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29.4.2012 - César Campaniço and Mikko Eskelinen ended at the fifth place after troubled race in second round of Spanish GT in Portugal

On the second race of the first double journey of the IBER GT Spanish Championship, Manuel Gião/Carlos Vieira ended the race at the same place as yesterday result. Taking the departure at the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS Ultra with the colors of Vodafone, Pocargil, Sanitana, Familitex, Teatro Club and m Look, Manuel Gião caught ahead a treacherous track, and a group of tough drivers who made is race more challenging.

After that challenge, a new one emerges when begins to rain with intensity. A decision is necessary; stay with slicks or change for wet tires? Gião decided stay in slicks and that was the right decision. Placed in the second place, Manuel Gião hand over the Audi R8 LMS, with the colours of Sanitana and Vodafone, to Carlos Vieira. This one contented himself with carrying out his stint without committing mistakes.

Less luck had César Campaniço and Mikko Eskelinen. The Finnish was at the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS Ultra with the colors of the Banco Sol, Mad-Croc, SIVA and Katsastus, at the start of the race, becoming involved in the usual skirmishes in the middle of the pack. When the rain began to fall, Eskelinen preferred to stop for wet tires, a less correct decision because the track finished by drying and César Campaniço, who took the place of Mikko Eskalinen in the final stint, was forced to a new stopping for tires. From this moment, César Campaniço contented himself and just take the Audi R8 LMS up to end.

The conjugation of results obtained in the end of this first double journey, puts the Audi R8 LMS of Manuel Gião and Carlos Vieira at the second place of the championship and the other car of the team, with César Campaniço and Mikko Eskelinen, is at the third place.

César Campaniço – "The race beginning was in charge of Mikko Eskelinen and everything ran badly, since it began to rain and we decide to change for rain tires, which revealed itself a mistake. The Mikko did an excellent work, when is handed over the Audi R8 LMS of Team Novadriver with the colors of Banco Sol without problems. However, I would return to the pits to change for slicks and with that I lose lots of time and I could do better than the 5th place."

Mikko Eskelinen – "Was a complicated start and everything was worse with the rain. We decide to exchange tires, but it was a mistake and we lost to much time. After that my only think was take the car to the end and handed the Audi R8 LMS with the colors of Mad Croc and Katsastus to César in the best conditions. Even so, I put under my belt some more miles that are very important to improve my driving. And, at the end, we achieved a very reasonable fifth place."

Classificação final 2ªCorrida
1. Jose C. Teixeira & Patrick Pereira da Cunha, Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+
2. Manuel Gaio & Carlos Vieira, Team Nova Driver Audi R8 LMS Ultra
3. Antonio Nogueira, Porsche 997 GT3 R
4. Antonio Colmbra & Luis Silva, McLaren MP4-12C GT3
5. Mikko Eskelinen & Cesar Campanico, Team Nova Driver Audi R8 LMS Ultra
6. Jorge A. Silva de Quelroz & Pepe, Lamborghini Gallardp LP600+

28.4.2012 - Team Novadriver took the two Audi R8 LMS to second and third places

In the end of a difficult race due to the rain that fell in the hour of the start, making enter on trace the "safety car", the Team Novadriver and his drivers couldn't be more satisfied. Manuel Gião and Carlos Vieira driving the Audi R8 LMS Ultra with the colors of the Vodafone, Pocargil, Sanitana, Familitex, Teatro Club and m Look, finished at the second place the race devoted to the IBER GT championship. In the second Audi R8 LMS Ultra with the colors of the Banco Sol, Mad-Croc, SIVA and Katsastus, César Campaniço and Mikko Eskalinen, occupied the lowest place of the podium.

If the race began with wet track, in the middle the track dry and forced the necessity of exchanging the wet Dunlop tires for tires for dry track. Prohibited by the regulation during the refueling and drivers exchange, the change for slick tires must be do it a couple of laps later, with the natural loss of time in the pits and on the laps did with completely degraded rain tires.

That finished by being damaging for both Audi R8 LMS of Team Novadriver, which were far away from the winner of the race, when this one ignored this prohibition who leads to a simple drive thru. The advantage obtained with the immediate use of the slicks was such that made this penalty harmless.

In the end of the day, the first race of IBER GT Championship for Team Novadriver ended with both cars in second and thirdly places, giving hopes for a major result in tomorrow's race.

César Campaniço – "The departure after the 'safety car' pull out to the pits, was chaotic, with many drivers off track right in front of me. I managed to avoid all the traps of the track and then found a Ferrari with a good rhythm and finished by doing almost the whole s my stint behind him. I managed to reach the first place between the contestants of the IBER GT, handing over the Audi R8 LMS of Team Novadriver with the colors of the Banco Sol to Mikko Eskelinen in this position. The third place is nice and very good for the championship."

Mikko Eskelinen – "César Campaniço did a brilliant work and handed the car to me in excellent condition. The first laps were terrible with the rain tires and everything goes worst when I changed for the slicks. Some parts were still wetted and until the rubber reached the ideal temperature I preferred to be cautious. Then I managed to take the Audi R8 LMS of Team Novadriver with the colors of Mad Croc and Katsastus up to the end, with much tranquility after the guys from pits told me that I have a good advantage on the remainders. At the end of the day, we finished the race at the third place, a good result looking to all the problems we faced."

Images from Spanish GT Algarve, Portimao (Portugal)