Allen claims regional Esport title
Australian Matthew Allen in action during the CMSC Asia Pacific Esport GT Cup
Australian Matthew Allen has won the CMSC Asia Pacific Esport GT Cup, beating a number of talented drivers from around the Asian region across the two-race event.
Using Gran Turismo Sport, the event was set at Suzuka Circuit in Japan, with Allen picking up a race win and a podium to secure the title over Malaysia’s Iqbal Suji and Sri Lanka’s Brayan Perera.
The event saw the 11 competitors pick one Group 3/ GT3 car for the entire event, before completing a 10-minute qualifying session and two races – the second of which was reverse grid.
Having started on the front row for the first race alongside polesitter Suji, Allen successfully completed the undercut during the pit stops to gain a big lead, before fuel management saw his lead reduced significantly.
Despite Suji piling on the pressure in the race’s final stages, Allen defended his spot to claim the fastest lap of the race and reach the chequered flag first.
The second race of the event saw Allen starting at the back of grid alongside Suji, and while his Malaysian rival made a strong start to the race lead by the end of the first sector of the opening race, it took Allen until lap six to make it to the podium.
Unable to catch Suji and the second placed Perera, Allen had to settle for third – putting Suji on equal points with the Aussie to give him the win due to countback.
However, with Allen securing fastest lap bonus points for the second race, he ended up winning the event by just two points.
“Before the event I did a bit of testing with a few different Group 3 cars around Suzuka including the Porsche and Toyota which most people chose,” Allen said post-event.
“I never drove the Alfa Romeo 4C very well before, so when I tested it on a whim I was surprised when I instantly felt comfortable driving it for this event.
“In that second race, I couldn’t catch Brayan fast enough after the pit stop, so I eventually finished and with Iqbal winning Race 2, I thought that I’d blown a great chance to win the event overall.
“However, I realised that by scoring another two points for the fastest lap, I had scored 40 points overall which was enough for me to win the event by just two points.
“I’m thankful to both the organisers – CMSC – and Motorsport Australia who gave me the opportunity to represent them in the 2022 Asia Pacific Esport GT Cup.
“I gave it my best shot and was fortunate enough to bring home the win so I’m pretty happy.”