Blancpain GT World Challenge America
Matt Campell has rounded out the Blancpain GT World Challenge America season with two class podiums at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The Australian shared the Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R with Anthony Imperato, crossing the line first in class in the opening race and recovering back to third in Race 2.
In Race 1, Campbell found himself engaged in a battle for the Pro-Am class lead with Marc Miller before contact saw Miller drop back and Campbell assume the lead, which he held to the finish.
However, a post-race penalty was subsequently handed out for the clash, relegating Campbell and Imperato to seventh overall and third in class.
The weekend’s second race was equally dramatic with Imperato picking up a drive-through penalty for sending the Kevan Millstein/Alex Barron Porsche off the road.
During his stint in the 90 minute race Campbell climbed the order, reaching third in the Pro-Am field to net another podium.
In overall terms K-Pax Racing’s Andy Soucek and Alvaro Parente won both races and the title in the process.
Moto2, Moto3
Luca Marini won the Japanese Moto2 grand prix as Alex Marquez finished sixth and saw his championship lead snipped by four points to 36.
Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46 Kalex) led away from pole and withstood strong pressure from Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP40 Kalex) in the first third of the 22-lap race.
Thomas Luthi (Dynavolt Intact Kalex), who started seventh, got Baldassarri for second at Turn 9 on Lap 9 and dived past Marini at the same corner two laps later.
The Swiss rider threatened to pull clear but Marini stuck with him and reclaimed a lead which he would not lose again through the Turn 7 sweep on the penultimate lap.
Luthi’s runner-up finish puts him back in the same position in the championship, while Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex) had several nervous moments as he battled just back from the leading pack.
Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Kalex) crashed out of 13th position on Lap 9.
In Moto3, Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Honda) moved to a commanding 47-point lead as he won and both Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max KTM) and Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers Honda) crashed out.
The Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix weekend starts this Friday, October 25.