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.
