Sergio Pires on the pace after stepping up to Pro-Am Sergio Pires has made the step up from Am to Pro-Am this year, driving the #44 Valmont Tigani Mercedes AMG alongside Brendon Leitch. Pires had enjoyed three seasons in the Am class alongside long-time driving mate Marcel Zalloua, but with Zalloua taking a step back this season, Pires made the decision to jump up to the Pro-Am class and fight for overall honours. “I’ve been driving for a few years now so I can compete up the front,” Pires said. “Brendon’s a class driver. To have someone like Brendon [in the car] makes it exciting for the season ahead.” The pair has been instantly competitive, with Pires taking a maiden Pro-Am pole position in Race 1 at The Bend, which he and Leitch converted into a maiden victory, taking a maximum 26 points from the race. Pires and Zalloua started their GTWC campaigns in an Audi R8, but have since switched to the Mercedes AMG platform in their partnership with the Tigani team. Pires explained the reasons for the switch. “I prefer the Mercedes – it’s a lot more stable in the faster stuff,” Pires said. “The Audi’s probably a bit pointier and better at tracks like Queensland Raceway. “But Tigani Racing is a Mercedes AMG Dealer now, so that was part of the reason for the swap.” Pires and Leitch sit fifth overall in the GTWC Australia standings, only 15 points away from the leaders. Locals out in force With Australia’s population and motorsport ecosystem mostly based on the east coast, the GTWC Australia’s return to South Australia gave a few drivers the chance to travel ‘up the road’ to attend their local track at The Bend Motorsport Park. One of those drivers was United Autosports regular and recent