The #38 Jackie Chan DC Racing crew remain third in the overall World Endurance Championship Drivers’ Championship as they secured what appeared to be a very easy class win at the 6 Hours of Nurburgring. The main fight seemed to be between the Jackie Chan team and the Vaillante Rebellion cars, although just like at the 24 Hours of Le Mans the #13 appeared more vulnerable to the cars behind as it fell down the order. Extending their lead in the LMP2 Drivers’ Trophy Championship, it looks like the #38 team may have that title secured as WEC goes into the summer break.
Ben Hanley, Pierre Thiriet and Roman Rusinov did a great job of putting the #26 G-Drive Racing on pole, but after failing scrutineering the ca was dropped to the back of the grid and lost its fourth-consecutive class pole. This handed the starting position to #38 which did not lose the lead of the 6-hour race from lights to flag. It was a very strong performance from the Jackie Chan trio and should make the other teams weary of their dominance.
All of the LMP2 cars are running the same chassis-engine combination this year, meaning that the racing should be fairly close. Outside of the top two in class, the race was hard fought until the chequered flag, with three cars in a potential position to take the bottom step of the LMP2 podium. It was last year’s LMP2 champions, #36 Signatech Alpine, that took the bottom step and kept three different teams in the fight for the LMP2 Trophy.
But with a 46 point lead now it looks like #38 may have the championship all wrapped up before the summer break. If they continue this form when WEC returns to the track in September, it should be an easy five races for them to hold onto the top position in LMP2. Coming second overall has very much helped then in the championship, as the double points set them comfortably ahead of the rest of the field.
A closer battle can be seen between the #31 Vaillante Rebellion and the #36 Signatech Alpine. Only 17 points separated the two, meaning one poor race from the #31 could see the #36 go ahead in the championship standings.
As things are so unpredictable in endurance racing, anything could happen between now and the final round in Bahrain. Just two DNFs for the #38 team could see the advantage Le Mans gave them disappear and bring the championship back to a dramatic finish at the final round of the season.
