50 GT3 cars with a total of 150 drivers, all representing the elite of GT racing, took part in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS at the Nürburgring last weekend, from 26 to 28 July. The team from Kirchberg near Mattighofen was also on the grid, led by team manager Peter Reicher.

“The Eastalent Racing team is ready to take the next step. If I’m mistaken, we must continue to work on it. If not, I’ll seriously consider entering the GT World Challenge in the 2025 season. It’s important to know where your own limits lie,” explained team owner Peter Reicher, adding: “We were able to choose start number 84, a number that corresponds to the age of my father and Simon’s grandfather. It will certainly bring us luck.”

While the weather was still kind to the team during setup on Thursday, from Friday morning to Saturday night the Eifel region showed its typical face: grey skies, low-hanging clouds, and plenty of rain.

The regulations of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS stipulate three drivers per GT car. Representing the Eastalent team were Polish driver Karol Basz, Spaniard Albert Costa Balboa, and Austrian Simon Reicher. Each of the three drivers completes a qualifying lap. The combined average time determines the starting position for the three-hour endurance race. Just in time for the qualifying sessions on Sunday morning, the sun came out, and all drivers were able to complete their laps in dry conditions. However, when 50 GT3 cars share the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, finding a clear lap is difficult. Luck favours those who find a gap without incidents. Unfortunately, none of the three Eastalent Racing drivers managed that, resulting in 25th place on the grid.

“It’s a pity—there was more potential, but that’s racing. A little bit of luck is always part of it,” team owner Peter Reicher commented on qualifying.

The race on Sunday afternoon brought mixed fortunes. Starting driver Simon Reicher did a solid job, staying out of early battles and placing the Audi R8 LMS evo II in 21st position. In the past, pit stops have been a strength of the team, often allowing them to gain positions. However, neither the driver change from Reicher to Karol Basz, nor the change from Basz to Albert Costa Balboa, led to any advantages this time. All three drivers showed strong pace throughout, but ultimately, Albert Costa Balboa brought the car home in 26th place.

Team boss Peter Reicher reflected on the team’s test run at the Nürburgring:
“First of all, I realised that we can hold our own in this series and are not just bringing up the rear. Overall, we still need to improve a few small things. We were handed a 15-second penalty at the first fuel stop because we were two seconds too quick. All in all, we could have achieved our goal of finishing in the top 20. Still, we’ve gained a good first impression. We’ll wait and see how things develop. Regardless, this is an incredibly strong series. Everyone in the top 15 knows how to drive a race car.”

“The weekend started well with the free practice sessions. We were able to show that we had the pace. But to put everything together in qualifying and the race is a whole different challenge in the GT World Challenge. We had to learn a lot during the race and ultimately only lost out due to our own mistakes. A finish around 18th to 20th place would have been realistic. We could have met our own expectations. But a few more things needed to come together. Considering it was our debut in the Formula 1 of GT3 racing, we can be extremely proud of ourselves. Now it’s time to do our homework,” Simon Reicher said after the finish.

After a short summer break, the Austrians will return for their home race in the GT Open at the Red Bull Ring. The event will take place from 13 to 15 September.

Text: www.kartnet.de / Michael Schulz
Photo: www.kartpress.de / Michael Schulz

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