This year, the team Car Collection Motorsport from Walluf, near Wiesbaden, has a mammoth program behind it. They were represented in 6 series, the ADAC GT Masters, the Blancpain GT Series, the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, the 24H GT Series, the VLN Endurance Championship, the ADAC Zurich 24H Nürburgring and the DMV-GTC and started like the ADAC Zurich 24H races still in various single races.
But this task solved the team around Peter Schmidt very successful. In the 24H GT Series, the Audi R8 LMS #34 took second place in the European Championship. Also in the drivers‘ classification, the silver rank with Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff, Elmar Grimm and Ingo Vogler. On the other hand, Max Edelhoff won the title as best junior for the third time in a row. Now the team is off to the HANKOOK 24H COTA Austin this week. With the Audi R8 LMS #34 they travel as the leader of the Intercontinental Chaapionship to the States. In Silverstone and Navarra they could win the class and in all other races they stood at least on the podium. The class win in the first edition last year also inspires the team. The signs are very good.
In the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany this year, a new entry was made. With Toni Wolf, Car Collection Motorsport committed a young talent, which completed a few guest starts last year. Again, the first season was very successful. Wolf scored in almost every race and could already fight for podium finishes at the end of the first year. In the end, Toni Wolf achieved an outstanding 5th place in the drivers‘ championship. Next year, the team plan to start again with 2 to 3 cars in one of the strongest one-make cups in the world.
But on their home track, the Nürburgring Nordschleife, they were good on the way also. The endurance highlight, the ADAC Zurich 24H race, they also won the PRO-AM class. The special highlight followed with VLN #8, as the first team ever to be able to use the new evolution of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 for the year 2019. With place 2 in qualifying and place 5 in the race, Peter Schmidt and his team were very satisfied.
Now winter is on and here they have their hands full. Next week the team will go to the United States for the HANKOOK 24H COTA Austin. Furthermore, Dimitri Parhofer will be driving an Audi R8 LMS GT3 in four races of the new Gulf Sportscar Championship. It starts at the 2nd championship round on December 7th in Dubai. Only a week later, two Audi R8 LMS GT3 cars will be entered in the 12H Abu Dhabi. The #33 is driven by Dirg Parhofer, Ali Çapan, Peter Schmidt and Isaac Tutumlu Lopez. Dimitri Parhofer is back in the sister car and is supported by Audi Sport customer racing drivers Christopher Haase and Markus Winkelhock. At the HANKOOK 24H Dubai in January, the team from Hesse is planning with three Audi R8 LMS GT3s.
Peter Schmidt: „We are very happy with the year 2018 and would like to increase the whole thing again in 2019. At the moment we are working on a similar program which should include the ADAC GT Masters or the Blancpain GT Series, the ADAC GT4 Germany, the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, the VLN, the 24H GT Series and the DMV-GTC. We are also already planning with the highlight of the year, the 24H race in the Green Hell. We are in many good talks. If anyone else is interested in any of these programs, they are welcome to contact us. “
For the races of the Gulf Sportscar Championship as well as for the HANKOOK 24H Dubai, Car Collection Motorsport also offers driver seats on the Audi R8 LMS GT3. Interested parties are welcome to contact us via email at info@carcollection.de.
But they are no longer just on the real racetracks of the world. From now on the team are a partner of the virtual racing team Ace Pistons VRT by CarCollection. Divided into three teams, Jens Althaus, Fabian Hari, Daniel Kantner, Thomas Gerhardt, Marcel Paulick and Julius Braun start in the VRS GT Endurance Series. The 3-hour races are driven in the simulation iRacing. In the current 4th season in 2018, Jens Althaus and Fabian Hari are in fourth place in the team ranking. In 2019, single races such as the 24H Spa, the 24H Nürburgring or the 24H of Le Mans are planned in addition to the championships.
