​Thrills at Brands Hatch in GT World Challenge Sprint Cup

The Vale-based Steller Motorsport team were at the former Grand Prix track to make their debut in the GT World Challenge Sprint Cup, Matisse Lismont and Jesse Salmenautio driving their number 24 Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

Having made their GT World Challenge debut at Paul Ricard in an Endurance Cup race in April, the British Sprint Cup event granted the Vale-based Steller team the chance to race their US-built Corvette on home soil for the first time.

The event's opening day on Saturday provided the Steller crew with the opportunity to test their car around the demanding 2.6-mile Kentish track prior to qualification, with races taking place on Sunday. The opening 60-minute exchange saw the Lismont and Salmenautio driven car finish in 26th position overall, before improving to be classified 23rd in race two.

Overall victories went to the AF Corse Francorchamps Garages-entered Ferrari 296 GT3 of Alessio Rovera and Vincent Abril in race one, and the Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 of Lucas Auer and Maro Engel in race two.

Speaking afterwards, Max Daymond, team manager of Steller Motorsport, said, “This was a learning weekend for the team, and the most important thing was to gain experience for the future races.

“This was our first GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup event and we wanted to perform well with the new Corvette. We have a busy schedule coming up with a test at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and races at Zandvoort in Holland, and so to leave Brands Hatch with no damage to the car was important and also good for us as a team. We can be satisfied with the weekend at Brands Hatch as we continue to develop the Corvette for the rest of the season."

Matisse Lismont commented: “I enjoyed driving at Brands Hatch, the track has an old school feel to it, very unlike the modern tracks of today, and is great fun to drive.”

*Aylesbury's Lee Rance was at Mallory Park on Monday to contest races at the track's East Midland Racing Association event with his Aprilia motorcycle.

A winner at Mallory last season, Rance was on-track in Open and Rookie classified races at the Leicestershire lakeside venue.