LMS – Spa 1000 Km – Sunday Morning
Overcast And Cool

Almost all 50 runners went out for the 20 minute warm-up session on a cool Sunday morning, with a little moisture in the air. There were early problems for two prototypes though, the #35 Saulnier Racing Courage stopping at the top of Eau Rouge with a throttle problem (which resulted in a rear end impact) and Giovanni Lavaggi also apparently failing to complete his out lap in his eponymous #3 LS01, back on track for the first time since a comprehensive engine failure yesterday, con rods punching holes in both sides of the block.

The other team in engine trouble yesterday though were out and lapping well, the Chad Racing Peninsula ##84 Panoz back in rude health.

The Peugeots again were quickest overall, as they have, and by a distance, in every session this weekend. Pedro Lamy was back at the top of the timing sheets this morning with a 2:05.125, this car though had had a head to head drag race out of La Source during the session with Stefan Johansson aboard the Arena Zytek, the Swede looking to have the edge momentarily until Lamy woke up to the challenge - and simply blew the Zytek away on pure straight line grunt, the pair emerging at the top of Eau Rouge with several car lengths between them.

LMP2 this morning saw Thomas Erdos again top the class times, 5th fastest overall with a 2:09.319 whilst in GT1 it was predictably Stephane Ortelli and the #55 Oreca Saleen that set the morning pace with a 2:17.522.

GT2 finally and Rob Bell in the Virgo Ferrari was very much the dominant man of the session a lap of 2:23.435 almost two seconds quicker than the #77 Felbermayr Proton Porsche, with Mark Basseng in the team’s #88 car a further half second back. The team’s third car, the #79 Porsche 996 meanwhile had a quick and harmless spin on the exit of the Bus Stop mid session.

Best of the rest was Tom Kimber-Smith in the #81 Panoz, a 2:26.494 will be good news for Team LNT if it relates in any way to a realistic race pace.

Bell was on new Dunlop rubber for the first time this meeting, and thoroughly enjoying the experience. He pointed out that the #77 Porsche is “half a second quicker than us through the first sector, we murder them in the second sector, but they’re quicker than us through the third sector. Brute force over finesse,” was his neat comment on 997 vs. 430 round Spa.

As at the Nurburgring, the GT teams will following the pace of the Peugeots closely, because the duration of the race will determine their fuel strategy. The event is set for 143 laps, which should be about five hours – as long as it stays dry.

The Horag Lola didn’t set a time, the team having fitted a fresh engine last night, but suffering from an ECU problem this morning: it wouldn’t rev past 7,000 revs on its out lap. Markus Hotz and his men were also battling a power steering problem, which left the steering far too stiff yesterday.

There are grey clouds hovering around the track this morning.