Grand Prix Turn Racing iRacing Series Race Preview: Red Bull Ring

The 2023 Grand Prix Turn Racing iRacing Series season is down to three remaining races, the next of which takes place on Thursday at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. 26 of the top ranked open-wheel drivers have their Dallara iR-01s primed for a return trip to the track formerly known as the Österreichring, one of the few venues from the inaugural 2021 season.

Fresh off of a thumb-raising victory at Fuji Speedway a week ago, Przemyslaw Marek Lemanek will look to make his championship lead even greater as races continue to tick off of the calendar. Be sure to tune in to the action starting at 19:00 GMT (3PM ET) with the event streaming live across iRacing social media channels.

Last Race: After winning at Silverstone in the fourth week of the season, Drago Racing’s Przemyslaw Marek Lemanek managed to jump to the top of the points with no signs of letting go. Now, after winning for a second time on the season at Fuji, he’s become the favorite for the title, leading by a margin of 16 points over Arnage Competition’s David Toth, the Fuji runner-up. BS+ Competition’s Jarl Teien fell down to third in points after finishing in fourth, now sitting 21 points behind. The rest of the drivers sit more than a full race’s worth of points behind and will need to step on it in Austria to have a chance.

Last Season: The last battle at the circuit in Spielberg, Austria was a decisive one in the fight for the 2021 title. For the four races prior to the Red Bull Ring, Maarten Van Loozenoord went on a tear, winning all four in a row to take the championship lead. Peter Berryman managed to keep it close throughout, and in the eighth race of the season, Van Loozenoord stumbled to a poor finish around the Red Bull Ring. That allowed Berryman to pounce; he took the win, and eventually went on to claim the championship two races later.

Track Facts: Formerly known as both the Österreichring and the A1-Ring, Austria’s Red Bull Ring originally opened in 1969, but its current form as a 10-turn, 2.683-mile course dates back to 2008 when the track was reconstructed. The venue hosts multiple top-level motorsport events, including the Austrian Grand Prix on the Formula 1 calendar. 

Next Up: Next week, the second and final oval race on the 2023 schedule will take place at the triangular Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA. Earlier this season, privateer Florian Lebigre scored the inaugural oval race of the series at Texas Motor Speedway, and while the racing will still be different than what these road ringers are used to, it will also be a completely different challenge than anything else they’ve done to this point. Wave Italy Racing Team’s Pablo Espes and Super’s Xavi Ros both competed in the GP Turn Racing Qualifying Series race en route to becoming eligible for the top level series, and both scored podium finishes at the Tricky Triangle.

For more information on the Grand Prix Turn Racing iRacing Series, visit www.iracing.com/irgp. For more information on Turn Racing, visit www.turnracing.com. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

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