Australian Drew Ridge has finished sixth in Round 2 of the Audi Sport TT Cup at the Nurburgring.
Racing on the support bill for the Nurburgring 24 Hours, Ridge ran third when Race 1 was red flagged midway through, before taking sixth in Race 2 after being caught in an early incident.
The NSW Central Coast teenager, currently based in Munich, qualified fourth and third for the respective races (the latter grid set by each driver’s second-fastest lap time) having sat in second for much of the session.
In Race 1, Ridge passed Keagan Masters for third when the race restarted on Lap 3 after an early Safety Car.
However, proceedings were brought to a halt just two laps later when Finlay Hutchinson tangled with Yannik Brandt and was spat out into the fence at high speed
The race was ultimately red flagged due to barrier damage and no points were awarded, though Ridge still got to celebrate on the podium at the storied German venue.
The 18-year-old made a strong start to Race 2 but lost several positions when Brandt got sideways after a squeeze with Ridge, Masters, and Milan Dontje, causing Ridge to dive for the gravel trap.
The Ikon Signs-backed driver would recover three of those positions in the final nine laps of the 11-lap race, setting the second-fastest lap along the way.
“Racing at the Nurburgring in front of so many spectators was an amazing experience,” said Ridge, who was making his third TT Cup start after debuting at last year’s Hockenheim finale.
“I am starting to feel really comfortable in the TT Cup car and feel I’m getting more competitive every time I get in the car.
“Getting to spray some champagne with a podium in Race 1 with P3 was great, and I was happy with the speed I had in Race 2 with a comeback to P6 after falling back to ninth on Lap 1.
“So overall a really positive weekend for myself, now I have a month to focus on my training and do some simulator work before the Norisring.“
Ridge sits eighth in the championship, which Briton Philip Ellis leads by virtue of three race wins from three.
Round 3 of the Audi Sport TT Cup will support DTM on the Norisring, on the streets of Nuremberg, from June 30-July 2.