One of the main feature races from last weeks Pan Delta at Zhuahi was the opening round of the Audi R8 LMS Cup.
Originally two races were scheduled for the weekend however Sunday’s feature race was suspended due to track conditions with only 4 laps completed. Those of us out on track were left wondering what had happened to cause the race to be eventually red-flagged.
After returning to the pit area it became obvious that it wasn’t due to a major accident, moreover the culprit was something much simpler. Large quantities of sawdust had been placed on the track in an attempt to soak up oil that had been laid during earlier sessions. The sawdust was subsequently sucked into the cooling ducts of the R8’s, blocking the cars cooling systems and causing engines to overheat. A disappointing end to a much anticipated race.
Even with this picture that I took in the garage after the race large amounts of dust can clearly be seen covering the cars.
Photograph: ©2015 by Darren Marlowe | Octane Photography – All Rights Reserved
Alex Yoong, after starting from pole was leading the race after the first 4 laps however no points were awarded as less that 50% of the race had been completed.
After the completion of the weekend, Alex leads the Championship with 25 points, Rahel Frey (the only woman in the field) stands in second with 19 points and Aditya Patel third on 15 points.
The next round is scheduled for Yeongman, South Korea on May 16-17.