Malenfant Sets The Benchmark Time to Close Bahrain Test

Carson Speedworks driver Jacques Malenfant ran the quickest laptime recorded during the two days to conclude the GT Super Series Pre-Season Test at the Bahrain International Circuit.

In the session designated for Qualifying Runs, Malenfant would set a time that was three and a half tenths clear of the time set by Nathan McKane in the same session yesterday. He was not the only one to surpass the top time that was set yesterday, as Antonio Fazio also put in the time in the final session of the test that was well clear of the Ravenwest Owner/Driver. But while the pair were quicker than the former Formula 1 driver in that session alone, McKane set the quickest time out of everyone in the sessions designated for runs in Race Trim; the factory Lamborghini driver being less than a hundredth of a second away from the factory Aston Martin Driver, topping the Race Trim session on Day 2 in the process.

McKane’s driving partner, Andrej Kremnicky, put in the third quickest time overall from the Day 2 runners, and was the last driver to dip into the One minute, Forty-Nine second barrier on the day. He was also the last driver to dip into the One minute, Fifty second barrier during the Race Trim Session, putting in the fourth quickest time in that session. Closing out the pack of Factory teams at the front of the times before the quickest Independent runner was the other Solvalou Lamborghini in Morgan Le Fay,  Oliver Jones in the second Carson Speedworks Corvette, Felix Horvath putting in the quickest time of the weekend for the Pagani operation.

Leading the way for the Independent cars was Joel Melrose, resulting in both drivers from the Number 55 Tom Douglas Saleen S7-R having the best times in their respective days of testing within the Independent Class. Melrose and James Douglas put in times that were half a tenth of a second apart during each of their Qualifying Runs. Ending up second in class were a similar entry as well, with David Simmons putting the Oliver Motorsport Lamborghini second in the times with his best time in the Race Trim session giving him the sixth quickest time from Day 2. Peter Oliver put their Murciealago R-GT second in class in the times on Day 1, but his quickest lap was three tenths behind the time set by Simmons.

Only thirty-four cars took part in the Qualifying Trim session to end the day and the test: with the second Pagani, piloted by Giulio Mari on Day Two, suffering a engine failure as the first session of the day came to a close.

Test Results – Day 2

Note: Everyone’s best times happened in Session 2: the Qualifying Trim Session, with the exception of David Simmons, Giulio Mari and Vidal Reyna-Sanchez who put in their best times during the Race Trim Session.