Roosens is monarch of ‘The Glen’!
Apex Racing League GT Trophy – R4 Watkins Glen – iRacing
Wonderful Watkins Glen welcomed the iRacing Apex Racing League GT Trophy paddock for the fourth round of a hotly contested championship. Despite not enjoying the outright pace, defending champion Gaetan Anger has remained on top by maximising his potential in each of the three rounds so far. A 100% podium record and a win at Hockenheim confirms the French star’s position at the top of the standings.
Since the green flag at Monza, championship newcomers Valkyrie Esports have set the gold standard pace. Both Kenny Roosens and Amaury Bonduel have one win apiece, yet trail Anger in the points. A succession of frustrating incidents have thwarted the Belgian pair and leave work to do heading into round four at Watkins Glen.
After three rounds across a variety of circuits, drivers in the ARL GT Trophy have been given an option to switch machinery if they wish. Alongside the existing suite of rumbling Mercedes, howling Lamborghinis and roaring Audis, a new challenger has been added to the menu of GT3 machinery. Porsche’s 911 GT3 R has been a staple of GT3 competition since its inception. Porsche even uses the GT3 designation for its limited run, track focused 911. Across many blue riband enduros at Spa, Bathurst, Nurburgring and more, the Porsche 911 GT3 R has won them all. Now replicated in fine detail on the iRacing simulator, who would choose the Weissach built masterpiece to take on the rest of the ARL GT Trophy season?
Sticking with his trusty BMW M4 GT3, Kenny Roosens blasted to pole position. Joining Roosens at the front of the field, were Core Sim Racing aces, Sven Neumann and Pascal Stix. After three tricky rounds in the Audi R8 GT3 LMS, the Core squad switched to the Bavarian marque in an attempt to match Roosens.
Straight from the off, Roosens was in imperious form. Throughout the opening quarter of the race, stiff pressure from Sven Neumann did little to upset the Valkyrie Esports man. Furthermore, Roosens had support on the way from his Valkyrie comrade, Amaury Bonduel.
While Bonduel sparred with Neumann and Stix, Roosens dropped the hammer and escaped. Sven Neumann continued to keep touch with Bonduel in second place. Stix, however, faded back into the clutches of Luke McKeown. Running side by side into the bus stop Stix’s BMW clashed with McKeown’s Lamborghini, sending both into the gravel.
After thirty-five minutes of flawless running, Roosens dashed to pit lane to top up with fuel. Emerging with his comfortable lead intact, Roosens sped to a second win of the season. It would now be a battle for second place. Heading into the stops, Bonduel enjoyed a slight cushion over Neumann. However, Neumann had a pair of aces up his sleeve. Stretching his BMW’s tank further, Neumann pitted two laps later than his Belgian rival. Furthermore, Neumann had also kept pace at the front, whilst using less fuel. When Neumann came to pit road, two seconds less at the pumps allowed the Core Sim Racing star to leapfrog Bonduel for second place.
Despite qualifying outside of the top ten, Gaetan Anger proved once again that he will be a tough nut to crack. Patiently picking his way through the field, the defending champion ascended to fourth place by the flag. Thus, cementing his position at the top of the championship.
Rapid Spaniard, Juan Manuel Calleja, vaulted back into AM class championship contention by finish top of the class in twenty-first place.
On the 22nd of June, the Apex Racing League GT Trophy heads to the jaw dropping Styrian hills and the Red Bull Ring for round five of the season. Enjoy live coverage on Apex Racing TV at 7pm GMT.
