Motorsport: Kiwis feature at Road Atlanta

Kiwi drivers Earl Bamber (left) and Scott Dixon. Photos / Supplied, AP

Two New Zealanders were in action at the Le Petit Le Mans 10-hour endurance at Road Atlanta last weekend.

Both finished on the podium with IndyCar driver Scott Dixon third outright (in the top Daytona Prototype class) and Earl Bamber second in the GTLM class.

Dixon and his Chip Ganassi Racing Riley Ford were battling the leading Corvettes until his co-driver Memo Rojas had to pit after breaking a rim and the team went one lap down.

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"Yeah, it was a tough one and we were just hoping they [Dallara Corvette and Coyote Corvette] would take each other out," said Dixon after the race.

Bamber had the race of his life on a track he hadn't raced on before, and in a car he had only briefly tested in August. At times the young Kiwi was the quickest Porsche 911RSR driver on track.

In the next few weeks, the 24-year-old Kiwi could claim the drivers' titles in two championships - the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia on October 18-19 in Shanghai, and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup title at the double-header as a support category to the Formula One Austin, Texas.

"Porsche's support has given me the chance of a lifetime as a race driver," said Bamber.
"I felt I was in good hands right from the start, and this gave me a lot of confidence."

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