Archive for August, 2008|Monthly archive page
Total 24 hours of Spa
Filed under: FIA GT, ferrari, photography | Tags: 2 Biagi, Aston Martin, Bartels, Bertolini, Bouchut, Bruni, Camathias, Collard, Corvette, Deletraz, Enge, Farnbacher, Fassler, Ferrari, Gollin, GT 1, Hezemans, Kox, Kumpen, Lamborghini, Lammers, Lemeret, Lichtner-Hoyer, Lieb, Maassen, Malucelli, Maserati, Melo, Montanari, Moser, Mullen, Negrao, Niarchos, Peter, Piccini, Pierguidi, Pillon, Porsche, Ramos, Rigon, Ruberti, Rusinov, Russo, Saleen, Salo, Sarrazin, Shedden, Simonsen, Soulet, Thompson, Total 24 hours of Spa 2008, Turner, Van De Poele, Vilander, Wendlinger, Westbrook
Comments (1) Even before the start of the race the pole postion car (nr.7 Saleen from Vosse/Franchi/Lamy/Zacchia) crashed on top of the Eau Rouge during the warm up. It impact was so heavy that they couldn’t start the race.
24 Hours of racing is a battle against the time for man and machine. The famous quote “You can’t win the 24H in the first corner” went arround on the paddock just before the start.
Xavier Maassen thought different and made a great start. At the end of the Camel straight he took first place in Les Combes from Fassler.
The Corvette C6R was just ready to race after a big impact during the training. Sadly there was no time to check the car proper before the race and after a couple of laps the Corvette started to have brake problems.
A few laps later it was all over for the nr.3 Corvette when Maassen crashed the car into the tire wall at the Bus Stop chicane. Again it wasn’t a drivers error but problems with the brakes.
The Maserati drivers didn’t push their cars to the limit and it should pay off later on.
With one AF Corse on the pole position for GT2 class the other one had to start from the pits because of an engine change.
Under the eyes of the master himself the drivers and teams went into the night shift.
During the night session the drivers had great difficaults aspecially because of the weather changes all the time.
Record holder of the most victories in FIA GT; Karl Wendlinger had a moment, lost control and drove into one of the Phoenix Carsport Racing Corvette’s. It was fatal for the Jetalliance Aston Martin team.
During the race the Italian forces went stronger and stronger. Maserati leading for GT1and Ferrari for GT2.
The winners from last year couldn’t repeat their performance. They had a dramatic end when the engine went on fire.
Just before the end it started to rain again. Enough to force alot of stress in the Vita Phone Maserati box.
At the end it was Maserati who won in the GT1 class. With this result Eric van de Poele has won his 5th 24 hours of Spa. A record performance! Third place was for the Gigawave Aston Martin.
In GT2 it was the BMS Scuderia Italia team with the Ferrari who won in front of the Prospeed Porsche from Collard/Westbrook/Lieb.
Visit the FULL gallery on Van De Velde Photography.com
Photographs brough you by: Michaël van de Velde
