TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa – GT1 & GT2 Preview
Six Manufacturers In GT1-2 Joost Custers has already previewed the G2 and G3 races at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, so here we look at the two main classes. This is the seventh GT-only version of the event, the first, in 2001, having seen victory (a 1-2 in fact) go to Jack Leconte’s Larbre Competition, with its Vipers. The same team, Bouchut leading the winning crew again, was also victorious in 2002, with Laurence Pearce’s second Lister Storm coming home in an excellent second. 2003 was that remarkable event won by the Freisinger N-GT (GT2) Porsche, against 18 GT(1) cars, but the top class then had fewer pro. drivers in the line-up than does the 2007 entry. That’s not to say that there couldn’t be a surprise on Sunday afternoon this year, especially as the weather looks set to be changeable at best. 2004 witnessed an excellent race between the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 and the GPC 575, the (mainly) pros. in the 575 unable to beat the (mainly) ams. in the 550 – which was always a better car than the 575. Mika Salo was among the second placed crew that year, beaten by Lilian Bryner, Enzo Calderari, Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio Gollin. The Maserati MC12s came on stream for 2005, and Vitaphone took its first Spa win (Bartels / van de Poele / Scheider), Bartels and van de Poele doing it again in 2006, with Andrea Bertolini, after that brilliant last two hours between van de Poele and Piccini (in the Phoenix Aston Martin). The Belgian hopped out before the end, for Michael Bartels to complete the job: that was one of the truly great 24 hour races. Can the 2007 entry possibly match that? 14 GT1 cars and 13 GT2s will have a very good stab at it. Over 24 hours, especially around Spa (especially in this bizarre summer in northern Europe) anything is possible. But what is most likely to happen – another Maserati win, to make it a hat-trick? There are five of them, ranged against two Lamborghinis, four Corvettes and three Aston Martins. The MC12, even with aero changes and some ballast, is an ideal tool for a race such as this: it’s very reliable, very stable and very quick, as Jamie Davies showed in the opening stages last year. A water leak then resulted in a cooked V12, but the sister Vitaphone Maserati raced on, untroubled throughout. There are quick drivers in all of the MC12s, but the #1 Vitaphone (van de Poele / Bartels / Biagi / Lamy) and #11 Playteam (Bertolini / Piccini / De Simone / Pier Guidi) entries look the strongest. The former run on Michelins, the latter on Pirellis: how will the balance of the race between them change, as the weather changes? Lemeret / Ramos / Montanari / Bobbi look promising in #2, Alex Muller / Lambert / Giannoccaro / Busnelli look like a back-up for Playteam in #12, while the JMB entry is an interesting mixture. Macari and Aucott showed how to tackle a 24 hour race last month, and they’re joined by Philipp Peter and Marino (first time in an MC12) Franchitti. The Lamborghinis might struggle to make it through 24 hours (new colour schemes for each), but there’s pace aplenty in both the All-Inkl cars – Bouchut, Mucke, Menten, Kox and Bleekemolen named so far. That leaves the battling marques from Le Mans, and the numbers favour Corvette this time. 2006 fast man Jamie Davies is in the #23 Aston Martin Racing BMS DBR9, with usual partner Fabio Babini, plus Monfardini and Alessi. Is that strong enough to take on Corvettes and Maseratis? The #22 crew looks inexperienced, while the Jetalliance entry has a mix of experience, pace and a gentleman team owner. Pirellis on the green cars, Michelins on the blue and white. Four Corvettes – and each has a fascinating driver line-up. Hezemans / Deletraz / Gollin / Fassler for Carsport looks the strongest, but Gavin / Beretta / Vosse / Franchi, for Alphand, isn’t far behind in the talent stakes.. which is an odd way to describe a line-up which includes the multiple ALMS and Le Mans winners! “I’ve got three very good team mates who know the track well,” says Oliver Gavin. “Olivier also, like me, knows the car inside out, and the team is very strong. We (and the other Corvette teams) are lucky enough to have the technical support in Spa of a number of Pratt & Miller people, including our race engineer, Steve Cole, and they have a good understanding of what will make the Corvettes go well at this track and what it takes to win the event.” Kumpen / Longin are joined by Mollekens and Bouvy in a Spa-specialist line-up in the C5 from (what is now called) Peka (PK?) Racing, this group apparently hoping to frighten everyone else out of the way with their threatening attire! The SRT C5-R completes the GT1 field, with Marc Duez leading this group. They may not be out to win overall, but are a good bet for a very good finish. Half points at six and 12 hours, then normal points at 24, ensure that the winners of this race ought to be right in the championship hunt. If the vdP / Bartels Maserati wins again, having featured at the front throughout, Thomas Biagi will almost certainly be the 2007 FIA GT1 Champion. A deserving champion? The GT2 class probably has its Italian-built favourites, just like GT1 (For Vitaphone read 2006 GT2 winners AF Corse), but never bet against a well-driven Porsche – and there are two, three or four (perhaps even five) 997s that could do the job. It’s a simple line-up in GT2: seven Ferraris against six Porsches. The 997 wasn’t a race winner a year ago, but we know it is now – and the Le Mans winners are tackling Spa. That’s the impressive line-up of Pat Long, Richard Lietz and Raymond Narac in the IMSA Porsche. Look a little further down the list for the #97 BMS entry, and there are Emmanuel Collard, Marc Lieb and Matteo Malucelli. Add in the Ebimotors and Tech 9 entries (Pompidou in the former, Maassen and Edwards leading the charge in the latter), and there are four Porsches to really challenge the 430s. The local #60 ProSpeed team (Penders ./ Lamot / Cowberghs / Duval) makes five, with JWA (more competitive with each outing) completing Porsche’s line-up. The JWA 997 was fastest in GT2 at the test day. Ferrari’s main protagonists come from AF Corse (two), Scuderia Ecosse (two) and Edil Cris. The way Ferrari drivers switch teams, that sets up a potentially very interesting scenario. Mike Salo is racing the #50 AF Corse 430, with Toni Vilander, Rui Aguas and (P/WL man) Dirk Muller, while the #62 Scuderia Ecosse car has Tim Mullen, Jarek Janis and (former P/WL man) Tomas Enge. If Enge comes across Salo around Spa, what is he expected to do? Not follow? Not try and pass? Perhaps Stewart Roden will keep Enge away from the #62 while Salo is in the #50? “This is a tough race but, like Le Mans, you have to be in it to win it,” says the Scuderia Ecosse team owner. “In some ways it’s harder at Spa as you need to make sure you are at the front each time the points are given out. It’s a tough race for the team as they have a lot of pit-stops to get through, what with us running two cars. I think we have two strong teams of drivers so we stand a very good chance of having a successful Spa 24 Hours.” Bruni / Ortelli / Melo and Niarchos / Kirkaldy / Sugden fill the other two AF / SE Ferraris, while Paolo Ruberti leads the Edil Cris line-up. None of these top five Ferraris attended the test day earlier this month. Scuderia Ecosse has been on the back foot in the FIA GT Championship, but perhaps the weather and tyres will make it much more even around Spa? Didier de Radigues and Paul Belmondo are an interesting pair in the JMB Ferrari, while the #70 “Easy race” entry might be just that. The dsc crew will be travelling to Spa on Thursday, which is the busy practice / qualifying day – so please don’t expect too much content before the event, at least until Friday, when we expect to bring you the first information regarding an amazing story…… | 
