FIA GT - Spa 24 Hours - Hour Three

18:01 Lamy finally gets ahead of Bernoldi for fourth place. He’s been threatening the move for the best part of half an hour. While that’s happening Villeneuve is flying in the #118 Mosler. His last lap was the car’s fastest yet at 2:25.975, and he’s now taking time out of all the GT2 cars ahead of him save Pilet, leading still in the #70 IMSA Porsche.

18:02 Darren Turner gets aboard the #35 Nissan and returns to the track in 12th place. Villeneuve overtakes Hommerson for 17th. The G3 lead is still being held by Thomas Mutsch in the #121 Ford GT, but he now makes the car’s third pitstop.

18:05 Bernoldi pits the #8 Corvette from fifth and hands the car to Streit -  the Corvette resumes in 6th place. Elsewhere, Henri Moser is now aboard the #111 Audi R8, Marcel Fassler having completed an impressive opening double-stint in the G2 leader. The car resumes in 11th overall, with Richard Westbrook (#60 and into the top-ten for the first time) and the Porsche Junior driver Marco Holzer (#97, 9th overall) the immediate beneficiaries.

18:11 Tim Mullen takes Nike Cadei for the #51 AF Corse F430, but the Ferrari driver is coming under pressure now from a charging Villeneuve, although the latter must be due a pitstop soon.

18:13 A stack of the leading cars have chosen this lap (the 56th since the race began) to make their second scheduled pitstops, including Oliver Gavin in the leading Selleslagh Corvette and hands it over to Bert Longin. The Corvette appears capable of at least one full lap more per tank of fuel than the best of the Maseratis. As Longin leaves the pits though..............

18:15 Safety Car after the #8 Sangari Team Brazil Corvette goes into the tyre wall at the top of Radillon. It’s a big incident for Roberto Streit, with the car smashing backwards into the tyre wall on the outside of the track before bouncing back across the exit of the pitlane. There is debris strewn all across the track and the car is hardly recognisable as a Corvette any longer. The rear of the car has been ripped clear, leaving the silhouette of a pick-up. Several other cars dive into the pitlane, including Villeneuve.  As the car leaves the scene of its accident on the flatbed it can be clearly seen that the damage is on the left hand side and rear of the car, clearly a retirement.

The young Brazilian tells circuit TV that he clipped the kerb through Eau Rouge and lost it, the good news is that he's OK, the bad news is the C6.R very much isn't.

The slow lap earlier from the #59 Trackspeed Porsche was a 'fuel starvation' problem, the car though got back safely and Joerg Bergmeister is now aboard.

18:22 Richard Westbrook is another to take advantage of the lull to pit in the #60 ProSpeed Porsche. Ruberti, now stinting in the #77 BMS Scuderia Italia F430, also pits. The safety car has worked well for Villeneuve, who might have expected to drop several slots under racing conditions but has resumed in a very competitive 16th overall, although still a lap down on Moser in the Audi, 10th.

18:27 Hommeron pits Westbrook’s sister car, the #61 ProSpeed Porsche and hands over to Raymond Coronel. The Dutchman manages to resume the track just in front of Villeneuve, setting up the interesting prospect of a close battle on the restart. The track is now largely clear of debris and the sad remains of the Corvette have been flat-bedded back to the paddock. The safety car pace has now been increased in anticipation of the restart.

18:33 Although not officially retired as yet, the #40 Ford GT has not moved from the garage since its arrival in the opening minutes of the race, and judging by the lack of activity around it, looks unlikely to be rejoining the race any time soon.

The delay for the #77 BMS car was a rear diff problem, but it is up and running again now.

18:34 The G3 leader, the #161 ProSpeed Porsche, now has David Loix in the cockpit and is circulating in 15th place behind the safety car. Other driver changes include Chris Niarchos, now into the #55 CRS Ferrari F430 and Sean Edwards, who has replaced Richard Westbrook in the #60 Porsche. Toni Vilander has stepped into the #50 AF Corse Ferrari.

18:38 Racing Resumes. Oliver Gavin is still being shown as in the leading Corvette, but his place has actually been taken by Bert Longin. Michael Bartels is second in the #1 Maserati MC12, and third is Miguel Ramos in the #2 MC12. There is twelve seconds between first and second, but a mere two separating the pair of Maseratis as they cross the line to begin lap 63. Anthony Kumpen is fourth in the #4 Peka Racing Corvette, and right on Ramos’s tail.

18:40 Rob Bell takes 16th overall from Raymond Coronel, who was swamped by Villeneuve at the restart and has now dropped to 17th.By contrast, Villeneuve has exploited the torque of the Mosler to make up two places on the restart.

18:42. Anthony Kumpen sweeps passed Ramos at Les Combes, having dogged the Portuguese driver for the whole lap. A little further back Moser has moved through to take 9th from Vilander.

18:43 Drive through penalty for car 77, the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari F430 for reasons as yet unknown.

18:45 Having got ahead of Ramos, Kumpen is released like the proverbial cork from a bottle, and is easing away rapidly at a rate of three or four seconds-a-lap.

18:46. Having predicted a battle between Villeneuve and Coronel, which turned out to be a damp squib, something more interesting is developing between two Canadians on the track – Chris Niarchos in 13th and Jacques Villeneuve 18 seconds behind, but cutting away at that margin by a good four seconds with each lap.

18:49 A fastest lap for Jorg Bergmeister in the #59 Trackspeed Porsche; 2:25.128 being a healthy five seconds quicker than the previously unregistered “Dierick” in the #11 Saleen, 17th. Both these two have just passed Raymond Coronel, who’s had a nightmare time since the restart and has lost four places since the safety car left the circuit.

18:45 The team manager of car #115 has been asked to report immediately to the stewards – that’s the car that was stopped beside the track earlier.

18:55 Having demolished Ramos a few laps ago, Anthony Kumpen is now tight under the ear wing of Michael Bartels in the #1 MC12, and challenging for second plae.

18:56 Further back, Paolo Ruberti takes Coronel for 19th place.

18:56 The lower end of the circuit is suddenly deluged by torrential rain, and as the battle for the lead rounds La Source, monsoon conditions prevail. Kumpen is foced to back off for a while as he fights to see through the spray, but the run up towards Les Combes, the ain is less severe.

18:58 Villeneuve’s charge is halted after he is one of four cars involved in a coming-together on the approach to the Bus Stop. Others involved include the in 19th place, #122 Ford GT, #122 Porsche and the second #110 G2 Mosler. The Gravity Mosler careers heavily into the tyre wall, and the rear wing and three-quarters

The Ford GT #122 is pushed back onto the circuit and resumes, as does the #123 Porsche, but it looks unlikely that Villeneuve’s Mosler can be persuaded back to the pits – his race appears to be over. The #110 Mosler remained static for several minutes, engine stalled, before it too fired back into life and limped back to the pitlane. Meanwhile, to the accompaniment of bright flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder, the pitlane was suddenly a hive of activity as scores of cars headed there for wet-weather tyres. Jorg Bergmeister, still on slicks, spun at Les Combes before recovering and continuing.

Hour Three Positions

Pos  No  Name  Nat  Class  Car  Laps  Stops  Gap  Diff  S1  S2  S3  Last Lap  Best Lap 

1 3 LONGIN BEL 1 Corvette Z06 70  3 43.979 1:10.708 1:12.633 3:07.320 2:17.011
2 1 BARTELS GER 1 Maserati MC 12 70  3 38.142 38.142 49.292 1:18.276 1:19.244 3:26.812 2:17.340
3 4 KUMPEN BEL 1 Corvette Z06 70  3 41.802 3.660 49.163 1:19.025 1:22.142 3:30.330 2:17.144
4 2 RAMOS POR 1 Maserati MC 12 70  3 50.561 8.759 49.287 1:16.011 1:25.226 3:30.524 2:18.427
5 33 LEMERET BEL 1 Maserati MC 12 70  3 55.316 4.755 49.023 1:16.464 1:21.987 3:27.474 2:17.483
6 35 TURNER GBR 1 Nissan GT-R 68  2 2 Laps   1:14.454 1:49.163   2:30.320 2:20.677
7 70 LONG USA 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 68  2 2 Laps 3:22.903 58.330 1:30.956 1:19.570 3:48.856 2:23.358
8 111 MOSER SUI 4 Audi R8 LMS 67  3 3 Laps 22.838 1:22.590 2:02.869   2:31.924 2:23.230
9 50 VILANDER FIN 2 Ferrari F430 67  2 3 Laps 17.328 1:12.423 1:56.396   2:37.015 2:24.182
10 51 CADEI ITA 2 Ferrari F430 67  2 3 Laps 5.380 1:14.537 1:59.918   2:35.881 2:22.603
11 60 EDWARDS GBR 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 67  2 3 Laps 0.224 1:09.700 2:00.744   2:33.175 2:25.610
12 97 RAGGINGER AUT 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 67 3 3 Laps 3:01.751 56.045 1:29.065 1:22.888 3:47.998 2:23.155
13 55 NIARCHOS CAN 2 Ferrari F430 66  3 4 Laps 1:13.859 2:25.111     2:53.793 2:25.179
14 161 LOIX BEL 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 66  2 4 Laps 31.966 43.651 1:12.416 1:07.324 3:03.391 2:28.956
15 56 BELL GBR 2 Ferrari F430 66  3 4 Laps 2:13.282 1:01.487 1:35.865 1:19.035 3:56.387 2:24.607
16 118 VILLENEUVE CAN 4 Mosler MT900 65  2 5 Laps 11.998 42.038 1:09.911 2:28.685 2:25.975 Retired - Accident
17 59 BERGMEISTER GER 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 65  3 5 Laps 2:04.581 2:08.183 1:32.792   2:42.127 2:25.128
18 61 CORONEL NED 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 65  2 5 Laps 6.675 1:12.067 2:06.285   2:38.124 2:28.229
19 77 RUBERTI ITA 2 Ferrari F430 65  6 5 Laps 3.218 2:04.697 1:40.052   2:44.228 2:22.014
20 11 RZWAAN NED 1 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo 65  5 5 Laps 5.626 3:05.402     3:01.004 2:21.265
21 123 VERBIST BEL 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 65  3 5 Laps 38.814 42.282 1:09.441 1:03.257 2:54.980 2:28.608
22 121 MARTIN BEL 5 Ford GT 65  5 5 Laps 7.998 42.607 1:10.965 1:09.968 3:03.540 2:22.475
23 122 LUNARDI BRA 5 Ford GT 64  2 6 Laps 9.410 44.048 1:15.124   2:31.005 2:29.016
24 172 HOOYDONCK BEL 5 Aston Martin DBRS9 64  5 6 Laps 2:56.079 42.566 1:09.575 1:11.111 3:03.252 2:28.473 25 124 DURR GER 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 64  3 6 Laps 21.223 43.973 1:15.272 1:12.339 3:11.584 2:31.084
26 116 RICH GBR 4 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 64  3 6 Laps 1:23.709 54.938 1:30.512 1:28.921 3:54.371 2:33.117
27 145 DESBRUERES FRA 5 Porsche GT3 Cup S 64 3 6 Laps 15.936 59.272 1:32.433 1:34.368 4:06.073 2:31.628
28 120 PATTERSON USA 5 Ferrari 430 GT3 63  5 7 Laps   47.908 1:21.571 1:15.355 3:24.834 2:33.233
29 160 HAVETTE FRA 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 62  4 8 Laps 39.253 53.241 1:23.723 1:19.116 3:36.080 2:32.599
30 174 CORBEL FRA 5 BMW Alpina B6 GT3 62  4 8 Laps 22.028 53.575 1:31.940 1:23.807 3:49.322 2:32.498
31 99 HARTSHORNE GBR 2 Ferrari F430 62  3 8 Laps 47.262 1:10.464 1:50.720 1:32.946 4:34.130 2:34.701
32 110 DEKEERSMAECKER BEL 4 Mosler MT900 61  3 9 Laps   43.555 1:12.513   2:32.935 2:29.196
33 117 HIRSCHI SUI 4 Porsche 996 Bi-Turbo (GT2-R) 60 4 10 Laps 3:42.608 1:02.754 1:25.251 1:29.368 3:57.373 2:31.109
34 8 STREIT BRA 1 Corvette Z06 55  2 15 Laps   38.790 1:05.094 36.443 2:20.327 2:18.096 Retired - Accident
35 115 TREMBLAY FRA 4 Porsche 996 Bi-Turbo (GT2-R) 26  3 44 Laps   45.653 1:55.891   2:49.871 2:36.101
36 40 LEINDERS BEL 1 Ford GT (001 PT GT1) 13  1 57 Laps   40.338 1:05.761 53.641 2:39.740 2:20.711

Hour Three Review -  Clear Skies over Belgium, Storms over Brazil

The first twenty minutes of the hour saw almost no change of pattern from the previous 60 minutes. Gavin continued to stretch the lead, up to nearly a full minute.  The only apparent retirement was that of the No. 115 PMB Bi-Turbo Porsche that stopped at the entry to the pit lane.

Then came a Big One. Roberto Streit went wide at the top-of-the hill chicane. The green and yellow Corvette sambaed into the wall backwards, removing quite a few of the tubes in Pratt & Miller’s creation.  The young Brazilian was fine but we lost one key GT1 contender.

There was the expected flurry of stops during the 22-minute safety car intervention. Miguel Ramos took over from Lamy in Maserati No. 2, Darren Turner moved into the Nissan, Stephane Lemeret in to the No. 33 Vitaphone entry with team owner Michael Bartels already aboard MC 12 No. 1. Importantly, Bert Longin took over the overall leading Corvette while Patrick Long now handled the GT2 leading Porsche.

The interruption of course undid Gavin’s hard work. On the restart Longin had his hands full of Bartels, but it was really no match. An accomplished local man with the big V8 pulled away from the German gentleman.

It’s getting to the point that you can set your watch to arrival of the hourly storms and the one at 19:00 was a deusy [not automotive reference, the American epithet “deusy” refers to an early ad campaign for Duesenberg]. It was a true Spa phenomenon with the course dry at Les Combes and torrential nearly everywhere else.

The rain furthered the downward spiral of the career of Jacques Villeneuve as his Mosler was involved in what looked like a 2-3 car accident. One of the G3 Fords was involved and a short time later the other Mosler also went for a lurid ride. The No. 50 Trackspin Porsche was another to aquaplane. Indeed, it looked dance day at Weissach as numerous 997s including the No. 60 Prospeed entry took to the grass. Thus far it seems that the No. 118 Mosler is the only permanently gone from this incident.

The hour ended under our second safety car intervention. Lots of debris to clean up, but like all Spa storms, look for a silver lining soon.