Audi driver Filip Salaquarda: "Most is going to be a great race weekend"

• Local favourite looking forward to Czech Super Sports Car League premiere
• Salaquarda will partner Frank Stippler in Audi prepared by Czech outfit, Team ISR

Munich: What is only the second round of the season in Most this weekend will be the stand-out meeting of the year for Team ISR and driver Filip Salaquarda (34, CZ), who are making their debut in the ADAC GT Masters in 2018. The Czech outfit will be lining up in front of a home crowd with their Audi R8 LMS shared by the local favourite and the German Frank Stippler (43, GER) as the Super Sports Car League debuts in the Czech Republic. The two races from the Autodrom Most will be broadcast live and in full by SPORT1 on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 pm and can also be watched online as livestream at sport1.de, adac.de/motorsport and youtube.com/adac.

Salaquarda, whose team are headquartered in Cestlice just 100 kilometres from Most, is really looking forward to this home round: "It's simply terrific that a strong series like the ADAC GT Masters is coming to the Czech Republic. I think we're in for a great race weekend and are really looking forward to it. I hope that loads of fans will come along to cheer us on, from Germany too, as the circuit is only about 20 km from the border. The weather should also be kind with temperatures of over 20 degrees."

Our Local Hero already knows that fans will find the Most circuit very interesting: "The track offers many good places to spectate where fans have an overview of three or four corners. There are several places where you can overtake. The best place is probably at the end of the main straight, where it's possible to outbrake your opponent. You hit around 250 km/h on the gently rising straight in sixth gear and then have to slow down sharply for the tight first corner - more than at any other point on the track - as this is taken in first or second gear. You have to be careful here in the race, since there might be a crash or two. This is followed by several fast passages, after each of which there's a slow turn where overtaking is once again possible."

Salaquarda can also feel confident as far as actual racing is concerned. Managed by his father Igor, Team ISR are competing in the ADAC GT Masters this year after several seasons in European GT racing. They took their first points with seventh place in Saturday's race at the Oscherleben season opener. "The series is very strong, and it makes sense logistically for us to compete in the ADAC GT Masters," said Filip Salaquarda. "We don't have to travel very far to most races. We feel quite optimistic about this Most weekend. We've already tested at the track. I think we should do even better than we did at Oschersleben and finish in the points again. We can maybe even achieve a podium finish if all goes well."