Interviews

Belcar qualifying: “Girl Power” in Spa

© Planetlemans - Gerlach Delissen

Being the most fragile , this is certainly the most unpredictable class. I the past years it has been a "last man standing" kind of competition and nothing leads to believe it will be otherwise in 2007. Very quick and competitive, the cars also show their endurance difficulties during 1000 km races so anything is basically possible. The last couple of years have seen the RML team emerge as the strongest in this titanic enterprise but there are many other avid contenders who would like to take over at the top of the class.

Pierre Bruneau-Pilbeam MP93 Judd- Number 20

© Planetlemans - Gerlach Delissen

The small French team is a Le Mans Series regular, certainly not the quickest but normally a finisher which is what matters. Even when they have been unfortunate up to now in the season, they are experienced and consistent which makes them a good candidate to be around at the end of the race and grab a good result.

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Bruichladdich Radical- Radical SR9 AER- Number 21
The mineral water-sponsored red prototype (smart way of promoting their homonimous single malt whisky) comes to Le Mans with something still to prove. The works team has not been able to be so close to the top as Rollcentre was last year but Valencia saw them on the podium and with a solid pace. The car is excellent and the team is evolving constantly, they could (and should) be in contention for a very high spot if the gremlins stay away from their car.

Noel del Bello- Courage LC75 AER- Number 24Another car that was damaged during test day and generated a question mark on Vitaly Petrov: did he qualify in the end for race day having turned just seven laps? It’s only their second race and they were even in the lead on their debut (thanks to guest driver Jean Marc Gounon’s speed) but neither Ianetta nor Liz Halliday have been able to drive one lap on the red Courage. A very big question mark in all fronts.

RML- MG Lola EX264 AER- Number 25
Winners in 2005 and 2006 Ray Mallock Racing come back to La Sarthe with their usual strength at all levels. Andy Wallace complements one more time the very strong Erdos-Newton duo for the occasion and although their Valencia race was not as good as expected Monza had shown they are at their ususal top level. Massive experience and very good capabilities to get the car back on the track make this a top entry which could make it a hat-trick this time.

T2M Motorsport- Dome S101.5 Mader- Number 29
Both Valencia and the test day were nightmares for the Japanese team based in France. With a car clearly on the initial development phase and showing big teething problems a finish would be a huge prize already.

Binnie Motorsports- Lola B05/40 Zytek- Number 31
Another very seasoned team, 2004 winners and second last year, Binnie have a chance also to fight for a top spot at the end of the race. Their progress during the season has not translated yet into a victory thanks to mechanical issues that seem to be addressed now. Binnie and Timpany have pace and experience while Buncombe demonstrated at test day that he can deliver a strong debut at Le Mans. Another contender for P1 on Sunday.

Barazi/Epsilon - Zytek 07S Zytek - Number 32
They have been the talk of the town in the LMS due to their speed but both races have seen their mechanical issues ruin their day. Test Day saw them on top once more with a very strong performance of Michael Vergers but both Barazi and Ojjeh also turned solid lap times. Their key should be reliability, if they bring the car home they have a very clear shot at winning Le Mans.

Zytek - Zytek 07S Zytek- Number 33
This "LM only" entry which will be for sale after the race has both the factory team behind them as well as a very strong line-up with a top ALMS driver (Fernández) a very quick and LM-experienced one (Kurosawa) and a single seater winner (Kerr). The reliability pitch applies to them as well but it should be a very good choice for your dark horse.

Saulnier Racing - Courage LC75 AER- Number 35
Valencia saw them on the podium but test day did not see them in contention. They are a team that is still in the first stages of development so their aim should be primarily to finish the race.

Quifel ASM- Lola B05/40 AER- Number 40
They were very strong during test day and Warren Hughes demonstrated his qualities getting the fastest times for the black and blue Lola. The Portuguese team were unlucky here last year but a series of top results in the last few races position them as well as a top contender for the main prize. As with the others, the key should be bring the car home, the speed is there for sure.

Kruse Motorsport - Pescarolo Judd- Number 44
Still not fully adapted to their new car, Kruse have had good evolution and while they might not be in contention for a win, a podium place is a realistic possibility provided they can overcome the initial issues they have had.

gabriel@planetlemans.com

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