WestCoast Racing drivers Fredrik Lestrup and Martin Matzke finished 16th in the first ADAC GT Masters race at Nürburgring after having started 20th. The race was run in difficult conditions with the field starting behind the safety car due to wet conditions. During the race the rain stopped and the track dried up partially with the rain coming and going. Some teams elected to change to slicks in the pit stop where as WestCoast Racing and others stayed on the rain tyres the whole race.

Martin Matzke drove the first stint and intitially climbed several places until he lost some grip in the tyres and fell back. He went into the pits around 22nd place halfway through the race.
”It was a difficult race in difficult conditions. I made a good start but towards the end of the stint it was very slippery and I struggled for grip. At least we finished the race with the car in one piece and gained some positions. I hope for a dry race tomorrow as I think it will suit our car better,” Martin said of this stint and race.

Fredrik Lestrup took over the steering wheel and drove the last stint. He was in the midst of an intense battle, overtook six cars and fought for positions just outside the points. He was happy with the stint but had hoped for a better position.
”It was actually one of the best races I’ve driven and a lot of fun racing other cars the whole stint. It is not the position we hoped for but we knew it would be tough to score points today. At least we had some good race pace and could gain a lot of places. The tyres overheated the last two laps which cost me a position. It was exciting with the conditions changing so much and with some driving in slicks and others on rain tyres. Each lap was completely different, nothing stayed the same for more than one lap. The car felt better today so now we prepare for another day and new conditions tomorrow,” Fredrik said.

The second race starts at 12.30 tomorrow Sunday. Fredrik Lestrup then starts and takes the first stint.

Raceresult, race 1 ADAC GT Masters Nürburgring

It was a tricky qualifying session for WestCoast Racing at Nürburgring for the two races in ADAC GT Masters. The track was soaked in rain during the two practice sessions in the morning but just in time for qualifying the rain stopped and the sun came out.

Martin Matzke qualified 20th for the Saturday race, a position he was not too happy with.
”The car was pretty good but we didn’t quite time it right. We set our best time a few laps too soon as it looked like the rain would come back. It didn’t and several cars could improve after us. I think we could have qualified in top 5 with some better timing. It’s difficult to start in the middle of the pack in the race but we have to do our best. The goal is to get in the points,” he said.

Fredrik Lestrup drove the second qualifying session determining the grid order for the Sunday race. He qualified 19th and said afterwards the pace just wasn’t there.
”It was a tricky qualifying for us. We have not tested here and with rain during practice but dry weather in qualifying it was very tricky for us. The balance wasn’t quite there and we have a lot to think about before the race. It’s our worse qualifying this season but we’ll try and turn it around and go for points in both races,” Fredrik said.

39 cars qualified for the two ADAC GT Masters races at Nürburgring which start at 12:30 on both Saturday and Sunday.

Results, qualifying 1
Results, qualifying 2

It’s time for the fourth round in the competitive ADAC GT Masters, this time held at the Nürburgring GP-circuit. WestCoast Racing heads there with high expectations after a competitive weekend at Sachsenring that unfortuanetly didn’t net the results the team was looking for. Fredrik Lestrup hopes for another competitive outing but knows the Nürburgring track poses different challenges for the BMW Z4 GT3.
”We have the pace, both in the team and the car so I’m hopeful for the weekend. We are a bit unsure how this track will suit the car but it’s much more competitive this year so if we can get the final adjustments right I believe we can score some good results. We have come a long way with developing the car but it’s so incredibly tight in this field so just a few tenths can mean a lot of places up or down on the grid. We definetly aim for the up.”

The team has driven two races in the Swedish GT championship and won both races. For Fredrik it has been a chance to warm up for the ADAC GT Masters and he is looking forward to coming back to Nürburgring.
”It’s a track I know very well and I have driven there a lot. I usually do good there and it’s always special to be there and I know the track inside out. We have had a nice time back in Sweden racing with the car and it’s been a nice warm up for this weekend. I’m happy it is time to race in GT Masters again, we must get it all together and score some good results this weekend,” he finishes.

Nürburgring is also one of Martin Matzke’s favourite tracks and he shares his team mates view on how the car will suit the track.
”For me this has always been a good track I like a lot and I’ve hade many good races here. It’s difficult to say how the track will suit our car. There are some sections where we will be very strong, for instance the medium fast corners and braking areas, but also some parts like the straights where we might struggle a bit. We will do our best and I think that if we can qualify and race well inside top 10 it will be very good for us.”

The team was competitive at Sachsenring but didn’t manage to bring the result. Matzke were fifth in the second race when a mistake a few laps from home forced him to retire. He hopes for a repeat of the competitive form the team showed last time.
”Sachsenring was good but we were also very unlucky there and we didn’t get the results we were hoping for. Unfortunately I also made a mistake in the last race but that’s racing, it’s so competitive here and you have to push and this can happen. The car is working well so hopefully we can make it work as well at Nürburgring. I expect a tough weekend but we will do our best to bring home points from both races.”

The GT Masters weekend starts on Friday with two practice sessions followed by the two qualifying sessions. The first race is on Saturday with the second race on Sunday. Live timing and results can be found on the official ADAC GT Masters website http://www.adac-gt-masters.de/.

Time schedule

WestCoast Racing didn’t score any points in the first race at Sachsenring. The first qualifying was cancelled due to an accident which meant all teams started the first race in championship order. WestCoast Racing started in 23rd position.

Martin Matzke took the start and drove the first stint. He performed strong and brought the team up to ninth position. Unfortunately he got a drive-through penalty after an incident with the Stuck Aston Martin. A penalty he felt was too harsh.
”I was on his inside when he turned so I don’t feel it was my fault and it’s hard to get a penalty for that,” Martin says. ”I had a really good stint and it was a lot due to the car. Fredrik also had a strong stint but he got stuck in traffic and had to defend his position at the same time as he had to try and overtake so it was very difficult. We have a really good chance for tomorrow with a better starting position and a strong car. A top 5 position is in our reach.”

Fredrik Lestrup drove the second stint of the race and got stuck in traffic. He had problems advancing as he was in a group of cars fighting over position the whole stint.
”Martin did a great first stint and was very solid. His drive-through penalty feels very harsh and it mean our chances to score a point in this race dissapeared. I got out in the middle of a group of cars and had a lot of traffic. I’m not happy I got stuck there and I’m dissapointed I couldn’t advance but the Porsches were very quick on the straights. I’m not happy and P17 is of course not good. The positives are that we have a really good car and we finished the race with it. We have a good chance for tomorrow with P8 on the grid with a fast car, the team has done a great job preparing the it and we have a good chance for a top position tomorrow. We are looking forward to the Sunday race!”

WestCoast Racing starts in eight position tomorrow. Fredrik Lestrup who drove the qualifying for Sunday’s race will then take the first stint.

Result, race 1 Sachsenring

The third race weekend in ADAC GT Masters is held at Sachsenring in Germany. After a difficult start to the season WestCoast Racing now aims for a trouble free race weekend from start to finish. Fredrik Lestrup looks forward to return to Sachsenring, a track where he has been succesful in other categories.
”It’s one of my favourite tracks and a track where I’ve always felt strong,” he says. ”It’s interesting and I believe it will suit the BMW really well. I look forward to the weekend, we won a GT-race in Sweden last weekend and there we found some things we want to try at Sachsenring. It’s about time for us to have a trouble free weekend and our goal is of course to finish both races in really strong positions.”

Martin Matzke also believes the track, a track he likes himself, will suit the BMW and feels optimistic ahead of this weekend.
”I know the track well and I think we will see two very tough races here. We need progress and this is an aero track where I think our car will be competitive. The track is quite difficult with several technical parts and different lines so it should be an interesting weekend. I’m feeling positive.”

Links:

ADAC GT Masters site
Time schedule and track information
Live-timing