Spa 24 Hours Preview - Part 1 GT1 

Like the ailing frame of a once adored pet GT1 in its current form is coughing and spluttering its last before being despatched by the regulatory vet. It’s hard to view an entry of seven GT1 cars as anything other than a crushing disappointment.

That’s not to say that there aren’t quality entries to admire – There most certainly are – But there is little strength in depth, and in a 24 hour race that might be a recipe for something short of a spectacle in the premier class.

For various reasons there’s no Luc Alphand Corvette, no KplusK Saleen and no Aston DBR9 at all on the list but let’s remember that it only takes two cars to have a great race though, and Spa 24 Hours of past years have shown just how good that can be.

Maserati

Surely the favourites (again), Vitaphone Racing bring a trio of MC12s to the grid with quality aplenty in the garage and on board too.

The #1 car has three of last year’s race winning squad aboard, Michael Bartels looking to make it 4 wins in 5 years (plus a second place in 2007!).

He’s joined by Maserati and Peugeot factory talent in the shape of Andrea Bertolini and Stephane Sarrazin, both of whom also took last year’s top step of the podium with Alexandre Negrao joining the lead car this year.  This will be a tough squad to beat, very tough.

Their principal competition looks set to come from the garage next door. The #2 Vitaphone car crewed by another Peugeot factory man, Pedro (bit of an animal) Lamy.  The pocket sized Portugese is joined by the very rapid Alex Muller, the rather less rapid Miguel Ramos and perhaps the trump card in the #2 pack, Belgium’s answer to Tom Kristensen, Eric (5 wins) van de Poele.  This car should hang on in there nicely – and if it rains (and it surely will!) anything could happen.

The third car, #33, entered as Vitaphone Racing (DHL) will be looking to deliver a clean sweep of the podium for the team – Local men Stephane Lemeret and Vincent Vosse will be joined by Alessandro Per Guidi and Carl Rosenblad – No slouches there but as a squad they will surely lose time to the superstars in the lead cars – Again though a drop of vertically travelling moisture or several could see a surprise     

Corvette

The MC12 numbers are matched by a trio of Corvette C6.Rs. In contrast to the Black and Turquoise Masers though all three Vettes are campaigned by single car teams.

Numerically first is the #3 car of the Selleslagh Racing Team, a seemingly ever present at Spa, Patrick Selleslagh’s happy band are long overdue a good result in the Spa 24 Hours.

Their driver line up matches another local hero (Bert Longin), with a couple of well established GT men Maxime Soulet and James Ruffier, the squad though will be not inconsiderably bolstered by the addition of Oliver Gavin to the line up, surely nobody has more experience of the C6.R at the highest level that the best that Yardley Hastings can muster on the world motorsport front.

The #4 car is another regular Spa contender, Peka (PK) Racing will have high hopes of taking an MC12 scalp or two with their line up of Low Country locals, Anthony (Ripped) Kumpen, Mike (Mad Dog) Hezemans, Kurt (Nearly as fast as Rick Pearson) Mollekens and Jos (I’ve driven everything) Menten.  On pace this a podium possibility. With racing luck it could challenge the Italian jobs.

Vette number 3 is actually #9 – The DKR Engineering C6.R now monikered and crewed as Sangari Team Brazil.

Current Superleague Formula (think football boots and a HANS device) and ex Indycar, World Series By Nissan, F3000, F3, Formula Renault, TC2000, Brazilian Stockcars and (lets not forget) Formula One man Enrique Bernoldi leads the (predictable cliché alert) boys from Brazil with 25 year old Roberto Streit providing further Latin fire in the teams belly, the ex Formula 3, Formula Chevrolet, Formula Renault and A1GP man showing that youth is no barrier to a career spanning numerous ultimately very similar single seater formulae.

Xavier Maasen is the local man here – no Brazilian connections that we know of (insert waxing quip here if you have a particularly crude sense of humour) but no shortage of circuit knowledge, C6.R knowledge and speed either – Will it be enough to keep the car on terms with the rest of the GT1s?  We’ll see.

Saleen

Finally for this group it’s the solo Saleen on the grid, the #11 Full Speed Racing S7R looks unlikely to be a contender for a win though.  Ferdinando Monfardini joins ex Viper men Arjan and Rob van der Zwaan with Vw Factory favourite Carlo van Dam seemingly now replacing Luke Hines.     This quartet may not win here but interestingly they would score no less than 113 in Scrabble.     

GT1(2010)

To add interest in GT1 there are a pair of 2010 spec cars on the list too.

Ford

Matech may have rested their factory Ford GT for Spa but the privateer #40 Marc VDS Racing Ford is on the entry – regulars Renaud Kuppens and Bas leinders joined by Eric de Doncker for the 24 hours. 

On pace the 2010 cars should sit between the GT1 (Classics) and the GT2 hordes – but will they #have the endurance over the full distance?  The Ford should be fine mechanically but what about the really new-comer.

Nissan

Nissan Motorsports continue their live test running with the Nissan GT-R.  The driver squad is second to none.  Nissan factory man Michael Krumm and Aston Martin, SEAT and now Nissan man Darren Turner are joined for Spa by Anthony Davidson, fresh from Le Mans where he got plenty of practice racing in the dark with a roof over his head – They’re quick guys but is the Nissan far enough along in its development programme to make the distance and how will the 2010 cars fare over the distance against the GT2 frontrunners?