“We’re very pleased. Our goal was to have both cars on the podium, and we achieved that,” said RTR projects Executive Director Tomáš Fanta, praising the performances of his drivers. The drivers were also able to enjoy their podium finishes in a unique atmosphere. “As every year, a large number of visitors and guests came along, which we’re always happy to see. I’m glad that more and more fans are coming to these races,” Fanta said, enjoying the atmosphere at the Slovak Grand Prix, which hosted the GT Cup Series races.
The second-place finish for Viktor Mráz and Jaroslav Honzík is particularly significant for RTR projects. The Czech-Slovak pairing followed up their two endurance victories at Slovakia Ring in June and Most in August with another strong result. This run of podium finishes puts the duo in a highly promising position heading into the final two rounds of the season. They currently lead the GTX endurance standings by 37 points. With just 50 points still available, Mráz and Honzík have a strong chance of securing the title as early as September, when the series heads to Brno for the penultimate round.
“We’ve strengthened our position in the championship. I firmly believe that Viktor and Jarda can become GTX champions,” Tomáš Fanta said optimistically after the team’s outing in Slovakia.
The battle for second place in the one-hour race was far from straightforward for Mráz and Honzík. The first complications arose even before the driver change.
“Viktor made a great start and was setting a strong pace. Around halfway through his stint, however, he reported over the radio that the car was struggling for grip,” Honzík recalls of the endurance race. When he took over the KTM X-Bow GTX after the driver change, he soon found himself agreeing with his teammate’s assessment. “I was quite shocked by how little confidence I had in the car. It was sliding a lot, so the pace wasn’t ideal and I was struggling a bit. It seemed, though, that several other drivers were dealing with a similar problem,” Honzík added. Despite the difficulties, he managed to bring the car home in second place.
At the finish, Mráz and Honzík were beaten only by local driver Adam Konopka. The ARC Bratislava driver was competing in the GTX category with an open Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO II. RTR projects therefore considers the result to have been the best possible outcome. “Open GT3 cars are simply out of our reach,” said Tomáš Fanta.
Tomáš Miniberger and Daniel Skalický completed a successful outing for RTR projects in the Slovak endurance race. The experienced pairing shared the wheel of a KTM X-Bow GT2 and finished third in the GTX class, following up on their bronze finish at Most. The result also leaves them third in the current championship standings.
RTR projects was also represented in Sunday’s sprint race at Slovakia Ring, with Viktor Mráz behind the wheel of the GTX-spec car and Daniel Skalický competing in the GT2. Skalický finished fourth, while Mráz crossed the line in fifth.
RTR projects also remains in contention for an overall podium in the GTX sprint standings with two rounds of the season still to go. Viktor Mráz currently sits fourth, just three points behind Marius Aigner and Zdeno Mikuláško, who share second place in the standings.
The penultimate round of this year’s GT Cup Series will take place at the Brno Circuit as part of the traditional Masaryk Racing Days. The event is scheduled for 11–13 September.
