FIA GT Championship

FIA GT – San Luis Race Report

© DPPI

The final round of the 2008 FIA GT Championship in San Luis was one with ups and downs. It promised to be a great event on a brand new circuit labelled as a ‘real racer’ track, but with Jetalliance Racing not making the trip to Argentina and the Gigawave MotorSport team withdrawn after a crash on Saturday the race was robbed of at least two potential race winners before it had even started. The fans in Argentina would see a nice finish of the 2008 season though.

At the start of the race it was Marcel Fässler who was unable to take advantage of his pole position, as Frederic Makowiecki in the Larbre Saleen passed the Corvette. Behind the GT1 leaders the GT2 cars have a worse start. In the turmoil at the first corner Kirkaldy spun the CR Scuderia #56 while Babini damaged the front of his Ecosse Ferrari. Russo was able to maintain his first place in GT2, with the two Prospeed Porsches behind. But unfortunately for Emmanuel Collard his race ended after only five laps when the Frenchman hit the wall.

While Bertolini was in fourth at the start he quickly dropped down the order. After ten laps the Italian has dropped to eighth overall, with Makowiecki and Fässler lapping quicker and quicker. But as several cars started to make their pit stops Fässler found the right pace and closed the gap to Makowiecki. On lap 19 the Swiss driver passed the Frenchman and regained the lead he lost at the start.

One lap after the lead change there was more drama. First Babini (Scuderia Ecosse) suffered a flat tyre and on the same lap the Maserati of Negrao hit the wall causing problems with the radiator. Both cars made it to the pit, but the Maserati never made it out again.
The race leaders pitted as well and after a great first stint by Fässler and Makowiecki it was time for Risatti and Berville to continue their fight.

Unfortunately the battle came to an end only two laps later when Berville hit the wall. The #7 Saleen returned to the pit and went into the pit box nose first. Despite repairs, including the change of the front splitter, and a brief return to the track the Saleen was retired soon afterwards.
The next one to end the race was the Gillet Vertigo. While the leaders were on their 30th lap the G2 car slammed into the wall knocking off the rear of the car.

The second round of pit stops started around lap 35 with Phoenix in first and second ahead of the PK Saleen. Risatti was the first to come in and handed the car back to Fässler. Kumpen then passed Gollin to take the lead, one lap later Gollin went into the pit to hand back the Corvette to Hezemans. Unfortunately for Phoenix Racing Fässler hit the pit wall on the same lap, damaging the rear suspension on the car and effectively ending his race.

When Kumpen had made his pit stop and Longin had gone out he was just behind Hezemans. The PK Saleen was however closing in on the Corvette and was only three tenths of a second behind the Dutchman with about 7 laps to go. In GT2 Camathias in the #78 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari slammed into the wall, taking out the right front of his F430 GT2. In a heavily damaged Ferrari the Swiss driver rolled back to the pit where he retired.

Five laps remained when Longin found a place to pass and took over the lead from Hezemans. In the remaining laps the two kept fighting but Hezemans was unable to pass the Saleen and after 51 laps it was Bert Longin taking the overall win in his Saleen. However the fight was not over as on the slow-down lap Hezemans hit Longin from behind sending both cars into a spin. Hezemans continued but Longin damaged the back of his car and as he attempted to get back on track the Saleen slammed into the wall. A move that will be investigated by the stewards of the meeting without a doubt.

In GT2 Bruni, who had started at the back of the grid, was in the lead after fifty laps, but as the chequered flag came out it was the Argentine pair of Matias Russo and Luis Perez-Companc who was ahead again, taking pole position and victory in front of their home crowd.