FIA GT - Spa 24 Hours - Hours 23

14:03 The TrackSpeed Porsche #59 is back into the pits, the clutch issue apparently not entirely resolved.

14:11 The #111 Audi has had an excursion across the infield somewhere and picked up a stack of debris in the front air intakes. It’s back to the pits for Margaritis, where the R8 comes to a steamy halt. Mechanics swarm around the car, clearing vents and removing panels to get at the engine. It’s not clear how serious the damage is just yet, but the G2 leader has five laps over the #50 AF Corse GT2 leader in fourth place.

14:17 The Audi returns to the track. A generous five litres of oil are reputed to have been added before the car departed with Moser at the wheel..

14:18 Sugden and the #59 TrackSpeed Porsche remain in the pits and have started to lose a serious amount of ground. Having been contenders for the class podium, the squad has slipped now to 12th overall, 7th in class.

Also in the garage is the #121 Matech Ford GT, still holding the lead in G3 by three laps, but the #123 Muehlner Porsche is only three laps behind and circulating strongly.

Out at the very front, the #4 Corvette rumbles along relentlessly. Menten hasn’t eased off the loud pedal too much, but times have dipped to nearer 2:30 as the team conserve their reserves for the final hour and a half. Twelve laps is the equivalent of roughly half an hour in the pits – a fair buffer, but not enough to permit any resting on laurels just yet.

14:25 The #121 has rejoined with time in hand, still holding the class lead, but has lost a lap to the #123 Porsche.

The Audi’s first and only real problem does not appear to have had any long-lasting repercussions, and the Phoenix Racing R8 is lapping as quick as ever, currently the fastest machine on the circuit.

14:30 Gianmaria Bruni pits the GT2 leader from fourth, handing over to Jaimie Melo.

14:42 The second-placed G3 Porsche, #123, pits for a driver change, refuel and tyres.

14:45 The pattern of the race has settled down into a somewhat uneventful procession. Most of the drivers have eased off the pace, with the exception of Darren Turner in the #35 Nissan, who has pushed hard since returning to the cockpit, and is now up to 13th overall, third in GT1.

14:49 We hear that Peter Kox, holding third in GT2 aboard the #56 CRS Ferrari, ay be stuck in fifth gear. Forbes, listed as still aboard the #123, posts a new fastest lap for the #123 car on his third flyer after resuming.

14:51 Peter Kox is into the pitlane in the #56 CRS F430. The team adds oil before replacing the engine cover and sending Kox back out again, apparently still restricted to one leggy fifth gear. The climb out of the pitlane does not look comfortable.

14:54 As Kox heads out, Hommerson in the #61 ProSpeed Porsche, his closest rival for position, heads in. Kox has two laps in hand, and judging by the slick and unruffled pitstop from the Porsche crew, he may need it.

14:56 Menten continues to lead overall, by twelve laps from Vosse in the #33 Vitaphone Maserati, but there’s only a few feet between them on the track. Menten has upped his pace slightly, seeing the MC12 in his mirrors, but not anywhere close to the kind of pace he was posting a few hours back, at the height of the battle with the #3 Corvette or the #2 Maserati.

14:58 To avoid any potential conflict or misunderstanding, perhaps, Menten dives into the pitlane at the end of the 536th lap, leaving Vosse to cross the line on his own.

Hour 23 Positions

Pos  No  Name  Nat  Cls   Car  Laps  On Track  Stops  Gap  Diff  S1  S2  S3  Last Lap  Best Lap 
1  4   MENTEN NED 1 Corvette Z06 536  21     41.676 1:10.663 46.921 2:39.260 2:16.462
2  33   VOSSE BEL 1 Maserati MC 12 524  19 12 Laps   41.891     2:30.650 2:16.297
3  111   MOSER SUI 4 Audi R8 LMS 520  23 16 Laps   44.147 1:08.502   2:38.400 2:21.106
4  50   MELO BRA  2 Ferrari F430 516  21 20 Laps 1:40.890 42.725 1:08.174 38.113 2:29.012 2:23.965
5  97   MILLER USA 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 512  21 24 Laps   44.122 1:10.292   2:33.707 2:23.155
6  56   KOX NED  2 Ferrari F430 505  23 31 Laps 2:11.167 47.949 1:11.500 41.176 2:40.625 2:24.492
7  61   MACHIELS BEL 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 502  20 34 Laps 1:50.082 43.869     4:29.568 2:26.813
8  55   GOODWIN GBR 2 Ferrari F430 501  20 35 Laps   43.995     2:34.621 2:25.179
9  60   WESTBROOK GBR 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 501  22 35 Laps 5.765 42.278     2:28.007 2:23.559
10  121   MUTSCH GER 5 Ford GT 496  22 40 Laps   43.277     2:32.464 2:22.475
11  123   FORBES AUS 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 494  18 42 Laps 40.138 42.426     2:29.191 2:27.530
12  161   PALTTALA FIN 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 492  19 44 Laps   42.927 1:09.227   2:28.584 2:24.896
13  35   TURNER GBR 1 Nissan GT-R 488  23 48 Laps 1:40.788 40.789 1:08.712 36.872 2:26.373 2:18.321
14  3   GAVIN GBR 1 Corvette Z06 482  21 54 Laps 1:24.380 40.894 1:06.746 46.723 2:34.363 2:15.423
15  59   SUGDEN GBR 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 480  25 56 Laps 2:09.291 58.178 1:20.350 58.758 3:17.286 2:23.593
16  172   HOOYDONCK BEL 5 Aston Martin DBRS9 479  23 57 Laps 54:23.112 43.375 1:09.793   2:33.312 2:26.666
17  145   GREISCH BEL 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 475  20 61 Laps   44.626 1:14.499   2:40.795 2:26.578
18  116   SHARP GBR 4 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 465  17 71 Laps 2:03.388 44.677 1:13.482 40.975 2:39.134 2:32.213
19  1   BARTELS GER 1 Maserati MC 12 464  20 72 Laps   41.572 1:06.999   2:25.892 2:16.784
20  160   KERKHOVE BEL 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 461  20 75 Laps 54.934 44.627     2:40.007 2:32.599
21  120   CULLEN IRL 5 Ferrari 430 GT3 453  29 83 Laps 3.250 44.628     2:35.868 2:30.688
22  70   PILET FRA 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 425  18 111 Laps 16.716   2:22.658 rtd
23  2   MULLER GER 1 Maserati MC 12 419  15     39.273     2:19.431 2:16.067 rtd
24  99   HARTSHORNE GBR 2 Ferrari F430 406  18 130 Laps   45.235 1:12.543 50.714 2:48.492 2:27.720 rtd
25  110   SMETS BEL 4 Mosler MT900 381  19 155 Laps   48.068 1:21.508 44.050 2:53.626 2:29.196
26  77   RUBERTI ITA 2 Ferrari F430 329  21 207 Laps 56.035         2:22.014 Rtd
27  51   CADEI ITA 2 Ferrari F430 316  13 220 Laps 23.287 41.330 1:07.584 43.965 2:32.879 2:22.603 Rtd
28  40   DEDONCKER BEL 1 Ford GT (001 PT GT1) 294  14 242 Laps   42.837     2:28.315 2:20.711

Hour 23 Review

The race is certainly not going away without a bang. At the 22:15 hour mark, Margaritis pulls the Audi into the pits with smoke, steam, and seemingly volcanic magma poring out of every orifice. The mechanics are in a panic. For the first time in recorded history something seems to have happened to an Audi that is not covered in the step-by-step manual.

Ah, but about five minutes later someone finds the correct page and discipline returns. Everything is cleaned, a few patches are made and off goes the red and white car, now third overall.

The G3 leading No. 121 Ford is in the garage with attention being given to the undertray. It had earlier been crashed by Wyss. Thomas Mutsch (who has driven the largest share of the race) is aboard. He is under a mild threat from the No. 123 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche of Rodney Forbes from about two laps behind.

We’re down to the last 90 minutes, or 1-1/2 New Spec World GT Champ races—a mere flash. Already it appears that the Belgian public has voted with their feet. Yesterday’s crowd was already noticeably thinner than that of previous years. Certainly the state of the economy is partly to blame. What is surprising is how few have returned tor the finish. The tribunes are only 30-40 percent filled at best.