The load which was taken of the minds of all the Pinta Racing team members after the 35th RCM DMV Grenzlandrennens was incredible. When Robert Renauer took the chequered flag in the white-green Porsche 997 GT3R after 4 hours and 9 minutes race time, the team was highly delighted and very much relieved, having scored fourth position overall. “I would also have been happy with tenth place”, said team manger Michael Illbruck with a big smile.
After their fifth place at the opening round, Pinta Racing had suffered several accidents in the next races. “It was very important that we just continued to proceed as usual”, explained Illbruck after their current success. The performance in the team was perfect and the experienced sailing sportsman was aware that their focussed work would be crowned with success. Hereby, the sixth VLN race was not going to be just a walk in the park for the Pinta team.
Under the changing conditions in qualifying, it was not at all easy to find the perfect moment to go out on the track. Due to the conditions, the time window to set really fast lap times was absolutely small. Pinta succeeded almost perfectly with the Porsche and Renauer finished into position seven on the grid. “We could have finished on an even better position but only in taking a greater risk”, said the 27 years old race driver who knew that the start position was not too decisive for a 4 hour race.
As in the previous races, Illbruck was the start driver. “I always try to first of all find my own rhythm”, he said, knowing that the team manager would thus loose a few position. At the end of his first stint, he had however moved up into the top 10. “I am absolutely happy, yet I need to improve my lap times a little,” was his self-critical comment. At this moment, he would never have thought that they were able to celebrate a 4th overall position just three hours later.
Both Renauer and Illbruck enjoyed the fans with constantly fast lap times and without taking any risks. Excitement then came up in the penultimate lap. Whilst the Pinta Porsche and the car of the team Frikadelli Racing crossed the finish line with a gap of about 15 seconds, the Mercedes SLS of Rowe Racing had to come to the pits for refuelling. After their safe position in the top ten, Pinta Racing all of a sudden was fifth. Looking onto the classification and the times, it became clear that they could even do better. At the end of the Döttinger Höhe, Renauer then passed the Frikadelli Porsche and started the last lap in fourth position. The nerves of all team members in the pits were heightened during the following eight and a half minutes. Only when the Pinta Porsche took the chequered flag, the tension changed to a great feeling of relief.
“My father used to say, if you want to win, you must also be prepared to loose”, said Illbruck for whom this fourth place was just like an overall win. Pinta Racing will now try to follow up their performance at the 6 Hour Race in two weeks time and finish in the top 10 of the VLN race again.
