Buggya ZM Racing celebrated its third successive class win of the 2024 24H SERIES season at the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO, despite a succession of wheel mount issues. 

The Czech-based team, making its debut at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve this past weekend, suffered three wheel mount issues on its Mercedes-AMG GT4 en-route to a hard-fought GT4 class win 14 laps clear of series debutant W Autosport. Having “overcome all adversity,” team principal Martin Koloc was full of praise for the team’s performance in Portugal, which also netted Buggyra its first radiolemans.com ‘Spirit of the Race’ award.

“It was a very intense race with many ups and downs,” Koloc explains in an official team statement. “But the crew drove consistently, and the mechanics did an awesome job, working all through the night. We also got a special award by the organizers – ‘Spirit of the Race’ – because we were not phased by adversity. We kept on pushing and managed to win after all, despite additional pit stops due to technical issues. 

Celebrating drivers David Vršecký, Adam Lacko, Aliyyah Koloc and event teammate Jarek Janiš, Koloc commended Aliyyah’s performance in particular…

“The drivers did a great job, Aliyyah in particular,” Koloc continues. “Despite her young age, she is showing incredible driving skills, leveling more experienced drivers with ease. I am sure she has not finished surprising us.”

“It was pretty diffcult during the night: you don’t see a lot, but nevertheless I enjoyed it and I was being consistent,” Aliyyah explained after her second run. “Since my first stint, I had been fighting with another car, overtaking, defending, overtaking again, so I am a little tired!”

Despite slipping from 2nd on the GT4 grid to 3rd at the start – “I was being careful at the start, maybe a bit too much, but with a long race ahead, the most important thing is to show consistency and to manage the tires” (Vršecký) – the Buggyra Mercedes moved into the lead of a close battle for class honours shortly after the fourth hour. The team’s progress was aided by fuel pressure problems for the GSR Motorsport Ginetta G56 Cup that cost the Lithuanian team 13 laps to its category rivals early on. 

The first of a succession of wheel mount issues however struck the #416 Mercedes-AMG during the seventh hour and towards the end of Adam Lacko’s first stint. TV cameras caught the 2017 FIA European Truck Racing champion touring back to the pits with a completely locked left front wheel, and Buggyra ZM Racing immediately lost 13 laps to new GT4 leader W Autosport. 

“During my stint early in the race, the front right wheel joint broke for unknown reasons, which put us back to 2nd in the class standings,” Lacko explains. “We used the pit stop not only to repair the damage but also to change the front brakes.”

Although the gap closed to just three laps on early Sunday morning (W Autosport was nursing fuel pressure issues of their own during the night), the #491 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO retained the GT4 lead until hour 20 when its fuel pump failed. An inadvertently cut electrical cable while work was being completed meant W Autosport lost 50 minutes in the pits, dropping the Toyota to 2nd and opening the door once again for Buggya (GSR by now was two laps behind after suffering driveshaft and diff failure, a slow puncture and brake issues during the night). 

Although a third wheel mount issue struck with just two hours to go, a rapid 16-minute turnaround meant the #416 Mercedes-AMG was able to hold its lead all the way to the chequered flag. 

Issues for nearest championship rival Lionspeed GP, which retired after just 20 laps, means Buggyra ZM Racing’s lead in the GT4 Teams’ standings has extended to 48 points going into the next European round of the 24H SERIES – the returning Hankook 12H MISANO – on 5-6 July.