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Zandvoort BSS: Buhk and Abril take Blancpain Sprint title with win

Maximilian Buhk and Vincent Abril became the 2015 Blancpain Sprint champions with victory in Zandvoort Championship Race.

#84 Bentley Team HTP Bentley Continental GT3: Maximilian Buhk, Vincent Abril

#84 Bentley Team HTP Bentley Continental GT3: Maximilian Buhk, Vincent Abril

Vision Sport Agency

Taking over from Abril after the pits, Buhk had to keep the charging Robin Frijns at bay for the last 15 minutes to claim a second feature win for the #84 Team HTP Bentley Continental.

The race kicked off with a crash between Atila Abreu and Niko Mayr-Melnhof on the main straight, which caused both to retire and the second BMW Brasil car of Caca Bueno taking avoiding action and sustaining damage.

One lap later, the racing resumed amid confusion, with Marco Bonanomi reacting to the restart quicker than the rest and taking the lead from Abril, followed by Frederic Vervisch and Christopher Mies, who made his way up from 14th in the title contending #1 WRT Audi R8.

Bonanomi was unable to pull away from Abril, the Bentley hassling the Italian with Vervisch and Mies also closely following.

Abril took the lead with a precise move on the outside of Turn 1 on lap five, and he built a lead of 2.5s by the time he crossed the line next time around, despite the WRT duo quickly following him past Bonanomi’s ISR Audi.

Abril stretched his advantage to 4.5s when Mies went past Vervisch along the straight, but the German could not edge any closer before the mandatory stops.

Once the window was open, both title contenders pitted, with the #1 Audi halving the gap as Frijns took over from Mies.

The Dutchman shaved another second off Buhk’s lead over the next few laps and the difference was merely a second with Nicki Thiim, taking over from Vervisch, not far behind.

But despite Frijns’ best efforts, Buhk did not crack under pressure and crossed the finish line first to seal the title, although Frijns could take consolation with overall Blancpain GT honours.

Thiim took third, with Filip Salaquarda holding on to claim fourth for himself and Bonanomi with Stephane Ortelli and Stephane Richelmi settling for fifth.

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Edition

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