Summarize

Giordano Lupini delivered a dominant performance to wrap up his 2019 GTi Challenge Class C championship with a superb double win in the season finale at Killarney on Saturday. Lupini bounced back from a troubled qualifying, moving up from 17th on the grid to sixth overall and the Class C win in the opening sprint race, before sharing his La Vie de Luc/Accelerate Special Gasoline/CIR Constriction Golf to fourth and another Class C win with veteran driver Ebrahim Levy in the one-hour endurance race.

“What a brilliant weekend!” Giordano admitted. “A double win with the fastest lap was the perfect way to end the season after a difficult few races, but that first race win was enough to wrap my class championship. “My La Vie de Luc/Accelerate Special Gasoline/CIR Constriction Golf ran like a train once we sorted the issue that slowed me in qualifying and I really enjoyed coming through the field like that — I think I wrapped it up with my best drive of the season to be honest and that also made the endurance race a pleasure for Ebrahim and me.

“For a while it even seemed that the near impossible odds on an overall title were on. “For that to happen, I had to win Class C and Class B champion Eden Thompson had to retire — Eden hit trouble and fell out of contention at mid distance and we were leading, but somehow he dragged the car to the finish to take it by a few points, so well done to Eden and Class A champion Nian du Toit too and thanks to Ebrahim for bringing it home in style!”

While Giordano was dominant in Class C, it was not an easy year for the Franschhoek lad. “We started brilliantly with a double win, but a stub axle broke in testing the day before the second meeting and I rolled the car six times. “We had to acquire a new car and prepare it overnight, so I was delighted to put it on pole position and win both races and it went quite well from there — bar a few penalties, we won most of the races until  the August race.

“Then we had another failure and another big accident in the second heat that weekend and we had to rebuild the car completely before the next round. “Somehow we managed to put the untested car on pole again and took the opening race, but we had an engine failure in race 2. “That all meant I had to beat Jarred Simpson who was always there to pick up the pieces in the sprint race today, but I was made to work for it!

“The car was brilliant in the races — I fought back to win the opening race and the endurance race was easy, so two Class C wins, fourth overall in the 1-hour and third overall for the day and it was also great to beat the Class B cars again too! “For the rest, what can I say - we worked so hard for this title — the Class C Brat Pack is super competitive and I am proud of my achievements this year and I will always treasure my twelve wins from 18 starts, nine pole positions, eleven fastest laps and a few records too.

“I must thank my dad for always having my back, to Gozzi at GAP Motorsport for all the effort and late nights to drag a car onto the grid every time, to Paul and acciDent Guru for their great effort too and to all my family, friends and supporters. Of course to my sponsors — Christian from La Vie de Luc, Jeff from CiR and SA Oil for that splendid Accelerate Special Gasoline — without you guys, none of this would be possible.

“Now to the future — we have some interesting plans that we hope to make happen, but whatever happens, we will be out there fighting to win again in 2020 — watch this space!”