Spa 24 Hours - Qualifying 1 Report
A Touch Of Moisture In The Air

A deluge of cars took to the track promptly at 19:30. A deluge of rain arrived promptly at 19:31. Being Spa, the skies cleared about two minutes later. Thirty-three of the 37 cars completed at least one flying lap before---drum roll, you guessed it!

I’m not sure if it’s only rain falling; locusts, cats, dogs, and small children seem to be raining in buckets. Thunder accompanied it all. Incredibly, in the midst of this a lone car—looks a Mosler –  was shown on the screen as leaving pit lane. I have no idea how far he made it as the Radillon-Eau Rouge section is completely obscured—not by clouds but by the sheets of rain.

Peter “Pedro” May has arrived back at press room several kilos heavier then when he left. He needs to be wrung like a towel to again be his diminutive self. I’ve got a call out for the no longer scantily clad Belgian girls to perform the task.  Pedro reported that the cars were followed not by spray but by waves.

Clearly what you see is what you get on the timing screen. Even if the rain stops immediately the track will not dry out for a day or so. After 20 minutes or so of the biblical stuff the rain eased to a mere storm. Saying that conditions have improved from before is a little like debating whether Stalin or Mao was the better dictator. The track remains open with the admonition that it is officially a “wet track.” I suggest that the phrase “no shit” be appended to that. There are simply no cars circulating and David Legangneux reports that at least one car, one of the G3 class Fords, went off and sustained damage.

It looks like Miguel Ramos will be the pole winner with his 2:18.030 in the No. 2 MC 12. Teammate Alessandro Pier Guidi is next at 2:18.591. Making it all Vitaphone 1-2-3 comes Michael Bartels at 2:19.222. The top non-Maserati is Enrique Bernoldi, fourth in the Samba Corvette at 2:19.530. The best GT1-neuf is the Ford of Bas Leinders at 2:21.881. Toni Vilander at 9th overall is quickest in GT2 with a 2:23.232 in the No. 50 AF Corse Ferrari. Chris Niarchos is second in class while next in the overall order comes Thomas Mutsch, heading the G2 class with the No. 121 Matech Ford. Eddy Renard in the Barwell-run Aston Martin heads G3.

SRO is going to have a fun time sorting out things likes rules about minimum laps completed etc. One hopes that in their infinitesimal wisdom they will do the grid justice.

With only some three minutes left in the session, Darren Turner ventured out in the Nissan. But there was simply not enough time left to complete his wading lap before attempting a swimming lap. Turner will have to wait until some other time to demonstrate his backstroke.

Janos Wimpffen