappyKojot's Ford and fired it off into the gravel trap on lap 8.

The furious Polish Ford driver got back underway with smoking tyres and 6 seconds behind Palubicki, barely holding on to 5th ahead of the best-placed Mercedes driven by Aymen Assabir from Spirit Team Sprite. HappyKojot's team mate Adam Celárek inherited 2nd place.

Composure counts

The Czech Holden driver remained just outside of striking distance to the leader until after 21 minutes, when he lost the rear upon arrival at the Acque Minerali chicane and dropped back to 5th place.
Teething troubles for Asahi Motorsport: after contact with his new team mate Adam Keefe (#16 Holden) while battling for 10th place with a little under 20 minutes to go, the defending TTM champion Jaroslav Cerny found himself in the gravel trap at Tosa. The duo barely managed to stay in the Top 15.

With the race settling, the Top 5 looked like a rolling car brochure: BMW, two Alfa Romeos, Ford, Holden. Knechtel’s Alfa had only qualified 4th, but by half‑distance he was the leading BMW’s most consistent shadow. Meanwhile, HappyKojot regained his composure, keeping his team mate in the Holden behind him while both of them began to apply pressure to Boby Vakuinof.

For a long time, it looked like the Bulgarian Alfa Romeo privateer could defend the last step on the podium, but he cracked under pressure from HappyKojot with 13 minutes to go.

After the Alfa Romeo driver overshot the entry into Tosa, the Polish Ford driver was able to stick in his nose before the Bulgarian could shut the door again, and the resulting contact opened it up far enough for both of the Side Heart Motorsports drivers to sneak through.

While the race duration was only an hour, this race was also about endurance. In addition to the early disqualification of Jacopo Hrynecko (#19 Linder Rennsport BMW), three other participants retired from the race:

  • Jayden HW (#97 Side Heart Nissan) never made it out of the pits: the Australian overslept the race and will be subjected to a registration acceptance delay for Round 2
  • Mika Hakala (#73 privateer BMW) from Finland retired after 21 minutes with an audio output failure after his PC ran out of virtual memory
  • Laci Fancher (#78 Spirit Team Sprite Mercedes) from the United States blew up her engine

The run to the flag

Although fatigue gradually melted down Palubicki's lead throughout the final laps, he kept the BMW calm in the chicanes, ensuring fantastic traction out of Variante Alta. Having set the fastest lap of the race earlier on at 1:52:331, this was enough to keep Knechtel's Alfa Romeo just outside of striking distance, and to cross the line first.

Bearing the marks from the fateful collision on lap 8, Palubicki rescued a lead of 1.17 seconds across the line but the resulting 11 second time penalty handed the win to Knechtel. HappyKojot (+4.261s) and Celárek (+5.233s) completed the podium, while Vakuinof (+11.05s) missed out on inheriting 4th by a hair's width.

The strongest Mercedes result was delivered by Aymen Assabir in 7th place - two positions ahead of FMG in the best Nissan, who lost a drag race to the checkered flag against the Swatch Ford of Florian Masse. The manufacturer that brought the most cars into the Top 10 was Alfa Romeo (P1, P5, P6, P10), while the lone Audi privateer Akira (#91 Viasa Racing) from Venezuela finished in a disappointing 23rd place.

FMG and Willphaizer (P11) gained 8 and 9 positions respectively. The reigning champion Jaroslav Cerny quickly gained 10 places from 21st on the grid, but ultimately he had to settle for 14th place following contact with his team mate Adam Keefe - an early blow to his title defense. The most successful charge of the race was delivered by the THR founder.

With just 30 minutes of practice after skipping qualifying, pitman started from dead last (39th) and gained 12 positions to finish in 27th place. [Photo: Florian Masse]

Official Top 5 Results

  1. Valentin Knechtel (Alfa Romeo 75) — 32 laps, 60:31.955 — best 1:52.744 
  2. SDH‑M ~ HappyKojot (Ford Sierra RS500) — +3.091s — best 1:53.413
  3. Adam Celárek (Holden VL Commodore) — +4.063s — best 1:52.494 
  4. Kuba Palubicki (BMW M3 E30) — +9.83s (due to 11s penalty) — fastest lap 1:52.331
  5. Boby Vakuinof (Alfa Romeo 75) — +9.88s — best 1:52.773

Next across the line: Nat Stevenson P6, Aymen Assabir P7, Florian Masse P8, FMG P9 (coming from 16th), and Attila Diner P10.


What it means for the championship

The season uses the familiar 40‑37‑34‑31‑30‑29… points system. After Imola:

  • Valentin Knechtel leads on 40. 
  • HappyKojot sits second on 37. 
  • Adam Celárek is third, at 34. 
  • Kuba Palubicki (31) and Boby Vakuinof (30) complete the early top five. 
  • Then come Nat Stevenson 29, Aymen Assabir 28, Florian Masse 27, FMG 26, Attila Diner 25. 

In the teams championship, Side Heart Motorsports take an early lead with 71 points, closely shadowed by Jolly Club (65). Asahi Motorsport (41) hang on to 3rd despite a team-internal collision in a mediocre race for both of their drivers. The top 5 are completed by Simruina Racing Team III (37) and Simruina Racing Team II (35). Linder Rennsport (31) threw away a first match ball with a DNF and a time penalty.

One round in, the headline is parity: BMW, Alfa Romeo, Ford, and Holden all proved that they had the pace to win at Imola. Mercedes-Benz showed glimpses of promise and Nissan salvaged an acceptable score at a track that doesn't suit them particularly well, while the lone Audi disappointed.

The clashes at the front on the first 8 laps showed how fine the margins are and how quickly fortunes can turn, and the no‑nonsense climbs from Willphaizer and FMG showed how much the midfield can be reshuffled in a race. If Imola is any indication, TTM 2025 will be decided by whoever can string together speed, discipline, and survival instincts best in this pressure cooker of competition.

Next up: Horsma. Different rhythm, same cast—bring it on.

THR GPL 7 - Round 1, Monza

Monza’s 1966 layout is a racer’s lie detector: long drags, big tow, and nowhere to hide. It was the perfect stage for the launch of THR’s GPL 7 season - and Florian Masse used it to deliver a statement win. While chaos simmered just behind, the Honda RA300 ran like a metronome at the head of a snarling draft train. FMG carved from P9 to second, and meisterJaeger completed a no‑nonsense podium. For polesitter Simone Porcu, the afternoon became a damage‑limitation exercise after a bruising first few laps.

A front row by eyelashes

Qualifying set up a classic: Porcu’s Eagle T1G on pole with 1:26.472, Masse’s Honda just 0.036 s slower, and Flashor’s Lotus 49 a whisper behind. Eleven cars covered by three‑quarters of a second promised elbows‑out into Curva Grande -and the race obliged.

Start: control vs. chaos (Lap 1–3)

The lights went out and the grid split into two stories. At the front, Masse slipped into Porcu’s tow and then into clean air as the poleman found himself in a knife fight with Flashor - they banged wheels on Lap 1 and again on Lap 2, Porcu also brushing the barrier. The midfield detonated: Stefano Bucci and Nat Stevenson touched at the launch; Bucci tapped gilvil77 later in the opening lap; and a Curva Grande accordion gathered FMG, Davide Saìu and Elia Porcu. By Lap 3 Bucci had already kissed the Armco again, the first hint that attrition would bite.

Masse disappears, FMG appears (Lap 4–20)

With clear air, Masse turned the screw. High‑1:26s and low‑1:27s built a buffer while he posted the day’s fastest tour - 1:26.553 - and never let the rhythm slip. Behind, FMG began a ruthless rise: a clean pass on Stevenson on Lap 4, a minor wall rub on Lap 9 that didn’t even dent the average, and then the big moves - outbraking drafts into the first chicane that elevated him to the sharp end by Lap 14.
Further back, Porcu’s recovery kept being interrupted. He fought pitman twice on Lap 6, tangled again with Flashor on Lap 15, then skimmed the fence on Laps 17 and 19. The raw pace was there; the clean stint never arrived.

The podium takes shape (Lap 21–36)

meisterJaeger delivered the drive nobody noticed until it mattered: three feather‑touches with the wall (Laps 13, 25, 36), no time lost, and relentless mid‑1:27s that anchored P3. Elia Porcu shadowed him, tidy and unspectacular, banking P4 despite a late brush on Lap 32.
The attrition tally grew: Bucci stopped on Lap 18, Karjunen on Lap 19, and Saìu didn’t see the hour either. Monza had its sacrifices.

Final act (Lap 37–42)

The last five laps were pure GPL: Simone Porcu and Flashor waged a three‑lap duel (Laps 38–40) for pride and points, both skimming the margins before Porcu’s final scrape on Lap 42 sealed his fate outside the top seven. Up front there was only clarity—Masse easing the Honda home, FMG locked into second on merit, meisterJaeger unflappable in third.

Flag & figures

Winner: Florian Masse - 61:10.576 (fastest lap *1:26.553)
2nd: FMG - +17.351 (61:27.927)
3rd: meisterJaeger - +19.679 (61:30.255)
4th: Elia Porcu - +22.157 (61:32.733)
5th: Nat Stevenson - +34.754 (61:45.330)

Behind them: gilvil77 led home Alex Senna, with Simone Porcu only eighth after that combative opening. Flashor and Rolf Biber completed the top ten. DNFs: Bucci (Lap 18), Saìu (Lap 18), Eetu Karjunen (Lap 19), Mika Hakala (Lap 27).

What it means for the new championship

Monza hands the early initiative to Masse (40 pts) with FMG on 37 and meisterJaeger on 34. Elia Porcu opens on 31, Stevenson on 30; the headline, though, is the polesitter - Simone Porcu - starting from just 27 after a bruising Sunday. The calendar will give him chances to answer back, but Round 1 made the tone clear: clean air wins races, and this field is deep enough to punish even the smallest hesitation.

Verdict: A sharp, old‑school season opener-slipstream chess at the front, street‑fight elbows in the pack. If Monza is the form guide, GPL 7 is going to be a belter.

Porcu perfect at the Glen; title sealed in style

Simone Porcu arrived at Watkins Glen needing only to avoid drama to wrap up the 1979 crown — and instead delivered a champion’s flourish. From pole, the PRC Racing Team driver controlled 60 minutes of green‑flag running, winning the 39‑lap finale in 60:50.014 with a best lap of 1:32.062, a dozen seconds clear of the pack.

The start & stint one

The front row — Porcu and gilvil77 — got away cleanly and immediately gapped Florian Masse. With clear air, Porcu sat in the low 1:32s and never looked back, his rhythm defining the race’s upper pace window. gilvil77 matched the leader on outright speed (best 1:32.596) but didn’t have the raw delta to threaten; he settled into a measured chase in P2.

Masse’s TH Racing entry held P3 throughout the opening phase, circulating a safe few seconds back of gilvil77 (best 1:32.866). The leading trio ran nose‑to‑tail on strategy — flat‑out sprints punctuated only by traffic management as the hour wore on.

Mid‑race movers

The one place change inside the top five came from FMG, who started fifth and rose to fourth, then consolidated with a tidy, no‑mistakes stint. His best of 1:33.060 and an aggregate 61:21.977 kept him in touch with the podium train but out of reach of a top‑three shootout.

Behind, Richard Rossier made the most headway. Eighth on the grid, the Swiss Buddy Racing driver picked off midfielders in the opening run, then profited when others faded to bank P5. He finished one lap down in 61:28.275 (best 1:35.451), beating pitman by just over five seconds among the 38‑lap finishers.

The hard luck story

Davide Saiu qualified on the second row and looked the only likely disruptor to FMG for fourth, clocking a sharp 1:33.038 early on. His run ended abruptly after 26 laps — a retirement that turned the top five into a stalemate to the flag.

The run to the flag

Porcu’s lead stretched to 12.178s at the flag over gilvil77 (61:02.192), with Masse a further 7.766s down in third (61:09.958). FMG locked P4 (61:21.977), and Rossier completed the top five one lap in arrears. pitman (P6) and kuanza (P7) also finished 38 laps; Vinz took P8 on 37 laps after slipping behind during the closing traffic cycles.


Top five — official (39 laps)

  1. Simone Porcu — 60:50.014, best 1:32.062.
  2. gilvil77 — 61:02.192, best 1:32.596.
  3. Florian Masse — 61:09.958, best 1:32.866.
  4. FMG — 61:21.977, best 1:33.060.
  5. Richard Rossier — 61:28.275 (38 laps), best 1:35.451.

Fastest of the non‑finishers: Davide Saiu 1:33.038 before retiring on lap 26.


How the finale shaped the Championship (drop‑score applied)

  • Champion — Simone Porcu (194 pts): Wins at Monza, Jarama and Watkins Glen, plus podiums elsewhere, make the drop round (a DNS at Long Beach) irrelevant. Watkins Glen’s victory adds a full 40 points and puts an emphatic stamp on the title.
  • Runner‑up — Florian Masse (176 pts): P3 here nets 34 points and secures second overall.
  • 3rd — FMG (166 pts): The Hockenheim winner’s P4 at the Glen adds 31 more to lock third.
  • 4th — gilvil77 (160 pts): A strong P2 (37 points) ends the season just shy of the top three after an earlier DNS meant his drop score was already spent.
  • 5th — Richard Rossier (142 pts): P5 in the finale (29 points) caps a consistent closing stretch.

Reporter’s notes

  • Pole to flag: Porcu converted qualifying domination into a wire‑to‑wire win; his best race lap (1:32.062) was marginally faster than the chasers’ peaks — the decisive edge across a long run.
  • One mover in the top five: FMG’s rise from P5 to P4 was the only change among the leaders on merit; the other shake‑up came via Saiu’s retirement.
  • Traffic discipline: With lapped cars entering the equation after the half‑hour mark, Rossier’s measured pacing (and minimal errors) were key to nailing fifth among a trio of 38‑lap finishers.

Race Stats

http://simresults.net/remote?result=http%3a%2f%2f5.75.183.156%3a8772/results/download/2025_9_14_21_27_RACE.json

Jayden HW tames the streets as Porcu extends his title grip

The glamour and peril of Monaco once again delivered a drama-laden spectacle. In a race defined by millimetres from the guardrails and relentless pressure, Jayden HW claimed his second win of the season from pole. Championship leader Simone Porcu followed home in second to consolidate his advantage, while gilvil77 nursed his machine to third after a bruising afternoon that saw multiple rivals clipped by the barriers.

Qualifying & grid
Jayden HW planted his car on pole with Simone Porcu alongside and Florian Masse third. Behind them sat gilvil77 in P4, FMG in P5 and Eetu Karjunen in P7. On a street circuit that punishes over‑reach, the front‑row starters already had the one commodity everyone else wanted: clean air.


The start and early laps

Jayden’s launch was crisp and, save for a light brush with the guardrail in the opening minutes, he never looked flustered (minor wall kisses are logged for the pole‑sitter at 1756671812 and again seconds later, both without consequence).

Behind, the fight for the final podium place flared immediately. Three separate touches between gilvil77 and Florian Masse—first in the early sequence and again around the harbour area a few minutes later—frayed tempers and front wings. Those contacts proved decisive for the order behind the top two and ultimately compromised Masse’s afternoon.


Jayden checks out

Once clear of the first stint of traffic, Jayden settled into a relentless rhythm. He recorded the race’s fastest lap at 1:27.378, a marker of how comfortably he was operating on the limit.
By the flag his total elapsed time was 61:07.873 for 41 laps, enough to win by +43.014 s over Porcu (41 laps in 61:50.887).


The podium fight

Porcu didn’t have an answer for the leader but drove with championship smarts, keeping the walls at bay and banking maximum damage‑limitation points in P2. Behind, gilvil77 emerged from the early sparring to secure P3 on the road—41 laps in 62:29.973, +82.100 s to the winner—after surviving further scrapes while clearing traffic.


Best of the rest

Eetu Karjunen ran a quietly excellent race. Starting outside the top five, he kept it tidy, avoided Monaco’s usual booby traps and rose to P4, one lap down (40 laps in 61:44.925). Stefano Bucci brought it home P5 (40 laps in 62:29.191), completing a disciplined day for the midfielders who kept their noses clean.

Just outside the top five, Richard Rossier (39 laps in 61:43.063), pitman (39 laps in 61:51.988) and FMG (39 laps in 62:12.736) filled P6–P8 after trading places through traffic in the final third.

It was tougher for two of the headline names: Florian Masse retired early after 26 laps (40:02.461)—the earlier contact never fully shook out—and kuanza parked it after six laps.


Official top five (Monaco)

  1. Jayden HW — 41 laps, 61:07.873 (FL 1:27.378).
  2. Simone Porcu — 41 laps, 61:50.887 (+43.014).
  3. gilvil77 — 41 laps, 62:29.973 (+1:22.100).
  4. Eetu Karjunen — 40 laps, 61:44.925.
  5. Stefano Bucci — 40 laps, 62:29.191.

(Selected incidents: Jayden’s early wall rubs; multiple gilvil77–Masse contacts that shaped the P3 battle.)


Championship implications (drop‑score applied)

The points system pays 40–37–34–31–30–29… downwards. With the single drop race rule (each driver’s worst score to date discarded), Monaco tightens the fight behind the leader:

  • Simone Porcu extends his lead with P2 at Monaco: 154 pts from the first five weekends (40 [Monza] + 40 [Jarama] + 37 [Hockenheim] + 37 [Monaco], dropping the Long Beach DNS).
  • Florian Masse stays second on 142 (37 + 37 + 34 + 34; drops Monaco’s zero).
  • FMG rises to 135 (drops the Monza DNF/zero).
  • gilvil77 moves to 123, the Monaco podium erasing his earlier DNS.
  • Eetu Karjunen’s P4 pushes him into the top five on 117.

Jayden HW, brilliant again with a second win from limited appearances, sits on 80 (two wins, three DNFs/DNS), a headline figure that underlines just how decisive full‑season attendance is under drop‑score rules.


Verdict

This was classic Monaco: the guardrails framed the story, and discipline decided it. Jayden authored the perfect street‑race script—clean air, controlled pace, one electric fastest lap—and Porcu banked the kind of second place that wins titles. The podium shoot‑out between gilvil77 and Masse, punctuated by repeated contact, was the flashpoint; Karjunen and Bucci were the day’s quiet over‑achievers.

If the Principality proved anything, it’s that the championship will likely be settled by who combines outright speed with streetwise prudence—traits Porcu showed in abundance even as Jayden stole the show.


Race Stats

http://simresults.net/remote?result=http%3a%2f%2f5.75.183.156%3a8772/results/download/2025_8_31_21_16_RACE.json

FMG holds his nerve to claim first win as Porcu’s charge falls short

The vast straights of Hockenheim’s forest section promised a slipstream battle, and the race delivered a tactical thriller. FMG, starting from pole, controlled the pace with metronomic precision, fending off a relentless Simone Porcu. At the flag just 1.9 seconds split them, with Florian Masse completing the podium after surviving a bruising start.


Qualifying: FMG lays down a marker

Saturday saw FMG stamp authority on proceedings, taking pole with a 1:53.256, ahead of Porcu (1:53.624) and Eetu Karjunen (1:53.675). Masse, fourth with a 1:53.908, had the pace to be in the fight but needed a clean first lap to capitalize.


The race

Start and first-lap fireworks
When the lights went out, FMG got away cleanly, Porcu slotting into his slipstream. Behind, chaos: Eduardo Beninca, Masse, and Nat Stevenson all tangled in the stadium section within the opening minute, scattering debris and unsettling Masse’s rhythm. Stevenson’s afternoon would unravel further—an off into the barriers at minute 4 left him nursing damage before retiring mid-distance.

Porcu applies pressure
The duel for the win crystallized by lap 5. Porcu, his Lotus-liveried Prc Racing Team car visibly trimmed out for top speed, shadowed FMG at every split. On lap 10, Porcu set the fastest tour of the day: 1:54.447, underlining the Italian’s intent. But FMG never cracked—his lines through the second chicane and Ostkurve exit consistently rebuilt the gap before the stadium.

Masse rebuilds, Karjunen hangs on
Shaken from the early contact, Masse steadied himself. A string of 1:55-lows re-established his podium claim, eventually gapping Karjunen. The Finn briefly threatened in the first stint but couldn’t match Masse’s consistency.

Meisinger impresses
Quietly, Simon Meisinger delivered one of his sharpest drives yet, staying with the leaders’ pace. His best lap, 1:54.807, showed he had the outright speed, and fifth place with over an hour of error-free running was reward for precision.

Late incidents
Drama wasn’t confined to the start. Around the 50-minute mark, Ramen Grosjeant clashed with Karjunen in the stadium, both limping home with battered machinery. Beninca, after his early clash, retired after just 4 laps, while Stevenson and Grosjeant joined the non-finishers’ column later on.


Provisional classification – Top 5 (32 laps)

  1. FMG61:47.550 (best lap 1:54.488)
  2. Simone Porcu61:49.498 (+1.948s, fastest lap 1:54.447)
  3. Florian Masse62:13.674 (+26.124s)
  4. Eetu Karjunen62:46.220 (+58.670s)
  5. Simon Meisinger62:48.858 (+1:01.308)

Championship picture (drop-score applied)

With the scoring system (P1 40, P2 37, P3 34, P4 31, P5 30, P6 29…), the standings after Hockenheim and the drop-race rule are:

  • Simone Porcu117 pts (Monza 40, Long Beach 0 [dropped], Jarama 40, Hockenheim 37).
  • FMG108 pts (Monza 0 [dropped], Long Beach 31, Jarama 37, Hockenheim 40).
  • Florian Masse108 pts (Monza 37, Long Beach 37, Jarama 34 [dropped], Hockenheim 34).
  • gilvil7789 pts (Monza 31, Long Beach 29, Jarama 29, Hockenheim 0 [dropped]).
  • pitman84 pts (Monza 30, Long Beach 25, Jarama 0 [dropped], Hockenheim 29).

Porcu retains the lead thanks to two victories, but FMG’s Hockenheim triumph vaults him level with Masse. The championship narrative is now clear: a three-way fight, with Porcu’s consistency giving him the edge, but FMG and Masse armed with both speed and momentum.


Reporter’s notebook

  • FMG’s metronomy: 20 of his 32 laps were within three-tenths of each other.
  • Porcu’s chicane conundrum: consistently gained on straights but lost vital tenths through the second chicane.
  • Masse’s grit: salvaged a podium after lap-one chaos; those points may prove golden in the title chase.
  • Unsung hero: Meisinger’s 1:54.8 best lap was on par with Porcu; a podium looks within reach if attrition swings his way.

Race Stats

http://simresults.net/remote?result=http%3a%2f%2f5.75.183.156%3a8772/results/download/2025_8_17_21_20_RACE.json

Porcu converts pole; title picture tightens behind him

Jarama’s short, coiled ribbon often rewards precision over bravado, and on Sunday it produced exactly that kind of race. Pole‑sitter Simone Porcu made it look almost clinical—absorbing pressure in the opening minutes, then edging away to win—while Florian Masse shadowed him to the flag. Behind them, FMG stitched together a measured recovery to complete the podium, with Richard Rossier and Max Solmyr rounding out the top five.


Qualifying: a low‑1:20s shootout

The top ten in qualifying set the tone: Porcu on pole with a 1:20.377, just ahead of gilvil77 (1:20.530), Ali Rıza Tuncel (1:20.583) and Florian Masse (1:20.598). Solmyr, Rossier, Nat Stevenson, Dale Ballweg, Aitor Montero and FMG completed a grid that promised elbows‑out racing into Turn 1.


Start and first‑lap chaos

Jarama rarely lets an entire field tip‑toe through Lap 1, and this start was no exception. Within the first 0:03–0:05, Dale Ballweg and Max Solmyr clashed twice in the Turn‑1/Turn‑2 sequence, Ballweg also nudging the barriers—classic accordion contact as the pack pinched together.

Seconds later—still on the opening lap—kuanza, Solmyr, and FMG traded paint in a three‑way chain reaction as the field climbed the hill, a brief scare that everyone somehow survived.

The first lap continued to bite: around 0:46–0:47, Florian Masse brushed the outside and Nat Stevenson met the wall one corner later, both incidents minor but momentum‑sapping.


Porcu vs. Masse: pressure without payoff

Once the race exhaled, Porcu settled into a metronomic rhythm in the low‑1:21s. He even stamped in the race’s fastest lap—1:21.305—mid‑distance, just as the tires and fuel burn hit their sweet spot.

Masse never let the elastic snap. For long stretches he hovered a couple of seconds back, close enough to keep the leader honest and far enough to preserve his fronts in the long, loaded right‑handers. The pair’s duel had the shape of a chess endgame rather than a knife fight—Jarama’s narrow lines and matching pace making the difference more about millimetres than moves. (Official timing lists Porcu ahead of Masse in the final classification. )


The podium fight: FMG’s tidy rebuild

Starting outside the front rows, FMG had work to do after that lap‑one squeeze. Once the field spread, his laptimes stabilized in the 1:21–1:22 bracket and he picked off rivals steadily. By the second half he had clear air, managed the tires, and protected third all the way to the chequer. His stint included several tidy laps in the 1:21.8–1:22.4 window (e.g., 1:21.859 around mid‑race), the sort of consistency Jarama rewards.

Richard Rossier (P4) and Max Solmyr (P5) survived that bruising first lap to bank heavy points. Rossier’s day wasn’t spotless—he was in the thick of the opening skirmishes too—but his average pace and traffic management were enough to keep Solmyr behind when it mattered.


Fastest lap and notable retirements

While Porcu owned the win, gilvil77 was frequently the quickest car not named Simone—clocking repeated low‑1:21s (e.g., 1:21.541 and 1:21.710 while chasing in clean air).

A handful of would‑be scorers fell away:

  • Dale Ballweg retired early after 5 laps, his race ending around 7:31.892.
  • Nat Stevenson was out after 19 laps (about 27:11), his Turn‑2 wall strike from the opening minutes foreshadowing a short afternoon.
  • Ali Rıza Tuncel, so sharp in qualifying, lasted 32 laps (roughly 46:55), then parked it—promising pace that never translated.

Provisional top five (Jarama)

  1. Simone Porcu — lights‑to‑flag control (fastest lap 1:21.305).
  2. Florian Masse — pressure without a passing lane.
  3. FMG — calm rebuild after Lap‑1 contact.
  4. Richard Rossier — tidy damage‑limitation drive.
  5. Max Solmyr — recovered from the opening‑lap scuffle.

What it means for the championship (drop‑score applied)

With the series scoring 40‑37‑34‑31‑30‑29… and a drop race rule (worst result discarded), the table after Round 3 shakes out like this for the leading group:

  • Simone Porcu80 pts (Monza 40, Long Beach 0 [DNS, dropped], Jarama 40)
  • Florian Masse74 pts (Monza 37, Long Beach 37, Jarama 34 [dropped])
  • FMG68 pts (Monza 0 [dropped], Long Beach 31, Jarama 37)
  • gilvil7760 pts (Monza 31, Long Beach 29, Jarama 29 [one 29 dropped])
  • Richard Rossier57 pts (Monza 26, Long Beach 26 [one 26 dropped], Jarama 31)

In short: Porcu’s second win from three puts him clearly in command once the DNS is dropped; Masse stays within one result; FMG launches himself into the frame with a podium; and steady scoring keeps gilvil77 and Rossier in touch as the tour heads to Hockenheim.


Race Stats

http://simresults.net/remote?result=http%3a%2f%2f5.75.183.156%3a8772/results/download/2025_6_22_21_15_RACE.json

Concrete canyons, razor‑thin margins and a new winner in town

Qualifying: Jayden HW on a mission
The Top-10 grid for Long Beach already hinted at a street-fighter’s race. Jayden HW stuck his Side Heart Motorsports car on pole with a 1:10.981, edging TH Racing’s Florian Masse (1:11.550). Eetu Karjunen and Willphaizer locked out row two, followed by FMG and Eduardo Beninca. Nat Stevenson and Flashor filled row four; gilvil77 and Richard Rossier rounded out the ten. All the quick laps came on soft tyres — exactly what you want when walls are the track limits.


The race

Lights out, and Jayden never looked back
From pole, Jayden HW launched cleanly and immediately settled into low-1:12s, controlling the tempo. His race wasn’t flawless — he had two brushes with the concrete, once around the 6th minute and again near the 47th minute, both logged as minor “contact with environment” — but neither slowed him.

Masse clung to the leader’s wake in the opening phase, but while he matched Jayden’s rhythm, he never truly threatened. At the flag, Jayden completed the full 50 laps in 60:44.053, with the race’s fastest lap (1:11.575). Masse followed 12.9 seconds later (best lap 1:12.235).


Street-fight for the podium
Behind the front two, Willphaizer converted his P4 grid into a hard-earned third. He ran a consistent race, even after brushing the wall at the 28-minute mark, and crossed the line in 61:29.646 (best 1:12.755).

FMG showed resilience after clipping the barriers around 18 minutes, yet kept his lap times in the low-1:13s to secure fourth just 10.6 seconds off Willphaizer. His fastest lap was 1:12.627.

Beninca salvaged fifth, one lap down, after losing ground in the middle stint. His best lap was 1:13.146, enough to hold station when others faltered.


Incidents that shaped the midfield
Long Beach’s walls punished the bold. A couple of flashpoints stood out:

  • Lap 2: MonSpaNur and Richard Rossier collided while fighting through the fountain section. Both continued but lost momentum.
  • Just seconds later, Ramen Grosjeant tangled with Stefano Bucci — they came together twice in quick succession before Bucci smacked the wall at Turn 9.
  • Minute 5: Nat Stevenson clipped the barriers hard but managed to continue with a damaged sidepod.
  • Lap 9: Ali Rıza Tuncel and Eetu Karjunen made contact while dicing for position. Both carried on, though Tuncel later added to the drama with another wall scrape.
  • Minute 13: A spectacular moment saw Syd Drake slam into the wall at over 100 km/h. His race ended there. Moments later Ferd1 suffered a heavy impact of his own and limped back to the pits.
  • Later in the stint, Dale Ballweg and kuanza collided on the back straight (around 15 minutes). Kuanza spun but rejoined.
  • The closing laps saw Porcu and Grosjeant brush together in the hairpin, and post-race tempers flared as Ristic and Grosjeant traded paint even after the checkered flag.

Result — Top 5

  1. Jayden HW — 50 laps, 60:44.053, best lap 1:11.575
  2. Florian Masse — 50 laps, 60:56.961 (+12.9s), best lap 1:12.235
  3. Willphaizer — 50 laps, 61:29.646, best lap 1:12.755
  4. FMG — 50 laps, 61:40.248, best lap 1:12.627
  5. Eduardo Beninca — 49 laps, 60:48.458, best lap 1:13.146

Fastest lap: Jayden HW, 1:11.575.


What it means for the Championship (drop-score applied)

With the drop-race rule (worst result discarded), here’s how the front of the table stacks up after Monza and Long Beach:

  • Simone Porcu40 pts (Monza win; DNF Long Beach).
  • Jayden HW40 pts (Long Beach win; absent in Monza).
  • Florian Masse37 pts (P2 in Monza and again P2 in Long Beach).
  • Eduardo Beninca34 pts (Monza P3; Long Beach P5).
  • Willphaizer34 pts (Long Beach P3).
  • FMG31 pts (Long Beach P4; DNF Monza).
  • gilvil7731 pts (Monza P4; Long Beach outside Top 5).

Two rounds in, the season already has a narrative: Porcu vs. Jayden HW on 40 apiece, Masse lurking three back, and a tightly-bunched pack of Beninca, Willphaizer and FMG waiting to pounce.


Reporter’s take

Long Beach rewarded discipline. Jayden’s victory wasn’t flashy, but it was decisive — pole, fastest lap, and no major errors. Masse’s second consecutive P2 underlines his consistency and title credentials. Willphaizer and FMG both showed podium-level pace, while Beninca limited the damage with solid points.

The walls claimed their victims, but the championship fight is now finely poised: two winners, one tie at the top, and a hungry chasing pack. Next stop: Jarama, where rhythm and tyre management could reshuffle the order again.


Race Stats

http://simresults.net/remote?result=http%3a%2f%2f5.75.183.156%3a8772/results/download/2025_6_8_21_15_RACE.json

Porcu converts pole to victory in a slipstream chess match; Masse and Beninca complete the podium

Qualifying
The front row set the tone for an hour of high‑speed brinkmanship. Simone Porcu (BS2P Racing Team) put his Lotus‑liveried Formula RSS 1979 V8 on pole with a 1:35.534 (Softs). Fellow Italian gilvil77 joined him on the front row (1:35.813, S), with Florian Masse (TH Racing) third (1:35.973, S). The top ten was rounded out by FMG (1:36.258), Eduardo Beninca (1:36.284), Ali Rıza Tuncel (1:36.765), Eetu Karjunen (1:36.842), Rolf Biber (1:37.160), pitman (1:37.218) and Nat Stevenson (1:37.227).


Race report

Start & opening laps
Porcu made a clean launch and immediately imposed a steady rhythm, dragging Masse clear of the pack. Behind them the order reshuffled at the end of the opening tour: Biber vaulted from P8 to P4, only for Beninca to reclaim the place by lap 2. From there the lead group settled into a pattern—Porcu, Masse, gilvil77, Beninca—while Biber, pitman and Karjunen queued up in their wake.

Tyre story
Most of the front‑runners chose Softs and chased outright pace; Karjunen, Tuncel, Stevenson, Ristic and kuanza gambled on Hards for consistency over the hour. That split shaped the midfield fight as the stint wore on.

The race turns on two minutes of drama
Lap 16 detonated the calm: gilvil77 clocked a ragged 2:19.710, dropping from a secure third to the tail of the top seven. That single error handed P3 to Beninca and promoted pitman and Biber. Three laps later, the leaders exchanged favours—Porcu logged a 1:49.674 on lap 19, which put Masse into the lead. One tour later the roles reversed as Masse lost time with a 1:49.719 on lap 20 and Porcu took back control for good.

The middle stint also shuffled the second group. Biber suffered a 1:57.392 on lap 19, ceding spots to pitman and Karjunen. Then came their private duel: Karjunen grabbed P4 on lap 23, only for pitman to repass on lap 24 as the Hard‑tyre runner started to feel the pace.

Comeback and close
From lap 30 onward, gilvil77 began an eye‑catching recovery—past Biber for P6 (lap 30), Karjunen for P5 (lap 31), and finally pitman for P4 (lap 33). At the very end Biber stole sixth back from Karjunen on lap 37. Up front, Porcu’s metronomic laps and an outright fastest lap 1:36.743 kept Masse at bay to the flag.

Incidents & attrition
There was no shortage of contact deeper in the field. FMG’s promising qualifying turned into a lap‑4 retirement after tangles in traffic. Syd Drake (2 laps) and Dale Ballweg (3) were early DNFs; Davide Saìu stopped on lap 11 and Ferd1 on lap 19. Stevenson and Bucci both survived brushes with the scenery to bank solid points.


Monza — Provisional classification (Top 10)

  1. Simone Porcu — 37 laps, 60:28.722, fastest lap 1:36.743
  2. Florian Masse — 37 laps, 60:32.651 (+3.929s)
  3. Eduardo Beninca — 37 laps, 61:00.425 (+31.703s)
  4. gilvil77 — 37 laps, 61:52.848
  5. pitman — 37 laps, 61:57.145
  6. Rolf Biber — 37 laps, 61:57.694
  7. Eetu Karjunen — 37 laps, 61:57.886
  8. Nat Stevenson — 36 laps
  9. Richard Rossier — 36 laps
  10. Stefano Bucci — 36 laps

Notable DNFs: Drake (2 laps), Ballweg (3), FMG (4), Saìu (11), Ferd1 (19).


How Monza shapes the championship (drop‑score in effect for the season)

Points system: P1 40, P2 37, P3 34, P4 31, P5 30, P6 29, P7 28 … P29 6.

  • Porcu starts on 40 pts, a win from pole plus fastest lap authority.
  • Masse leaves Italy on 37 pts—within striking distance after pushing the leader into a brief mid‑race swap.
  • Beninca banks 34 pts for third, profiting when gilvil77 hit trouble.
  • gilvil77 takes 31 pts after a spirited comeback to fourth.
  • pitman opens with 30 pts in fifth after winning the duel with Karjunen.

With the drop‑race rule (the worst score discarded at season’s end), there’s nothing to drop yet—but the calculus is already clear: FMG’s early DNF is an obvious “drop” candidate later, while Porcu’s Monza haul is a keeper.


Takeaways

  • Lead under pressure: The race hinged on two out‑of‑sequence laps (19–20) that briefly flipped the lead before Porcu asserted control again.
  • Strategy split: Softs were the way to win; the best Hard‑tyre finisher (Karjunen) took P7, with Tuncel and Stevenson leveraging durability for points.
  • Comeback drive: gilvil77’s lap‑16 setback and three overtakes in the final eight laps delivered a hard‑earned P4.
  • Team notes: TH Racing comes away smiling—Masse P2 and pitman P5—while BS2P’s Porcu set the early benchmark.

Monza has delivered a classic: high speed, one razor‑thin momentum swing at the front, and enough midfield incident to keep the stewards busy. Next stop: Long Beach, where bumps and concrete walls will ask very different questions of these ground‑effect cars.


Race Stats

http://simresults.net/remote?result=http%3a%2f%2f5.75.183.156%3a8772/results/download/2025_5_25_21_15_RACE.json

Beneath a bright autumn sky and the rolling sand dunes of eastern Long Island, the final chapter of the GTC 60s Championship was written in glorious, tire-smoking fashion at the fearsome and undulating Bridgehampton Race Circuit. It was a race that had it all - drama, collisions, wheel-to-wheel duels - and a championship fight that went right down to the final corner of the final lap.

And when the dust finally settled after 36 grueling laps, it was SDH-M ~ HappyKojot, driving a brilliantly prepared Shelby Cobra 289 Hardtop, who emerged not only victorious on the day, but also crowned champion of this unforgettable season.

Qualifying: Inches in the Sand

Tensions were high before a single engine had fired, as the tight championship standings meant every fraction of a second counted. Pole position was snatched by Adam Celárek, his TVR Griffith Series 200 posting a blistering 1:40.690 - a mere 0.086 seconds ahead of HappyKojot. Third on the grid went to championship leader Nat Stevenson, also in a Cobra, with Florian Masse and Hayley Smith rounding out the top five.

With the top trio separated by just over three-tenths of a second, a high-speed showdown seemed inevitable.

Race Start: Thunder in the Dunes

The engines roared to life and the field surged into Turn 1 like a pack of unleashed beasts. Celárek led the charge off the line, but it took only two laps for HappyKojot to strike. The Cobra muscled its way past the TVR, taking the lead with an aggressive yet calculated move on Lap 2.

But this was no easy steal - Celárek retaliated just one lap later. The two drivers traded positions and even traded paint in a breathtaking dogfight that saw contact on Lap 4, both refusing to yield an inch. Another scuffle followed, echoing through the paddock like a flashback to classic duels of yesteryear.

Despite the friction, both machines stayed intact - a testament to old-school toughness - and the duel continued unabated.

Mid-Race Madness: Heat and Heroics

By the race’s halfway mark, the order at the front remained unchanged, but far from settled. Celárek set the fastest lap of the race - an eye-watering 1:40.474 on Lap 29 - as he tried to claw his way past the Cobra once more.

Behind them, Nat Stevenson ran a calm and composed race in third, doing exactly what he needed to keep his championship hopes alive. But while the front three kept it sharp and tidy, chaos reigned in the midfield.

Lap 1 saw multiple tangles, including Ingroover, Mark Johnson, and Falling Falcon, all jostling for space. Ramen Grosjeant had a torrid time, bouncing off the environment like a pinball, while the ever-mischievous Brandon Hawkin and Ryan Pandiscio treated fans to a post-race demolition derby, racking up over 40 collisions after the session officially ended!

There’s racing - and then there’s Bridgehampton.

The Final Showdown: Decided by a Tenth

As the race drew to a close, every pair of eyes was locked on the dueling leaders. Celárek attacked again and again, but HappyKojot defended like a lion. As the two thundered down the final straight, the checkered flag was in sight - and HappyKojot crossed the line a mere 0.107 seconds ahead of the TVR.

An astonishing drive from both - the kind of wheel-to-wheel spectacle that will be replayed in paddock folklore for decades to come.


Championship Finale: A Swing of Two Points

The championship battle had been tight all season, and it was only fitting that it should be decided by the smallest of margins.

DriverPoints BeforeBridgehamptonFinal Total
HappyKojot (HAP)14140181
Nat Stevenson (STE)14534179
Adam Celárek (CEL)13337170

By finishing first, HappyKojot leapfrogged Stevenson in the final standings by just two points, snatching the crown in a dramatic, last-race reversal. Celárek’s late-season charge - pole, fastest lap, and second place - earned him a well-deserved third overall in the final championship tally.


Podium, Legacy, and Legends

This season was more than just numbers. It was raw power, sand-kissed curves, and open-top beasts thundering through circuits steeped in history. The car selection - Cobras, Ferraris, TVRs - all brought their own flavor. And the teams? Well, Side Heart Motorsports, boasting both HappyKojot and Celárek, will forever be remembered for delivering a 1–2 finish at the finale and a 1–3 in the championship.

As the sun set over Bridgehampton’s old guardrails and windswept straights, the crowd knew they had witnessed something special.

Because on that day, HappyKojot didn’t just win a race - he etched his name into THRs Wall of Champions ;-).


Detailed Race Results:
https://simresults.net/remote?result=http%3a%2f%2f5.75.183.156%3a8772/results/download/2025_5_18_21_16_RACE.json