FIA GT Championship

FIA GT Spa 24: Race Hour 14 and 15

© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

What can 13 hours of Spa 24 do to someone reporting it? Well, the picture says enough. Our photographer Vincent van Kempen had difficulties staying awake. And in fact minutes after this picture was taken he crashed out.
Out in the race no crashes have happened in the last hours. So with Carsport Holland leading the race we head of for yet another part of the race…

05:00- Vitaphone Racing Team now has two cars in the top three. Unfortunately for them, it’s second and third.

05:07- Busnelli in the 12 Maserati has improved the car’s best lap time here at Spa. He has just clocked a 2:17.847

05:10- Monfardini quicker than before in the nr 23 DBR9. Still seventeenth though.

05:13- Problems keep coming back for the SRT Corvette…it’s in the pitlane again.

05:24- With SRT hitting problems they have dropped down the order. The top three GT2 cars are now 8-9-10 overall. BMS Scuderia Italia has a comfortable lead in GT2 now.

05:30- Ten and a half hour remaining. Hezemans (5) - Biagi (1) - Bobbi (2) are leading overall. GT2 leaders are Malucelli (97) - Bruni (51) - Long (76).

5:42- Carsport Holland in. Mike Hezemans leaves his seat for Jean-Denis Deletraz.

5:50- Pompidou in from 5th position.

5:52- After his pitstop, Pompidou enters the race again with half a minute lead over Maassen.

5:54- Gavin comes in the pit in the same lap as Pier Guidi. A bit later, Pier Guidi comes in as well. He passes the wheel to Piccini. In the mean while, Maassen took over 5th GT2 position again from Pompidou.

6:01- Deletraz enters the pitlane. Lots of cars in for Intermediate tires. Fassler now driving the Carsport Holland Corvette.

6:04- Biagi now overall leader.Lots of positions currently switching because of tire changes.

6:09- Gavin re-enters the race with a fairly increased gap to Pier Guidi, now 5 laps.

6:12- Track still slightly humid, but rain stopped. Order is now Fassler, Bartels, rRamos overall.

6:14- it is told that the Corvette of Alphand had some kind of suspension related problem.

6:20- Kurt Mollekens the fastest on track at the moment. 2:30 while the rest is above 2:33.

6:28- G3 cars are currently 18th, 19th and 22nd. These are Muhlner Motorsport #124, Sport Garage #174 and Prospeed Competition #160.

6:30- Current standings are:

GT1
1. Fassler - Carsport Holland Corvette C6
2. Bartels - Vitaphone Maserati MC12
3. Ramos - Vitaphone Maserati MC12
4. Mollekens - PK Carsport Corvette C5
5. Pier Guidi - Playteam Maserati MC12
6. Gavin - Alphand Corvette C6
7. Peter - JMB Maserati MC12

GT2:
8. Malucelli - BMS Porsche 997
9. Bruni - AF Corse Ferrari 430
10. Lietz - IMSA Porsche 997
12. Edwards - Tech9 Porsche 997
13. Pompidou - Ebimotors Porsche 997
14. Pasini - Edil Cris Ferrari 430
15. Sugden - Ecosse Ferrari 430

Duez is in 11th position between most GT2 cars.

6:40- Mollekens takes over 3rd position from Ramos in his MC12. Corvette Maserati Corvette now.

6:42- Bartels, Mollekens and Ramos in the same lap (position 2, 3 and 4). Routine stop and driver change for the BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche, Marc Lieb gets behind the wheel.

6:48- Fassler puts a 2.19,534 on the list again, so track conditions seem to improve

6:50- Ramos down to 4th. Safety car out! Third time this race. Ramos immediately takes back 3rd position.

6:52- Reason for safety car is to be found in the area of poste 25, Blanchimont. It is a heavily damaged BMS Aston Martin.

6:57- Safety car is still out, over to the hour 16 and 17 update of the race