FFSA GT Nogaro – Race 2 Report
Corvette Wins Race 2

The track was dry on Sunday morning for the qualifying sessions for Monday’s Race 2. In the GT1/GT2 session, Christophe Bouchut (#7 Larbre Compétition Saleen S7R) was quickest at the outset, improving his lap times repeatedly.

Late in the session however, Olivier Thévenin (#4 Tarrès Team Saleen S7R) claimed the pole position, ahead of Bouchut. Two Corvettes were on the second row: the #2 DKR Engineering C6.R (Jean-Philippe Dayraut) third and #9 SRT C6.R (Soheil Ayari), fourth. Olivier Porta (#6 Tarrès Team Saleen) was fifth quickest and Luc Cazenave (#3 DKR Engineering Corvette C5-R) sixth – so an almost perfect mix of Saleens and Corvettes. In the GT2 category, the #37 Estoril Porshe 996 RSR was ahead of #34 Pro GT Porsche 997 RSR and #40 Pelsi Racing Porsche 996 RSR.

In the GT3 category, Christopher Campbell (#55 AS Events Ferrari 430) was quickest. He was ahead of Julien Briché (#58 First Racing Lamborghini Gallardo), M.Parisy (#57 AS Events Ferrari 430) and Antoine Leclerc (#54 First Racing Lamborghini Gallardo).

At the start on Monday afternoon, rain was falling, and it was Jean-Philippe Dayraut (#2 DKR Engineering Corvette C6.R) who used his ice racing experience in the Andros Trophy and jumped from the second row to the lead. He was ahead of Soheil Ayari (#9 SRT C6.R), but Ayari in the black and white SRT Corvette passed Dayraut on the eighth lap.

Then there was contact, Ayari ending up on the grass and losing a lap, while Dayraut kept the lead.

Christophe Bouchut (#7 Larbre Compétition Saleen S7R) was now in second place but his Saleen was less effective than the Corvettes on the wet track. Yvan Lebon took over from Dayraut at the driver change and stayed in the lead.

Olivier Thévenin, poleman with the #4 Tarrès Team Saleen, had had a difficult start with an off, dropping to the middle of the GT3 field, but had moved up to fourth place at the driver change, behind Olivier Porta (Tarrès Team Saleen).

Within 15 minutes of the chequered flag, a GT3 car went off the track and the safety car appeared. Bornhauser caught the leader but could not take advantage with a place change. After his first misfortune, Ayari had been pushing hard to catch the leaders but he went into a gravel trap on lap 17, just before Hernandez took over – but he finished well down.
Eric Debard, now at the wheel of the #4 Saleen passed Cormarèche's sister car and eventually finished third.

In the GT2 category, Eric Mouez and David Loger, already winners on Sunday, had a trouble free race ahead of the surprising #23 Toyota Pelsi Racing Toyota Biturbo (Signoret / Gaunot) which had been leading for a while. The Monteiro brothers were third with the #37 Estoril Porsche 996 RSR.

Jean-Philippe Dayraut (#2 DKR Engineering Corvette C6.R): “When Soheil Ayari overtook me, I matched his pace. I was seeing him pushing really hard, going up the kerbs and soon after he went a bit loose. I went inside him and we had a contact. I could go on and Yvan did a good job to stay in the lead, even after the yellow."

Christophe Bouchut (#7 Larbre Compétition Saleen S7R): “Today, under the rain, the Saleen was competitive but it was impossible to take on the Corvettes The car improved when the track began to dry and we are happy with the second place. It is good for the championship standings."

Championship standings after Nogaro
1 Bouchut/Bornhauser (Larbre Compétition Saleen S7R) 54 pts
2 Dayraut/Lebon (DKR Engineering Corvette C6.R) 44
3 Thévenin/Debard (Tarrès Team Saleen) 42
4 Ayari/Hernandez (SRT Corvette C6.R) 24
5 Mouez/Loger (Porsche 996 RSR) 18

GT3
The second race was hard fought, with four GT3 taking turns in the lead, and eventually Franck Morel and Fabien Rosier (#74 Le Revelois Dodge Viper) took the win. Fabien Rosier started from the third row of the grid, moved up quickly through the field and took the lead of the GT3 category on lap 15. Franck Morel took over from him and kept his position.

The safety car appeared due to an off for the #70 Sport Garage Ferrari 430 (Thierry Prignaud) - allowing Romain Brandela (#69 Sport Garage Ferrari 430) to close up on Morel's Dodge Viper but Morel succeeded in holding off Ferrari to win the race, and end up fourth overall.

Brandela and Bruce Lorgeré-Roux were runners-up, after an eventful weekend. Their Ferrari had been crashed on Friday, a new chassis was brought from Italy, the car started from the last row on the grid of the first race on Sunday and Lorgeré-Roux and Brandela finished in fifth place in Race 2.

The second First Racing Lamborghini was a DNS, Bruno Dubreuil suffering from a broken rib after a crash in Race 1.

Fabien Rosier (#42 Le Revelois Dodge Viper): “Our Viper was competitive under the rain and I have to thank the team which did a lot of work after our troubles. In the early laps, I was behind several GT3s and I had an off. Then, I moved up quietly and to take the lead before being replaced by Franck Morel."
Claude Foubert (and www.ffsa.org)

GT3 Championship standings
1 Ruffier/Peyroles (Ruffier Racing Dodge Viper) 36 pts
2 Jakubowski/Campbell (AS events Ferrari 430) 34
3 Tuchbant/Leclerc (First Racing Lamborghini Gallardo) 34
4 Morel/Rosier (Le Revelois Dodge Viper) 30
5 Brandela/Lorgeré-Roux (Sport Garage Ferrari 430) 30
6 Moureu/Parisy (AS Events Ferrari 430) 28

Result
1 DAYRAUT J P / LEBON Y DKR ENGINEERING CORVETTE C6-R GT1 1h00:17.277 1:39.242 / 4
2 BORNHAUSER / BOUCHUT C P LARBRE COMPETITION SALEEN S7-R GT1 1h00:18.830 +1.553 1:40.360 / 8
3 THEVENIN O / DEBARD E E TARRES TEAM SALEEN S7-R GT1 1h00:58.895 +41.618 1:40.822 / 11
4 ROSIER / MOREL A LE REVELOIS DODGE VIPER GT3 1h01:10.128 +52.851 1:42.374 / 14
5 LORGERE ROUX B / BRANDELLA R SPORT GARAGE FERRARI 430 GT3 1h01:11.143 +53.866 1:43.434 / 10
6 PORTA O / CORMERECHE D TARRES TEAM SALEEN S7-R GT1 1h01:38.175 +1:20.898 1:41.591 / 8
7 CAZENAVE L / POLICE J C DKR ENGINEERING CORVETTE C5-R GT1 1h01:59.333 +1:42.056 1:43.221 / 8
8 PEYROLES A / RUFFIER J RUFFIER RACING DODGE VIPER GT3 1h00:28.910 +1 Tour 1:43.894 / 10
9 MOUREU / PARISY M D AS EVENTS FERRARI 430 GT3 1h00:30.247 +1 Tour 1:43.920 / 7
10 TUCHBANT D / LECLERC A B FIRST RACING LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO GT3 1h00:34.328 +1 Tour 1:44.984 / 7
11 CAYROLLE / YVON A HEXIS RACING ASTON MARTIN DBRS 9 GT3 1h00:38.449 +1 Tour 1:45.859 / 11
12 JAKUBOWSKI / CAMPBELL C F AS EVENTS FERRARI 430 GT3 1h00:41.684 +1 Tour 1:44.558 / 6
13 LAMIC P / VANNELET A SPORT GARAGE FERRARI 430 GT3 1h00:53.474 +1 Tour 1:44.612 / 10
14 LAURIN / MOULLIN TRAFFORT J GCR DODGE VIPER GT3 1h00:56.473 +1 Tour 1:44.983 / 11
15 CLAIRAY G / LEVY JC M GCR DODGE VIPER GT3 1h00:57.202 +1 Tour 1:44.913 / 9
16 RODRIGUES J / RODRIGUES M HEXIS RACING ASTON MARTIN DBRS 9 GT3 1h00:57.516 +1 Tour 1:45.160 / 4
17 LELIEVRE F / POLETTE P IMSA PORSCHE 997 CUP GT3 1h00:17.326 +2 Tours 1:47.393 / 6
18 HERNANDEZ / AYARI S B SELLESLAGH RACING TEAM CORVETTE C6-R GT1 1h00:18.343 +2 Tours 1:39.001 / 4
19 DEMAY J / SNOBECK D J AS EVENTS FERRARI 430 GT3 1h00:28.992 +2 Tours 1:44.734 / 8
20 MOUEZ E / LOGER D A NOURRY COMPETITION PORSCHE 996 RSR GT2 1h00:40.195 +2 Tours 1:47.224 / 23
21 PONT P / BACHELIER J M GCR PORSCHE 997 CUP GT3 1h00:55.552 +2 Tours 1:46.955 / 9
22 FRANCE P A / FRANCE E RUFFIER RACING DODGE VIPER GT3 1h01:01.529 +2 Tours 1:46.493 / 12
23 SIGNORET / GAUNOT A PELSI RACING TOYOTA SUPRA BI TURB GT2 1h01:07.639 +2 Tours 1:47.997 / 5
24 LEPREUX C / RUFFIER BA RUFFIER RACING DODGE VIPER GT3 1h01:11.022 +2 Tours 1:47.449 / 15
25 MONTEIRO M / MONTEIRO C ESTORIL RACING PORSCHE 996 RSR GT2 1h01:20.157 +2 Tours 1:47.555 / 6
26 PHILIPON C / LABESCAT F ESPACE RACING PORSCHE 996 RSR GT2 1h01:40.292 +2 Tours 1:48.269 / 11
27 MERAFINA / HALLYDAY D W LARBRE COMPETITION SALEEN S7-R GT1 1h00:19.310 +3 Tours 1:41.834 / 30
28 STEPEC T / GUILVERT G A RMS EMERAUDE RACING PORSCHE 997 CUP GT3 1h00:51.727 +3 Tours 1:46.066 / 13
29 MILOE JL / MILOE J L RUFFIER RACING LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO GT3 1h00:39.800 +4 Tours 1:45.887 / 4
30 RAUTUREAU / PRIGNAUD A SPORT GARAGE FERRARI 430 GT3 42:58.100 +11 Tours 1:45.877 / 9
31 CHAMPEAU J P / BLUGEON C C PRO GT PORSCHE 997 RSR GT2 16:35.981 +25 Tours 1:46.513 / 5
32 CABANNE / SOURD G RUFFIER RACING LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO GT3 4:38.507 +32 Tours 1:51.567 /