The IMSA SportsCar Championship continued at Long Beach, the FIA World Endurance Championship kicked off at Imola, and several more categories were in action across the globe.
Here’s how the Australians fared.
Tom Sargent – Carrera Cup North America
A one-off return to Porsche Carrera Cup North America bore back-to-back wins for GMG Racing ring-in Tom Sargent on the streets of Long Beach.
Sargent dominated both races behind the wheel of the new Porsche 911 Cup, winning Race 1 by 2.245s and Race 2 by 0.965s ahead of Kellymoss driver Aaron Jeansonne
“It’s really good, we achieved what we came here to do,” said Sargent, who stood in for Kyle Washington.
“It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. I really had to work for that one. Aaron had some really good speed there towards the end.
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“I’m really fortunate I was able to build a big enough of a gap that I could maintain that and keep ahead.
“It’s so hard to pass around here, but big respect to those guys.”
The podium was identical across Saturday and Sunday, with New Zealand’s Callum Hedge third out of the JDX Racing stable.
Hedge, in both instances, fought off Topp Racing’s Tyler Maxson for the final step on the podium.
Sumich & Shahin brothers – Imola
Yasser Shahin and Sam Shahin enjoyed a successful weekend at the 6 Hours of Imola as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Yasser claimed third in the LMGT3 division with Manthey Racing in a Porsche 911 GT3 R bearing The Bend Motorsport Park branding.
“We are incredibly happy to come away with a podium here,” said Shahin, who partnered Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz.
“If you had asked us before the start of the race, we would have considered this an outstanding result.
“Scoring my first podium in Imola makes it even more special, and I am absolutely delighted with how the entire race unfolded.
“A smart strategic approach, combined with exceptional driving from all our drivers, came together perfectly and ultimately made this result possible.”
Sam, meanwhile, took a Pro-Am win for GP Elite on Saturday in Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and third on Sunday.
Caleb Sumich had an up-and-down weekend, which began with a lowly qualifying effort of 23rd.
Sumich fought forward in both races to finishes of 17th and 12th, while claiming finishes of fifth and second in the rookie cup.
Carrera Cup Germany continues on April 24-26 at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Matt Campbell – Nurburgring 24 Qualifiers
While most were fixate on Max Verstappen at the Nurburgring 24 qualifying races, Porsche star Matt Campbell was flying quietly under the radar.
He and Thomas Preining claimed third in Sunday’s four-hour race from fourth.
“Following second place at NLS3 last week, this is another podium result for us,” said Campbell.
“Sunday’s race ran without any incidents, and the team’s strategy was really strong.
“It was not always easy in the battles on track, but overall we maximised what was possible and are satisfied with the result.”
Campbell and Manthey Racing acknowledged the death of Juha Miettinen, who succumbed to injuries suffered in a seven-car crash.
“Away from the sporting side, however, this weekend will be remembered first and foremost for the serious accident on Saturday,” said Campbell.
“Our thoughts are with the deceased driver, his family and everyone involved.“
Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing of the Manthey Racing HmbH added: “A very intense and emotional race weekend lies behind us, which was overshadowed by the serious accident on Saturday evening.
“Our thoughts are with the bereaved familiy, friends and the team of Juha Miettinen. Also, we would like to explicitly thank the rescue crews and track marshals,”
“Our preparations with the Porsche 911 GT3 R weren’t ideal, as we were short of testing time on Saturday.
“This made Sunday all the more challenging. Across three sessions – starting with a wet qualifying session – it all came down to getting the timing right and assessing the risks correctly.
“We were already able to put in a solid performance here. In the race itself, we managed to stay consistently in the leading pack and ultimately finished third.
“This result only partially reflects the true state of play. On the one hand, we benefited from our rivals’ mistakes.
“At the same time, we delivered a flawless weekend – the drivers, the pit crew and the engineers alike. We can be proud of that.”
Bayley Hall – China GT Championship
Supercars wildcard Bayley Hall made his international GT3 racing debut at the home of the Chinese Grand Prix as part of the China GT Championship.
Hall joined Zhou Bihuang in a Climax Racing-run Mercedes-AMG GT3, finishing third in the opening race at Shanghai.
They backed that up with second place in the second outing but were promoted to the win when Origine Racing duo Yuan Bo and Deng Yi were disqualified for a technical infringement.
Christian Mansell – International GT Open
Christian Mansell and factory Mercedes-AMG ace Maxi Gotz scored back-to-back second place finishes in the first International GT Open round at Portimao.
They left Portugal second in the standings while finishes of third and first for Greystone GT duo Dean MacDonald and Zac Meakin put them atop the points.
International GT Open continues on May 15-17 at Spa-Francorchamps.
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