Mario Farnbacher and Team Honda Racing played a dominant role at the Kyalami 9 Hour – the finale of the Intercontinental GT Challenge from 10 to 12 December. However, after the Honda NSX GT3 Evo’s pole and countless kilometers in the lead, a thunderstorm during the final hour denied the driver trio its victory. In the end, the Franconian and his teammates Bertrand Baguette and Renger van der Zande crossed the line in fourth place.

“We’re obviously all rather disappointed”, the 28-year-old explained after the season’s fourth race. “Victory was close enough to touch, and we could also have won the championship, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Nevertheless, I’m extremely proud of the team and we’ve proved the NSX GT3 Evo is capable of winning. I’d like to thank Honda, HPD, JAS Motorsport and my team colleagues for the strong season.”

The #30 crew’s qualifying best times had already proved they had what it takes for victory and Farnbacher underlined their will to win in the subsequent Pole Shootout – the top 6 showdown. The Ansbach-born driver, who celebrated his Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit debut weekend, secured pole position with a 1:41.581 lap time.

Baguette, van der Zande and Farnbacher also dominated the race action, before a late thunderstorm shook up the classification. Torrential rain resulted in a full course yellow that continued till the finish. Farnbacher finally came through in fourth place.

“The rain and the full course yellow definitely put a spanner in the works”, said Farnbacher. “We had to pit again in the last hour, after which I took the wheel, but then got stuck behind a ten-second slower driver. So that enabled rivals to pull past. That was incredibly frustrating.”

After the season’s four races in Australia, the U.S., Belgium and South Africa, Farnbacher and van der Zande end the Intercontinental GT Challenge with a fifth place in the standings.

Mario Farnbacher’s 2020 season comes to an end with the Intercontinental GT Challenge in South Africa. From 10 to 12 December, the 28-year-old will be competing in the Kyalami 9 Hour for Team Honda Racing with Renger van der Zande and Bertrand Baguette. The trio intends to successfully finish the season with a top result.

The squad was already on the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in 2019, but it will be a premiere for Farnbacher on the 4.5 kilometre track close to Johannesburg.

“I’m very much looking forward to the race”, says the Ansbach-born driver looking ahead to the fourth race of the season. “I don’t know the track yet, but everyone says driving there is good fun. I’ve done my best to prepare myself at home as much as possible and get to know the circuit. The most important thing the next few days will be the practice sessions.”

After the season’s first podium in Indianapolis and a top 10 position in Spa, the NSX GT3 Evo #30 team is also reckoning with chances of an excellent result in South Africa.

The Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit is well known for its demanding route, enthralling race action and also its freak weather. Baking temperatures, violent downpours, as well as thunderstorms dominated the race weekend in 2019.

“It’ll definitely be a challenging race”, the Honda driver continues. “The field has thinned out due to the Corona pandemic, but above all, there’ll be factory-supported cars at the start. So we’ll be competing against the best of the best and will have to give all we’ve got if we want to land at the front.”

The weekend race action begins with Free Practice on Friday evening. Qualifying and Pole Shootout follow on Saturday. Green light for the nine-hour race is on Saturday, 12 December, at 12:00 local time (11:00 German time). Live stream and live timing services are available on the official website.

The 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is over and Mario Farnbacher is GTD Champion again. Together with Matt McMurry and Meyer Shank Racing, the Franconian celebrated his second title in a row in Sebring. With a third place at the 12-hour race in Florida, the Acura squad polished off the title.

In the end 286 points were enough: a two-point advantage and a total of six podiums, including two victories, won the championship. For the 28-year-old, it’s the second title after 2019 with the Ohio-based team – in addition to Meyer Shank Racing winning the 2020 team championship.

“It’s absolutely unbelievable! I was on the road with the team in 2018 for the first time and now we’re celebrating our second title”, said Farnbacher proudly. “The crew’s done a fantastic job this season and many thanks go to Meyer Shank Racing, Acura and HPD, who all made this success possible.”

The race itself was a real thriller. Starting from eighth on the grid, the teammates Matt McMurry and Shinya Michimi at the wheel of the Acura NSX GT3 Evo #86 had to make up a lot of ground. Farnbacher took over in the second half of the race, an involuntary spin slowed him down briefly, but the 28-year-old continued his fight forwards to second position.

A yellow phase in the final stage brought the field closer together and finally Farnbacher saw the checkered flag in third place, securing 30 championship points.

“In the past, Sebring hasn’t been the best patch for the Acura NSX GT3, but the crew did an amazing job on the car’s set-up”, the Franconian explained. “We were able to maintain our position with the frontrunners, even though the race was unbelievably exhausting.”

It’s time for the title showdown in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. On 14 November, GTD championship leaders Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry will compete in the endurance classic that is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The Acura duo enjoy a seven-point advantage in the standings, so the mission is clear: secure plenty of points and wrap the title up.

“We are focusing 100% on winning the championship,” said Farnbacher, the reigning GTD champion. “We don’t need to win in Sebring. It’s important to finish the race and take as many points as we can. The race will be hard, there’s no doubt about that. That’s why we will need to be on top of our game and give absolutely everything.”

Farnbacher and McMurry have five podiums, including two victories, to their name so far in the 2020 season. Another well-placed finish would give the 28-year-old his second GTD drivers’ title in as many years. In 2019, the Ansbach-born driver wrapped up the championship with the Meyer Shank Racing team at a dramatic season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The German-American duo will be looking to build on the momentum from the last race at Laguna Seca, where Farnbacher and McMurry led from start to finish and snatched back the lead in the standings. Ahead of the season finale in Sebring, the battle for the championship remains extremely close: just ten points separate the top 4 in the GTD championship.

At the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the two full-season Acura drivers in the #86 NSX GT3 Evo will once again be ably assisted by Shinya Michima. The 2020 race will mark Michimi’s debut in the event, whereas Farnbacher has celebrated two class victories (2015 and 2017) at the famous Florida circuit in the past.

The finale of the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Sebring International Raceway gets underway at 10:10 local time (16:10 CET) on Saturday, 14 November. The action can be followed free of charge via the series’ official live stream.

Back to the top of the standings! Thanks to the second triumph of the season, Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry lead the GTD class. A sovereign start-finish victory ensured a maximum point haul for the Meyer Shank Racing duo in Laguna Seca and it now ranks first in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a seven-point advantage.

“What a race! After last year’s problematic weekend in Laguna Seca, we didn’t reckon with a victory here this time”, Farnbacher says. “Many thanks go to Matt, who was absolutely awesome this weekend. He laid the foundations for our achievement!”

McMurry’s qualifying had already paved the road to success, when he secured pole for the Acura team. The US American continued his top performance during the race and maintained the lead up to the driver change. An impeccable pit stop brought Farnbacher back onto the track as frontrunner.

The 28-year-old’s performance was also flawless and he defended first position, even increasing it by six seconds. After 108 laps, 103 of which they were in the lead, the Franconian victoriously took the flag, clinching the fifth podium of the season.

“The weekend got off to a fairly difficult start, when we had a lot of problems with tyre wear and had to make initial adjustments to the set-up”, the Franconian adds. “However, the crew gave their all and presented us with a completely new car overnight. That made the win possible.”

Farnbacher and McMurry have regained the GTD class championship lead with 256 points and travel to the finale with a seven-point advantage.

The final of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, is scheduled for 14 November.

From 22 to 25 October, Mario Farnbacher took part in one of the season’s highlights – the legendary 24 Hours of Spa. Due to difficult and permanently changing conditions, this round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge was a tough one. Renger van der Zande, Dane Cameron and the 28-year-old fought together for Team Honda Racing and secured a ninth in a very fierce race.

“The race was a huge challenge, but we can be satisfied with the result”, Farnbacher sums up. “The team did a super job and we were able to continually improve over the weekend. Spa sees the Crème de la Crème coming together to compete and we could prove we belonged to the top 10. This is something we can be proud of!”

It was clear right from the start that the race would place high demands on the Team Honda Racing, when they joined the endurance classic’s total of 55 cars. The trio in the NSX GT3 Evo started from 28th on the grid and immediately pushed forwards to pick up as many positions as possible. It wasn’t an easy task for the crew of the #29: changing conditions – sometimes wet, sometimes dry – several safety car periods and the long night made it tough going. However, the team determinedly braved all the hardships and crossed the finish line in ninth place.

“It was an incredibly hard race. The ever-changing conditions were a big challenge for drivers and teams”, the 28-year-old explains. “We were well under way when it was dry, but we lacked some pace when it was wet and didn’t get the front tyres up to temperature. But we gave everything we had and secured a good result with a ninth. We can build on that in South Africa.”

Next race on the Intercontinental GT Challenge schedule is from 10 to 12 December at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and it will also be the championship finale. Farnbacher, however, continues from 30 October 1 November to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race in Laguna Seca, where he’ll be fighting with Meyer Shank Racing and teammate Matt McMurry for the title in the GTD class.

For a long time, Mario Farnbacher and Meyer Shank Racing were steering towards another top result at the Petit Le Mans. Unfortunately, a collision two and a half hours before the finish, threw the Acura driver and his teammates Matt McMurry and Shinya Michimi back to tenth place. After eight rounds of the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship, Farnbacher and McMurry rank fourth in the standings.

“It’s really frustrating. For the third time, we’ve lost a top placement because of a collision”, the 28-year-old explained. “That’s not easy to swallow. Especially, as we started from pole and obviously had set ourselves high targets for the race.”

Starting position for the ten-hour race at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta couldn’t have been better: Michimi’s 1:19.291 lap time in the Acura NSX GT3 Evo #86 secured him pole position.

Thanks to a solid track performance and impressive work by the pit crew, the Acura trio was continually battling to take the helm, and with just 20 laps to go, Farnbacher grabbed the lead and went on to create a 25-second leading edge over the competition.

However, in the end, the possible top result had turned into a tenth place. A collision resulted in a damaged rear suspension and the ensuing repair stop dashed their hopes of a podium finish.

“The pit crew did an awesome job, not only at the stops but with the repairs. We have a lot to thank them for”, the Acura driver said. “It’s bitter though, that it wasn’t enough to get us onto the rostrum. But we won’t give up, the championship hasn’t been decided yet.”

Farnbacher and McMurry are fourth in the GTD-class standings and have a total of 221 points. With two races remaining, the duo is seven points behind the leader.

The Franconian’s next opportunity for closing the gap is on 1 November in Laguna Seca. But before, Farnbacher continues straight on to the third race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge from 22 to 25 October in Spa, Belgium. He’ll be racing again in Team Honda Racing’s NSX GT3 Evo on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps with Renger van der Zande and Dane Cameron.

The seventh IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race was scheduled for 10 October at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. At first, things looked good for a podium by Mario Farnbacher and Meyer Shank Racing, but after a collision they only reached seventh place. However, 200 points are still enough to keep Farnbacher and teammate Matt McMurry in the GTD class championship lead.

“It’s a really bitter result”, said the driver from Ansbach. “The weekend was a difficult one and we had to fight extremely hard. A podium finish was nevertheless still on the cards, but losing it because of a collision is disappointing. Well, we’ve just got to write it off and make a new attack at Road Atlanta.”

Starting position for the 100-minute-race – shortest of the season – was again promising: McMurry started from third on the grid and battled forwards under fearsome conditions on a wet track to second position. Thanks to the team’s strong performance, Farnbacher left the pits to take the lead on the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

After 15 laps in the lead, a penalty, followed by a collision caused by a fellow competitor, dashed all hopes of a podium finish. The 28-year-old and his Acura NSX GT3 #86 ultimately crossed the line in seventh place.

The Ohio-based team has another chance to win points in only a few days. On 17 October, the Petit Le Mans will take place at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Acura driver Farnbacher has happy memories of the ten-hour race on the Georgia circuit, where he clinched the 2019 championship title in the GTD class with Meyer Shank Racing.

The Intercontinental GT Challenge has returned and Mario Farnbacher gets to celebrate his next podium success: Together with Renger van der Zande and Dane Cameron, the Franconian secured a third at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, which also meant clinching the first podium finish for the Team Honda Racing.

„Many thanks go to my team and my teammates. Due to everyone’s incredibly hard work, we‘re now able to celebrate this third place“, said the happy 28-year-old. „Those responsible, have done their utmost to ensure we can compete in the race and have provided us with a fantastic package. They’ve really earned this success.“

The trio in the NSX GT3 Evo #30 had already demonstrated its podium potential during Qualifying. Farnbacher‘s third in the Pole Shootout created an ideal foundation for the pending eight-hour race.

The race itself produced a lot of ups and downs. Following a penalty for a competitor, the team started from second place but after a quarter of the distance, Farnbacher was only in eighth position. „The track dried up, so we changed to slicks, but shortly afterwards rain started again, and we had to pit unexpectedly for a second time“, the Ansbach native explained.

However, the team kept its cool and fast laps combined with a clever strategy put the drivers back into the battle for first place. A technical problem dashed victory hopes just two laps short of the finish and team colleague van der Zande saw the chequered flag in third place.

„The race was a gigantic challenge. Changing weather – wet and dry, wet and dry – made it difficult to choose the correct tyres“, Farnbacher concluded. „But what’s most important is that we drove an excellent pace in all conditions and always kept up with the frontrunners. These are key criteria for Spa.“

The third of four stops for the Intercontinental GT Challenge is Belgium, where the legendary „Total 24 Hours of Spa“ is scheduled for 22 to 25 October. But before that, Farnbacher participates in the seventh IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race (9 and 10 October) at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Together with Matt McMurry and the Meyer Shank Racing team, Farnbacher aims to claim the next podium and defend his lead in the GTD class.

A tough race, close duels and an enthralling final phase: It was a real rollercoaster ride for Mario Farnbacher at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship performance in Ohio. In the end, the Franconian and teammate Matt McMurry secured a fifth place and defended their championship lead in the GTD class.

“The result is rather disappointing”, Farnbacher explains. “We were heading for the podium until an opponent touched me and I left the track. At least we were able to haul in some points with a fifth, but more would definitely have been possible.”

Meyer Shank Racing’s Qualifying second created a promising starting position for a possible fifth podium finish of the season. And the Acura NSX GT3 drivers were also on course for a top 3 for a long time.

But the end of the race saw them ranking fifth. Due to a collision with an opponent, the 28-year-old had to pit about 30 minutes from the checkered flag, but thanks to the crew’s fast work, Farnbacher didn’t lose any laps and his strong performance enabled him to make several positions good.

 “Matt delivered another great performance. However, our strategy made us poker a bit, which wasn’t ideal”, Farnbacher sums up. “I’m glad I got to cross the finish line after my involuntary ride off the track and at least that meant partially cutting our losses.”

Farnbacher and Mc Murry continue their GTD standings lead. With 176 points they lead by three points ahead of Aaron Telitz.

Next stop on the IMSA calendar is the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on 9 and 10 October. But before that, the second race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge season is scheduled for 2 to 4 October. In US Indiana, the Ansbach native will be driving for Team Honda Racing. Together with Dane Cameron and Renger van der Zande, he’ll be behind the wheel of the Honda NSX GT3 Evo.