Round 8 crowned the three new champions of the all-American eSport Endurance Series campaign
MUGEN Simracing in LMP2, Wave Freem eSports in LMGTE and Tomelli Racing in LMGTE AM. After a long season, we can finally celebrate the three teams which won the titles up for grabs in this year eSport Endurance Series. While Wave Freem were already champions heading into the final weekend, there has been no shortage of drama in the other two title fights, with some twists and turns that could have changed the final outcome up until the last minutes of the season.
Hyperion Esports complete comeback to win second race in a row
Second win in a row for Hyperion Esports #44
To take the chequered flag in the first place after finding yourself facing the wrong way in lap 1 is one of the best feelings in racing, and that is what happened to Hyperion Esports. After qualifying in P4, a contact at the Bus Stop in the opening stages put Patryk Szwajkowski at the back of the field. The Polish simdriver did not give up and started its charge through the field. New addition to #44, Tomasz Wach, completed the job started by his teammate bringing the car home in P1, with a little help from other LMP2 front-runners struggling.
P3 and P4: ARMS Cyrba end on a high a positive season
ARMS Cyrba #41 were fastest in qualifying, but quickly fell down through the field, as Wave Freem and MUGEN put their wheels ahead of the car which started on pole. An unlucky contact with wild card Les Cass Cou #94 put a final stop to their ambitions for the win of the race and of the championship, having to settle for a P4, right behind their sister car #42. Wave Freem eSports finished tied for points with ARMS Cyrba #41 with the 28 points granted by P2.
MUGEN Simracing are the LMP2 champions
MUGEN Simracing finished in P5 and that was enough to claim the LMP2 title. Roland Szucs and Zoltan Varkonyi had a comfortable margin coming into the final round, but they still had to deliver regardless. And they did, even though they had to overcome a scary moment. While he was leading, Szucs suffered from a screen freeze with just 26 minutes left on the clock that sent his car into the wall. A forced pit stop for repairs made them lose the lead of the race, but not of the championship. In their debut season in the eSport Endurance Series, MUGEN Simracing are the LMP2 champions!
Wave Freem GTE entries end season on parade
Wave Freem #126 won the final round and secured P2 in the standings
With the red flag in Road Atlanta, Wave Freem #99 had already their title granted, but regardless of this they wanted to end the season on a high in Watkins Glen. But it was the sister car, #126, to steal the scene in every way. After qualifying in P2, right behind wild card Satellite #64 driven by Nello Pastorino, Christian Malghera immediately took the lead and never looked back. Lorenzo Arisi, racing on the #126 in Watkins Glen to secure the P2 in the standings, and Andrea Bettini drove brilliantly in their stints, up until the final lap.
A look at the LMGTE field
A slight tap to the wall on the right flipped the car, which found itself wallriding the guardrail in an awkward way. Luckily for them, the LMP2 leader already cut the start/finish line with the MUGEN GTE crew right behind. Bettini had all the time in the world to cruise the heavily damaged car to the chequered flag, taking the win. MUGEN Simracing finished in P2, while Wave Freem #99 had to settle for P5 following some connection issues suffered by Gianluca Scalvini during his stints. P3 and P4 in the overall standings were occupied by two AM cars, Tomelli RT and MR Motorsport.
GTE AM title fight goes down to the wire, with Tomelli coming out on top
The three teams in contention for the LMGTE AM title
A nail-biting fight all season long, that came down to the final laps in Watkins Glen. In the end, it was Tomelli RT coming out on top of the new LMGTE AM class, ahead of MR Motorsport and Carloni Racing Red. For the Carloni crew, leading the championship coming into the final round, things complicated already in the early stages of the race. Giardinetto suffered from connection issues, who forced him to perform a driver swap, handing back the car to his teammates. While he was heading into the pits, he started to suffer from multiple disconnections, losing precious time and laps.
With the championship leading car not having the control of the situation anymore, the fight between MR Motorsport and Tomelli RT had the latter in a position of power, thanks to the 4 points-advantage in the standings. In the end, Nicola Beoni, Andrea Gandossi and Nicola Pagani put the icing on the cake, claiming the win in the final round and in the championship.
See you all in Season 5!
It has been a long season, gifting us plenty of track action and fights, but our American adventure has come to an end. Following some much needed rest in the summer, we will be back with another season of endurance and we hope to see you all again in September! We will be coming back to a more traditional schedule, with the return of iconic tracks such as Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans. Sebring, VIR and Watkins Glen will stay, with Dubai, Imola and Istanbul joining the calendar. We cannot wait to reveal more of what is coming up in the next few weeks! Join us on Discord to stay up to date: we have also launched a poll to hear from you about class preferences for the next season of racing.