The 13th of January delivered an unforgettable day of racing action as Muffler Shop Racing hosted the Spark Plug and Intake series, showcasing Dallara Formula 4 and Alba EV100 DKW cars. From nail-biting battles to record-breaking laps, these events had it all.

The Spark Plug: Mistakes on mistakes

The Spark Plug race on the legendary Brands Hatch was the perfect embodiment of racing drama, with teammates Artūrs Edvards Gavars and Kristers Kudlis locked in a fierce duel for supremacy. Kudlis applied relentless pressure on Gavars in the early laps, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. However, his aggressive pursuit came at a cost when a mistake midway through the race sent him down to P6.

With Kudlis out of contention, Gavars seemed destined for victory, setting a blistering fastest lap with a time of 1:19.645 – a new track record. But just two laps from the end, disaster struck as Gavars spun into the wall. The incident saw him drop to P3, igniting a thrilling charge to reclaim positions. While he managed to claw his way back to P2, the victory slipped through his grasp.

Immanuel Salvador was first across the line and Kirill Orlovskyi joined Gavars to round out the podium, with the top three separated by less than two seconds. Mikus Actiņš finished a commendable P4, while Kudlis salvaged his race to claim P5.

The Intake: A Historic Battle on the Batternbergring

The Intake series transported drivers to the 1960s with the Alba EV100 DKW cars racing through the challenging, forested 12.53 kilometer-long Batternbergring. It was a race where experience and consistency reigned supreme, and Michal Janak of Broken Gears proved untouchable. Janak dominated the field, winning by over 1 minute 30 seconds and setting a fastest lap nearly 10 seconds quicker than his closest rival!

Behind Janak, the competition was heated. Artūrs Edvards Gavars once again showcased his versatility with a strong P2 finish, while Mikus Actiņš delivered a jaw-dropping moment on the first lap of the race with a daring double-divebomb overtake on Mitchell Fusco and Mativeri at the second hairpin corner. The move highlighted Actiņš’s raw talent and fearlessness, but a series of mistakes and a heavy crash with Bonifác Strider (which was largely caused by Actiņš himself) marred his race. Strider’s car suffered a spectacular flip, forcing him to retire, while Actiņš limped home in P6 as the last classified finisher.

Mitchell Fusco managed to keep it smooth and secure a well-earned P3 podium spot. On the other hand, Mick Trompke, despite intensive preparation, struggled to perform on the tricky and demanding circuit and retired his car prematurely, ending his campaign in disappointment. He will be looking to bounce back as The Intake heads to Circuit de Pau-Ville for the next round in the series.

Established challengers.

From the strategic battles of The Spark Plug series to the historic drama of The Intake, January 13th was a testament to the unpredictability and excitement of sim-racing. Whether it was Gavars’ record-breaking pace, Actiņš’s daring overtaking, or Janak’s masterclass in consistency, one remains true – Muffler Shop is certainly making a name for themselves as one of the best race organizers available to drivers on the World Sim Series platform.