Round 2 of the 2017 International GT Series saw a
return to Amelia Island, FL for the second annual
event on the historic Fernandina Beach airport.
The temporary course offered the competitors a
unique challenge resulting in intense yet fun racing.
Current Maranello Cup champion, Steve Hill, joined
his fellow Norwood Auto Italia teammates, Barry
Fromberg and Colin Cohen in visiting the Amelia
Island event for the first time. After a strong run in
Sebring during the first round of the championship, Hill
continued in his winning ways racing his Ferrari458 to
victory in all three sprint races and partnering with
Jason Hart to win the enduro.
Great racing across the
classes for overall positions with Barry Fromberg in
his F458 , Jeffrey Freeman in his Porsche GT 3.8,
John Mauro driving a Porsche GT 3.6 and Colin
Cohen in a F458. There was an ongoing and hard
fought battle between John Higgins driving his
Porsche GT 3.6, Howard Cherry also in a GT 3.6,
Wayne Wilkerson in his GT 3.6 and Bill Riddell
racing a Cayman 3.4, challenging each other to stay in
the top 10 overall.
Last year’s overall winner Mac
McGahee driving his Porsche GT 3.8 had a tough
weekend while chasing a couple mechanical issues.
All three 2016 champions swept their respective
categories at Amelia Island with John Mauro
extending his points lead in the Mission Foods GT3
Cup, while Bill Riddell won all three Stuttgart Cup –
Cayman sprint races and teamed up with Larry Ligas
to take the 60-minute enduro victory.
Jeffrey
Freeman returned to International GT competition
after a very successful run at Sebring earlier this
month gaining valuable championship points in the
Mission Foods GT3 Cup Trophy 3.8 class and setting
lap times to rival the fastest cars in the other classes.
The International GT podium celebrated with Martini
and Rossi Champagne as a tribute to series marketing
partner BRM Chronographs introduction of their
Martini tribute watch. This beautiful watch features
the colors of the classic racing sponsor. The limited
edition watch is available at www.brm-
manufacture.com
Next upon the International GT
calendar, Road America, May 18-20
The event kicked off on Wednesday with several International GT and SVRA competitors driving through historic downtown Amelia Island and showing off their unique racing machines to locals and avid auto enthusiasts.
You might be thinking…what’s it really like to race on a temporary airport circuit?
Reigning Maranello Cup Champion, Steve Hill talks
about his first visit to the Amelia Island Grand Prix.
"I had relatively low expectations about the Amelia
Island track and forthcoming weekend experience
when I arrived for testing Thursday AM. I thought that
the 'makeshift' airport track, including hay bales
chicanes, would be elementary. However, each lap of
the track and time with International GT competitors
made me think very differently. The track and field of
competition made for exciting racing and tests of self
discipline to improve lap times. The hay bales gave
character to driving errors, and the track configuration
made the course, including the chicanes, challenging
in a way that was anything but elementary! My
impression of the event, as well as those of the other
drivers on the Norwood Auto Italia team, was turned
180 degrees by Sunday. In fact, we thought the
weekend was one of the more enjoyable race
weekends in years. Bravo to SVRA and International
GT for the ‘surprise party’.”