FIA GT Championship

Vitaphone victorious in Spa, AF Corse dominate GT2

© Planetlemans - Frank Feenstra

A breath-taking finish to a thrilling 24-hour race at Spa saw victory decided in the last hour, when the nr 1 Vitaphone Maserati emerged from its last pit-stop ahead of the nr 5 Phoenix Racing Aston Martin with which it had been battling throughout. Bartels, Bertolini and Van de Poele were victorious, ahead of the Phoenix line-up of Piccini, Deletraz, Fässler and Lemeret.
The nr 4 GLPK Corvette finished third to make it three different makes on the podium - a tremendous effort from a car which ended up using over 100 litres of oil during the race, due to an engine problem. Aston Martin Racing BMS was fourth.

GT2 was dominated by AF Corse, whose two Ferrari 430 GT2 cars finished first and second. Salo, Aguas and Scheider were victorious with the nr 59 car, ahead of Bobbi, Melo and Ortelli. The all-Scottish line-up of Kinch, Kirkaldy and Franchitti, in the nr 62 Scuderia Ecosse car finished third, to make it an all-Ferrari podium. The Spyker C8 Spyder finished fourth in its first 24 Hours of Spa.

G2 was won by Manthey Racing’s brand new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, despite a number of technical problems. The 197 car finished ahead of the 111, with the JMB Racing Ferrari Modena led by Didier de Radigues and Paul Belmondo claimed third place on the G2 podium.

The Dodge Viper Competition Coupe entered by Signa Racing won the G3 class, finishing ahead of the Prospeed Porsche 996 Cup car whose drivers included rally star François Duval in his first circuit endurance race, and the nr 113 Pouchelon Racing Dodge Viper Competition Coupe - the team also competing in the two rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship this weekend.

Full results:

1 1 GT1 Van De Poele/Bartels/Bertolini Maserati MC12 GT1
2 5 GT1 Lemeret/Deletraz/Piccini/Fassler Aston Martin DBR9
3 4 GT1 Longin/Kumpen/Hezemans/Mollekens Corvette C6R
4 23 GT1 Pescatori/Babini/Enge/Kox Aston Martin DBR9
5 34 GT1 Menten/Belloc/Bornhauser/Bouvy Corvette C6R
6 59 GT2 Salo/Aguas/Scheider Ferrari 430 GT2
7 58 GT2 Bobbi/Melo/Ortelli Ferrari 430 GT2
8 9 GT1 Bert/Janis/Montermini/Charouz Saleen S7R
9 62 GT2 Kinch/Kirkaldy/Franchitti Ferrari 430 GT2
10 80 GT2 Bleekemolen/Kane/Crevels Spyker C8 Spyder GT2 R
11 36 GT1 Kuismanen/Palttala/Dehez/Radermecker Corvette C5R
12 66 GT2 Ried/Felbermayr Jr/Felbermayer/Reid Porsche 996 GT3 RSR
13 63 GT2 Niarchos/Mullen/Simonsen Ferrari 430 GT2
14 197 G2 Luhr/Maassen/Tiemann Porsche 997 GT2
15 111 G2 Bernhard/Lieb/Lamy Porsche 997 GT2
16 78 GT2 Lambert/Lefort/Goossens/Duez Porsche 996 GT3 RS
17 116 G3 Chaillet/Nef/Deman/Geoffroy Dodge Viper Comp
18 71 GT2 Severin/Romero/Ligonnet/Sundberg Ferrari 430 GT2
19 72 GT2 De Castro/Premoli/Barbaro Porsche 996 GT3 RS
20 195 G3 Duval/Kerkhove/Kelders/Nelissen-Grad Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
21 179 G2 De Radigues/De Pauw/Van Den Hove/Belmondo Ferrari 360 Modena
22 199 G2 Lichtner-Hoyer/Gruber/Engelhorn/Fumal BMW GTR M3
23 113 G3 Duqueine/Lesoudier/Rousselot/Wasover Dodge Viper Comp
24 117 G3 Levy/Levy/Mitieus/Tremblay Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
25 74 GT2 Moccia/Busnelli/Mowlem Porsche 996 GT3 RSR
26 194 G2 Penders/Lamot/Hemroulle Porsche GT3 RS
27 107 G2 Yvon/Stepec/Knapick/Muytjens Chrysler Viper GTS-R
28 121 G3 Van Hover/Grouwels/Schell Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
29 33 GT1 Wendlinger/Peter/Bouchut/Lechner Aston Martin DBR9