Le Mans Series - Spa 1000 kms - Sunday Morning Notes

Lola's PR guru Sam Smith brought us the news yesterday evening that Racing Box Team Principal, Luca Cani Ferrari had a very nasty accident at Spa on Friday, falling down the steps going from the top paddock to the lower paddock.
 
He was taken to Liege hospital and diagnosed with two fractures to his left leg. Fortunately and somewhat ironically, Piergiuseppe Perrazini (raced for the team at Ricard) is one of Italy's top sports surgeons and specialises in leg injuries. Perazzini is actually racing at Vallelunga in Italian GT this weekend but will operate on Luca next week.
 
We all wish Luca a full and speedy recovery.

The fuel leak for the #8 Audi yesterday which delayed its appearance in the morning practice session was apparently caused by a faulty pre-assembled fuel filter, the #8 car is a newly completed car and the fuel filter is routinely changed after early running.  the car has run faultlessly since then.

Warm Up Session

It’s bright and sunny and slightly warmer here at Spa this morning, a moderate breeze possibly bringing in damp conditions later (the locals say not!)

The good news is that the Team Bruichladdich Ginetta Zytek appears to have recovered from its engine dramas yesterday, the team believe a conrod bolt failed and lunched the engine during qualifying. Despite not setting a time it would appear the car will start the race. Tim Greaves is out on track in this session and the team will start this afternoon from the back of the grid.

The Signature Plus #008 Lola Aston Martin wouldn't fire up at the end of the pitlane on the battery - Ragues tried to bump start it down the hill and by the time the driver realised that wasn't going to work the car had passed the white line and the team were unable to recover the car during the session

The #78 BMW M3 meanwhile was refusing to fire and missed much of the session, Jorg Muller making it out only in the dying minutes for a couple of establishing laps.

Peugeot and Audi traded fastest sectors to get into the 2:02’s and 2:03’s, Lamy and Davidson topping the timing screens in the #3 and #1 908s ahead of Rockenfeller in the #9 R15.

The Hankook Ferrari is looking quick in the hands of Domink Farnbacher, topping the GT2 times until a spin at Les Combes trying to avoid the RML Lola, who looked to be perfectly on the racing line. Darren Turner gets stuck in for JMW, finally getting the Aston up to speed and looking settled. Dirk Muller’s BMW manages a pace closer to GT2 qualifying times.

Jonny Kane quickly gets the Strakka car to 2:10.6, some 4 seconds clear of the nearest LMP2 car. However, having handed the car over to Nick Leventis the #42 car ended its session with a fairly heavy rear impact, spinning backwards into the tyre wall at the exit of Les Combes.

The team are not giving up though, the car back to the paddock by 10 am - the team have until 60 minutes after the 11:30 am (local) race start to get into the race.

Steve Zachia takes the #47 Hope Polevision Racing car to the 2:20’s to head the FLM times.  The #45 car meanwhile had ended its session in the gravel after a clash with a GT car.

Dominik Farnbacher and David Hart in the #89 Farnbacher Ferrari and #72 Luc Alphand Corvette both had scary moments, the 430 spinning on the run down to Les combes as Farnbacher tried to make room for Mike Newton in the RML Lola HPD and Hart having a lairy moment at Radillon - No damage it seems to either car though.

In the GT classes Stefan Mucke set fastest time in the Young Driver Aston Martin, whilst GT2 finishes with Dirk Muller ahead of Rob Bell, both doing similar 2:21’s to their qualifying pace. The fastest Porsche is Richard Westbrook’s #75 Prospeed car, running a 2:22.7.

The Signature Plus #008 Lola Aston Martin wouldn't fire up at the end of the pitlane on the battery - Ragues tried to bump start it down the hill and by the time the driver realised that wasn't going to work the car had passed the white line and the team were unable to recover the car during the session