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Triple Eight Race Engineering has won a rain-delayed opening race of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS season at Thailand’s Buriram International Circuit.
Luca Stolz took the chequered flag more than nine seconds to the good in #88 Triple Eight JMR Mercedes-AMG in which Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim had started the hour-long encounter.
The #911 AAS Motorsport by Absolute Racing Porsche finished second and the #87 R&B Racing Porsche third, with Broc Feeney/Prince Jefri Ibrahim home in 11th in the #888 Triple Eight Mercedes-AMG.
Heavy rain caused a delay to the day’s programme and the Thailand MotoGP track was wet when Race 1 finally got underway.
However, it would dry out, and Triple Eight capitalised by calling Abu Bakar Ibrahim in for a relatively early mandatory pit stop to get Stolz into the car and the car onto slick tyres.
The call meant a swing from fourth position at a 14-second deficit to the lead into a 10-second margin over the chasing pack once R&B and AAS/Absolute completed their stops.
Alessio Picariello was third for the run home in the AAS/Absolute Porsche before overtaking Leo Ye Hongli to claim a runner-up finish for himself and Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak.
Race 2 of GT World Challenge Asia takes place today while, in New Zealand, Triple Eight Supercars driver Shane van Gisbergen is in action in the International Rally of Whangerei.
