Blancpain Endurance Series Round 5: Nurburgring & 2016 Endurance Cup champions

The final race of the 2016 Blancpain Endurance Series, was a three hour event at the legendary Nurburgring, and was run in that format as opposed to last year's finale that was a 1,000 kilometer endurance event.  The winner of the race was the #16 Grasser Racing GRT Lamborghini Huracan GT3 was the winning car, shared by Mirko Bortolotti of Italy, German racer, Christian Engelhart, and Switzerland's Rolf Ineichen.  The Pro-Am division was won by a trio of German drivers racing for Black Pearl Racing in their #66 Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 (a year old car).  The drivers were Daniel Keilwitz, Blancpain series veteran Alexander Mattschull, and Steve Parrow. 

In the Am division (strictly for gentleman drivers, as the name implies), the race winners in the Eiffel Mountains were AKKA ASP with a trio of Frenchmen piloting their #87 Mercedes AMG GT3.  Jean-Luc Beaubelique, Maurice Ricci, and Gilles Vannelet.  Once again, your winners.

Overall/Pro: #16 Bortolotti/Engelhart/Ineichen     Lamborghini Huracan GT3

            Pro Am: #66 Keilwitz/Mattschull/Parrow   Ferrari 458 Italia

            Am: #87 Beaubelique/Ricci/Vannelet         Mercedes AMG GT3

In the championship itself, Garage 59 McLaren wins the overall trophy, with Shane van Gisbergen, and Rob Bell, who also had Frenchman Come Ledogar team with them for some races.  Congratulations, Garage 59!

Overall Champions: #59 Shane van Gisbergen & Rob Bell     Garage 59 McLaren 650S GT3

Kessel Racing and Ferrari win the Pro Am Cup, again, with an Italian trio driving their #11 Ferrari 488 GT3.  The new turbocharged Ferrari was driven to the championship by Alessandro Bonacini and Andrea Rizzoli, with their third driver, Michal Bronazewski, from Poland. 

Pro Am Champions: #11 Bonacini/Rizoli/Bronazewski     Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GT3

In the Am Cup, honors went to another Kessel Racing Ferrari 458 Italia.  Car #888 was shared throughout the season by Aussie Liam Talbot, Italy's Marco Zannutini, and Russia's Vadim Gitlin. 

Am Champions: #888 Talbot/Zannutini/Gitlin     Kessel Racing Ferrari 458 Italia

So, overall honors to Garage 59 and Pro Am/Am honors both to Kessel Racing.  Congratulations to the 2016 Blancpain Endurance Series champions!  Celebrate!  You earned it.  We'll see you for more Blancpain Endurance Series in 2017.  So long for now, everyone.