ST Racing Release:
Abu Dhabi (UAE), January 24, 2021 – Following on from a successful start to its season at the Hankook 24H DUBAI, Canada’s ST Racing has gone two-for-two in as many weekends by securing TG division victory at the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI.
Last weekend, Samantha Tan, Chandler Hull, Jon Miller, and Nick Wittmer took a sensational GT4 class win at the Hankook 24H DUBAI hosted by CREVENTIC at the Dubai Autodrome. One week on, ST Racing is once again on the top step of the podium following a commanding TG division win for Samantha Tan and Jon Miller aboard the #438 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4 at the non-championship Hankook 6H ABU DHABI. An impressive feat, considering this is the first time the Ontario-based team has competed at the vaunted Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Jon Miller got the team’s weekend off to the best possible start with the fastest TG lap of all in qualifying – a 2m 23.473s – and in his opening 90-minute stint, Jon further demonstrated the tremendous pace of the BMW M4 GT4 by pulling almost a full minute clear of the chasing pack. Poor luck during the first stop for fuel meant Samantha, now at the wheel, had it all to do during her first time run of the event, but the Ontario-native impressed with a charging drive to retake the TG division lead shorty thereafter. Always quick to adapt to any situation, ST Racing’s engineers worked furiously to revise its strategy and reduce time spent on pit road as much as possible.
In the end, and with some added good fortune, ST Racing completed 130 laps of the 5.554km Yas Marina Circuit to take a commanding second win of the 24H SERIES season, securing the fastest lap of any TG runner – a 2m 22.787s – in the process.
Team principal, Kenneth Tan: “It was another nail-biter of a race. I thought this was going to be a cakewalk, but five hours into the six-hour race, I was pacing in the paddock wondering whether we were going to make it or not. With 40 minutes to go, we were two laps down from the class leader. They still had to do another pit stop but they didn’t need much gas, so it was always going to be very close. Unfortunately their car broke down and we secured 1stplace. I took a deep sigh of relief and felt so proud of our team. We did it again! And then, when they played the Canadian anthem while Samantha was on the podium receiving a trophy, I was overwhelmed with emotion and got teary-eyed. I just felt so proud. It has been a lot of work but it has all been worth it! I am looking forward to our next race in Mugello.”
Driver, Samantha Tan: “What a great way to start 2021, with two back-to-back wins! It was an incredible experience getting to drive the famed Yas Marina Circuit. I steadily dropped my lap times over the course of the three practice sessions, which set me up perfectly for the race. The team gave us an amazing car once again, so Jon put the car on pole during qualifying. The race went relatively smoothly, however the refueling took an extensive amount of time, which caused us to change our strategy throughout the race. But we pushed hard for the last hour and brought the car home 1st in-class. Altogether it was a stellar run by Jon and I, and I’m so proud to bring home another win with my team. It was so special to have the Canadian anthem played at the podium. Definitely a weekend to remember.”
Driver, Jon Miller: ““It’s a dream result to win the Hankook 24H DUBAI and then follow it up with a win in Abu Dhabi one week later. ST Racing came here prepared to fight for wins, and the results are validation of our effort to show up with all of the right pieces in place. There was some pre-race drama when the crew was thrashing to fix a mechanical issue discovered minutes before the green flag. I was the last car to the grid, but the issue was resolved and our BMW M4 GT4 proved to be fast and reliable. Samantha drove two killer stints and was behind the wheel atthe chequered flag, which I know was a special moment for her. When the Canadian national anthem played during the podium ceremony, I could see the pride beaming from my teammates’ faces. We’re proud of our early season results, and more motivated than ever to keep pushing for more.”
With two wins already under its belt in 2021, attention for ST Racing now turns to round three of the 24H SERIES – the Hankook 12H MUGELLO – set to take place at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello on 26-27 March. One month later, Samantha Tan will strike a long-held item from her bucket list when she competes for the first time at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps as part of the Hankook 12H SPA on 23-24-25 April.
2021 Calendar
ST Racing will take part in all events of the 2021 24H SERIES season.
- Hankook 24H Dubai: January 14-15-16 2021 – WIN
- Hankook 6H Abu Dhabi (non-championship), Jan 22-23 2021 – WIN
- Hankook 12H Mugello: March 26-27 2021
- Hankook 12H Spa-Francorchamps: April 23-24-25 2021
- Hankook 12H Hockenheimring: May 22-23 2021
- Hankook 24H Portimao: July 16-17-18 2021
- Hankook 24H Barcelona: September 03-04-05 2021
- Coppa Florio Hankook 12H Sicily: October 01-02-03 2021
- Hankook 24H Sebring: November 12-13-14 2021
Qualifying results: https://bit.ly/2LVWokF
Race results: https://bit.ly/3c78hPy