Round 9 of the NLS Championship occurred this weekend with Bailey securing a class victory with Walkenhorst Motorsport. This victory secures Bailey the necessary Nürburgring race licence to compete in the full NLS Championship in 2024.
The European GT4 Championship continues with the last round coming up in Barcelona in October. It has been a challenging season but the car and team continue to improve with Bailey’s support and guidance. After several changes in co-driver in the first part of the season, Bailey has been joined by Norwegian driver Emil Heyerdahl who will continue for the last round in Spain.
This weekend Bailey competed in the Crowdstrike 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the largest GT3 race in the world. Joining forces again with Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW GT3 team in the number 35 car, this was Bailey’s first 24hr race and proved an exciting weekend. Bailey managed a full driving stint of 6 hours – including 4 hours during the night – before, unfortunately, the car had to be retired in the 21st hour due to an oil pump failure.
As part of the Nürburgring nordschleife licence Bailey competed this weekend in Round 4 of the German NLS Series with Walkenhorst Motorsport. Along with his co-driver they achieved a very commendable 4th place in the notoriously challenging 4-hour race so securing valuable mandatory laps for the full nordschleife licence.
Bailey is pleased to announce he has joined leading French team, GPA Racing, for the 2023 GT4 European Series and reuniting with the European GT4 paddock having won the Drivers Championship back in 2021.
Bailey’s 2022 season ends on a high coming second in the final race of the ELMS season at Portimão, Portugal. After taking over the number 2 United car for the final driving stint, and in tricky damp conditions, Bailey drove a measured final session to bring the LMP3 car over the line in 2nd place for a well-deserved podium in what has been, at times, a challenging season. Thanks goes to United and all the team for an excellent result and a solid season in Bailey’s first Championship in prototype cars.
It was a mixed weekend in Spain for Round 4 of the European Le Mans series with the best qualifying result of the season so far by Bailey of 3rd. Unfortunately, accident damage to the car sustained early in the race resulted in a below-par result.
After leading for over half the 4-hour race at Monza, ultimately it proved a frustrating race weekend following a hit from a following car and spin, dropping the United No2 car from 1st position to 5th.
This week brings Bailey his first ever visit to Imola, the classic track set in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and a new partnership with a Swiss watch company, Soler Luguel.