2015 Omfattandestad Auto Race

The 2015 Omfattandestad Auto Race was a SUPRAC Cup race held on September 6, 2015 in Omfattandestad, Reykjaholar, Koana Islands. It was the fifth race of the inaugural SUPRAC Cup season, and is recognized as the first SUPRAC Cup race to take place in Koana Islands, as well as the first road course. The race was also the first time Overtime was run, following two yellow flag incidents at the end of the race, prompting extra laps to be run.

Background

The SUPRAC Cup’s fifth race of the season was a notable event as it was the inaugural race held in the Koana Islands. The race, taking place in the capital city of Omfattandestad, was also distinguished for being the season’s first road course, introducing a unique challenge to the drivers and teams.

Fred Gleeson, coming off a win from the previous weekend’s race, was positioned third in the Drivers Championship. Despite his recent success, he remained modest, attributing his victory to being “just in the right place at the right time,” rather than claiming it as a testament to his skill or strategy. His standing placed him behind the Whistler Motorsport duo of Boris Visser and Benoît Douay, who were leading the championship. In the Team Championship, Whistler Motorsport continued to hold a commanding lead, with Cubley Racing and Super Nova trailing.

Gabriel Wöstmann, a driver for Cubley Racing, faced backlash for comments made on social media regarding the local cuisine of the Koana Islands, referring to it as “dog sh*t.” The post was promptly deleted, and Wöstmann issued an apology, stating, “My words were thoughtless and not reflective of my true sentiments. I apologize to anyone I offended.”

The event also marked a significant change in the driver lineup. Ferdi Arnold began serving the first of a three-race suspension for reckless driving incurred during the last race. Stepping into his place was 17-year-old Simon van Steen (pictured), a promising young driver whose performance was eagerly anticipated. van Steen, who chose number 38 for the race, was surrounded by speculation regarding his future in the sport. Rumors suggested that he might be signing full-time with a team for the next year, with whispers in the paddock hinting at a possible placement to replace Bill Redhead at Whistler Motorsport.

Qualifying

During qualifying Charles Legrand secured his and his team’s first pole position of the season, clocking a time of 1:07.030. This achievement narrowly surpassed the effort of Berthold Mentzel from Red Bull Racing by a mere eight-thousandths of a second. The pole time translated to an average lap speed of 145.493 km/h (90.405 mph).

Contrastingly, Cubley Racing, despite holding the second spot in the Championship going into the weekend, encountered challenges during the session. The team’s highest qualifier was Gabriel Wöstmann, who only managed 13th position. This disappointing performance was further highlighted when Fred Gleeson was observed potentially impeding Boris Visser by moving down to the racing line on a cooldown lap. Tension was added to the session when Visser complained on his team radio calling Gleeson an “idiot, massive idiot”.

The day was marked by several mechanical setbacks for various drivers. Paul Collier, racing for Sovereign, missed qualification due to engine troubles experienced during practice that couldn’t be resolved in time. Similarly, Sander Bolck of WLD Racing faced tire issues, which restricted him from improving his time beyond 1:09.155. This compounded a troublesome day for WLD Racing, as teammate Sjoerd Schott also failed to qualify, despite being a significant points contributor for the team this season.

Jakob Schweitzer, representing Ember Engineering, encountered engine issues as well. However, he overcame these challenges to secure 7th place on the grid after missing the first 45 minutes of the session, marking his highest qualifying position to date.

Debutant Simon van Steen showcased his skill by placing his Team MRT car in 8th place. His teammates, Dario Heinrich and Elliot Lindvall, qualified in 19th and 32nd, respectively, displaying a varied performance within the team.

Nevertheless, the primary highlight of the qualifying session was Nick Ferriera of Adams Motorsport. The 35-year-old driver skillfully drafted behind Bill Redhead in the dying seconds of the session to secure a spot on the second row, creating a significant talking point and setting expectations high for the team.

Race

The first street race in SUPRAC Cup history was marked with Whistler Motorsport drivers Benoît Douay and Boris Visser coming together, as well as debutant Simon van Steen leading the most laps during the race. The event concluded dramatically with Blake Gilmartin’s last-lap puncture following two overtime periods, enabling Ross McRae to secure an unexpected victory from a 26th-place start for Lehmann Technik.

Race Report

After an uneventful start, an incident involving Simon van Steen and Nick Ferreira caused a bit of controversy. Van Steen, moving up from his 8th-place start, aggressively attempted to overtake Ferreira with a forceful braking move into a 90-degree right-hander for third place. Ferreira, left with no room to maneuver, clipped the outer barrier and subsequently collided with his teammate Lars Peter Wiktorsson. Both Adams Motorsport drivers had to pit for repairs. While both drivers managed to rejoin the race, Ferreira couldn’t unlap himself, ending the race as the last of the runners.

Shortly after, Jean-Pierre Jegou, in 17th and following Emerald’s Blake Gilmartin, tried a similar maneuver on Jakob Schweitzer, who had lost ten places since the race began. Inspired by Gilmartin’s hawkish approach on Schweitzer, Jegou’s attempt resulted in damage to his front fender, forcing him to pit and rejoin the race laps down. Jegou later managed to unlap himself along with Wiktorsson on Lap 49.

Rookie Simon van Steen, making an impressive debut, ascended to the race lead on Lap 29, surpassing Red Bull Racing’s Anthony Crow. However, the race’s focal point emerged on Lap 39 when Whistler Motorsport’s Boris Visser and Benoît Douay collided. Stemming from a previous qualifying altercation, the incident saw Visser squeezed into the wall by Douay for third place after a lap of wheel-to-wheel action, leading to Visser’s car being written off and the deployment of the yellow flag. Post-race, both drivers received warnings for their aggressive driving but faced no further penalties.

Under pressure after the halfway point, van Steen defended his lead against Red Bull Racing’s Austin Parkin and Berhold Mentzel. Eventually, he relinquished the lead to teammate Dario Heinrich on Lap 53 and finished in 10th place. Despite this, Team MRT’s crew chief Søren Serritslev expressed satisfaction with van Steen’s performance.

Elliot Lindvall, Fabian Schroth, Fred Gleeson, and Henrik Krook battled four-wide down the main straight for the 8th and 9th positions on Lap 60. Lindvall and Gleeson ultimately secured these spots after an intense exchange.

Hunter Davies, 22nd at the time, served a drive-through penalty for a pit lane infraction on Lap 65, while Theo Sell lost places due to stalling his engine upon exiting the pit a lap later. Concurrently, Benoît Douay, Austin Parkin, and Bill Redhead engaged in a fierce lead battle, frequently exchanging positions.

The race saw further disruptions when Dario Heinrich retired on Lap 78 due to radiator issues, leading to the deployment of the safety car. SUPRAC Cup rules necessitated extra laps as races cannot conclude under yellow flag conditions. Another safety car period ensued on Lap 81 after Martijn van Poppel, sitting 18th at the time, pulled off the track due to brake issues.

During the restart on Lap 84, Blake Gilmartin, in second place, managed to overtake Benoît Douay, pushing him to third behind Fred Gleeson. However, a dramatic final lap saw Gilmartin suffer a punctured tire after hitting a kerb, handing an unexpected victory to Ross McRae, who had started 26th. Gilmartin eventually finished 14th.

Championship Standings After the Race