Tigani Motorsport will look to continue controlling GT World Challenge Australia when the championship makes its maiden visit to Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin on July 24-26.
A breakout weekend for the #44 Geyer Valmont Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO driven by Brendon Leitch and Sergio Pires vaulted them from fifth in the standings to the lead after finishes of third and first at Queensland Raceway.
They became just the second pairing this season to score podium finishes in both races on the same weekend, a feat that underlined their strong speed after overcoming a five-second success penalty on Sunday following their Saturday podium.
Leitch and Pires (85 points) lead teammates Jayden Ojeda and Paul Lucchitti (76 points) in the team’s second-placed #66 Realta Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
It was an out-of-character weekend for the pair at Queensland Raceway as they narrowly missed out on a podium with finishes of seventh and fourth on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
Oscar Targett sits seventh in the standings (56 points) after a strong showing at Queensland Raceway that included his first pole position in the #56 Kollosche entry. Targett will be joined by regular co-driver Shane Smollen at Darwin after Justin Tigani stood in at Ipswich.
Although eager to mix it up at the front for an outright win and podiums, Targett will also look to extend his advantage in the SRO GT Academy points. Winning the prize will earn him a start in the 24 Hours of Spa next year as part of a fully funded scholarship.
Tigani Motorsport also leads the overall teams’ championship on 141 points, 46 points ahead of nearest rivals Melbourne Performance Centre.
Q&A Geyer Valmont Racing #44: Sergio Pires and Brendon Leitch – Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO (Pro-Am)
Q – How are you approaching Hidden Valley now that you’re leading the points?
Brendon Leitch: “I’m excited to drive at Darwin for the first time. We have a lot of driving time on Friday. Managing ourselves on that day is going to be the most important thing, and making sure we get the most out of the day. Then we’re right into qualifying in the morning. It’s going to be the same as Queensland Raceway, just about doing a good job every time, not about being perfect, just being the best we can with what we have.
“There’s a lot to be said about not making mistakes; just executing and doing a good job is more important than being perfect. Just turn up this weekend and do the best that we can and do a tidy job, and that’s how we’ll keep extending the lead.”
Header Image: Brock Baldwin
