Archive:11/10/99-1/28/02
July 30,2002 Spa 24 Team News:
LISTER STORM RACING: GOING FLAT OUT (1st in GT, 37 points)
After a storming race in Oschersleben, when Jamie Campbell-Walter finished just a second behind the winning Ferrari 550 Maranello of new points leaders Deletraz and Piccini, and after Nicolaus Springer put in his best performance so far, Lister Storm Racing regained the lead in the GT Teams Classification. The team is now busy preparing for the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, a race they opted not to contest last season. The regular drivers of the nr 14 Lister Storm will be joined by Eric van de Poele and Andy Wallace, both of whom have driven for Lister in the past. "We're doing all right," team principal Laurence Pearce said. "The car was very quick in testing, when Jamie did a 2:16.7 - we were really in a league of our own on the test day. I am not planning to put Nicolaus into the car until after the 12-hour mark; I'll just run Wallace, van de Poele and Jamie. I've prepared a car specially for this race, with a new spec engine and gear-box, we've got new tyres from Dunlop, who have risen to the occasion, and I'm really out to have a go ! I like the idea of the points at the 6 hour and 12 hour marks. I'd like to run the first 6 hours flat out, with 5 pit stops to the first points. If it's dry, we'll go as fast as we can, get some points under our belts and go on from there. Things are pretty close in the Championship now, but the winner of the 24 Hours of Spa will most probably go on to win the Championship." The second car will be driven by Verdon Roe, Miguel de Castro, a Lister driver in the Spanish GT Championship, David Sterckx, who won Group 3 last year in a Land Motorsport Porsche 996, and Philippe Steveny, who led the race in the Rafanelli Ferrari Maranello last year. Knapfield will not be driving for Lister Storm Racing again this season; his replacement will be announced later.
LARBRE COMPETITION: CHEREAU HOPES TO REPEAT 2001 FEAT (2nd in GT, 36 points)
The nr 1 Chrysler Viper had its first retirement of the season in Germany, after Bouchut and Belloc had finished on the podium in every other race. However, the second car of Vosse and Rosenblad finished fourth, placing the team just one point behind the current leaders. "We won last year at Spa and we hope to aim for victory there again in 2002," said team owner Jack Leconte. "We will be on an equal footing with our competitors for the first time for some races, as none of us will have any penalty weight. And, before retiring with technical problems, we were able to show at Oschersleben that despite having 100 kg, we were able to keep in touch with Lister and Ferrari. Larbre is the only team in the GT category with significant endurance experience. We finished second at Daytona and third at Sebring this year, and we hope to continue in that vein. This race is a cornerstone of the 2002 Championship and we intend to definitively take the lead. If we don't do it here, the chance will be gone. You can count on us to aimfor the win ! We have 4 drivers in each car, as we do for Daytona. The circuit is harder on the drivers than Le Mans, with no long straights, so this gives us more of a safety margin. Some drivers are better in the rain, some are better at night - I want to hold all the cards in my hands !"
Bouchut, Terrien and Vosse will be in the lead car, joined by current F3000 leader Sebastien Bourdais, who finished second in last year's race. "This weekend is doubly important," 2001 winner Christophe Bouchut explained. "First of all, there is the prestige of the winning the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, and the importance of the race in the Championship. After retiring in Oschersleben, we really need a win if we want to get the title. We will not be aiming to be the fastest over one lap, but we will be looking at this race like any other endurance race." The second car will be driven by Rosenblad, Jean-Luc Chéreau and Jean-Claude Lagniez, joined by Didier Defourny.
BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA : FOUR IN A ROW ? (3rd in GT, 33 points)
After three consecutive wins, Jean-Denis Deletraz and Andrea Piccini have risen to lead the GT Drivers Classification, and have taken their team, BMS Scuderia Italia, to within four points of the overall lead in the Teams points chart. "This race is the big question mark for us," Deletraz said. "The Prodrive-built Maranello has only done one 24-hour race, which it failed to finish due to problems linked to the youth of the project. They have fixed that problem, but we do not know if others might appear. But it did run very quickly for twelve hours, so we will be pushing hard to try for the points at six and twelve hours, and then we'll see. All the team has been working extremely hard. Our main aim is to limit any damage so that we have a good chance of going for the title in the final three races. At Spa, I think our main rivals will be Bouchut and Terrien. Larbre Competition Chéreau won last year, and the Chrysler Viper has many solid years of endurance experience. Our main ally could be the rain, which will level the field and which is easier on the car. As a track, I like Spa a lot, and so does Andrea."
This will be Andrea Piccini's first 24-hour race. "I'll just have to see how it goes. I've never raced at night before; I've only done 24 hour karting races, which were indoors, so the conditions never change. However, I know Spa well, from Opel Lotus and three years in Formula 3000, so I know where the track goes. The circuit is quite challenging, but at least you don't get bored. The weather could be difficult, but it'll be the same for everyone. And I really like racing in the rain, I'm always very confident in wet conditions, so whatever happens, I'll be OK." They will be sharing the nr 23 Ferrari 550 Maranello with Lilian Bryner.
The nr 22 car will be driven by Frédéric Dor, Enzo Calderari and Dutch driver Peter Kox, who drove the Prodrive Allstars Ferrari 550 Maranello last year, winning at the A1 Ring. Calderari, who missed Oschersleben after undergoing surgery on his arm, hopes to be sufficiently recovered to drive. "We are hoping to fit power steering on the nr 22 car before the race," press officer Marco Streparava explained. "Calderari very much wants to race, and will do everything he can to be in the car."
CARSPORT HOLLAND:STRONG LINE-UP (4th in GT, 30 points)
Just seven points behind the leaders in the Teams classification, Dutch team Carsport Holland is fielding two strong line-ups for the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa. Thierry Tassin, four-times winner of the event, rejoins the team alongside Mike Hezemans and Anthony Kumpen in the nr 3 Chrysler Viper GTS-R, while fast Belgian single-seater driver Bas Leinders will be in the nr 4 car with Fabrizio Gollin and Luca Cappellari. Leinders, a former F3000 driver, is currently competing in the World Nissan series, with two wins so far this season. "It's looking quite good," Hezemans said. "It is always difficult to win a 24 hour race, but I think that maybe we have a chance against the Ferrari and Lister. We haven't had the reliability or the luck this season, so the only hope for us in the Championship is to win this race. We are really aiming for the overall victory, as the other cars will pushing hard for the six and twelve hour points. We have some excellent Belgian drivers in Tassin and Leinders; I hope we can make up for last year's disappointment, when we retired late after being in the lead or second for much of the race."
PAUL BELMONDO RACING : AIMING FOR A WIN (5th in GT, 20 points)
Paul Belmondo Racing took their second podium finish of the year at Oschersleben, with Silverstone winners Fabio Babini and Marc Duez finishing in third place. The team is now aiming for a win in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, with two interesting line-ups in its Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars. "One car, with Babini, Duez and Derichebourg, is very fast and very experienced," team owner Paul Belmondo explained.
"Gosselin and I will share the other car with Ryo Fukuda, who is a very fast young driver with a lot of experience at Spa. I think it will be a good race. Our tactics are to aim for the overall win, not for the points mid-race. I would prefer to win outright - I think people will remember who won the race, not who got points. So our aim is to be at the front after 24 hours. We will base our rhythm on the other Vipers, although the Ferrari and Lister cars could be a threat." Fukuda, from Japan, is the reigning French Formula Three Champion, and last year he won both of the rounds that were held at Spa. He is currently a test driver for BAR in Formula One.
Boris Derichebourg drove for Paul Belmondo Racing in the FIA GT Championship in 2000 and 2001, with a win and numerous podium finishes. "It's great to be back with the team," the 24-year old Frenchman said. "I know the team and the car well, so I don't think I will have any problems readapting after driving prototypes this season. I know the team has made a lot of progress since last year, and I hope we will have a really good race."
JMB RACING :(1st in N-GT, 56 points)
JMB RACING, currently leading the N-GT teams classification by 19 points, is putting all hope on its side by combining its four leading drivers in one Ferrari 360 Modena. Christian Pescatori and Andrea Montermini, leading the N-GT Drivers classification, will most probably share the nr 50 Ferrari 360 Modena with Andrea Bertolini and Andrea Garbagnati, who have finished on the podium in the last two races. The team will have three cars in total, between JMB Racing and JMB Competition. "We are trying to do Spa with as many of our usual drivers as possible, which will be good for the points," team manager Benjamin Durand explained.
"The second car will be driven by Peter Kutemann, Stephen Earle, who was with us at Le Mans, and one or two drivers yet to be named. Possible drivers for the third car include Batti Pregliasco and Iradj Alexander. We have not done any endurance testing, but the official test day at Spa went extremely well, and we are not at all worried in terms of pure performance. We have just completed some tyre testing with Pirelli at Fiorano, which went very well. Last year we lasted twenty hours, and this year we hope to do four more. We are aiming for a 12-hour race, and anything after that will be a bonus. I think the rhythm of the race will be extremely high for the first six hours, as everyone wants points. After Spa, we will be working hard on the car with Michelotto and Ferrari, to have some surprises for the first race back in September. It should be interesting !"
Christian Pescatori was part of last year's line-up. "This year, the car is a lot more reliable than it was when we did the 24 Hours of Spa last year," he explained. "We have made a number of changes, and we are confident that the car can last the distance. With four drivers who all know the car very well, I think we have a strong team. Also, we will not have any penalty weight for the first time since Magny Cours - although Ortelli will not either ! I think Spa is a fantastic circuit; the only problem is the weather, which can be very changeable. However, our Pirelli tyres are very good in the rain, which could be important. The long fast straights will suit the Porsche cars, but the fast corners will favour us. I would think that the Porsche cars might be ahead for the first six hours, but we hope to catch up and stay in the top three for the rest of the race."
FREISINGER: FIELDS STRONG LINE-UP (2nd in N-GT, 37 points)
After three consecutive wins in Brno, Jarama and Anderstorp, Freisinger Motorsport failed to make it four in a row in Oschersleben, despite claiming pole position and setting a fast pace at the start. A broken wheel rim took the nr 54 Porsche 996 GT3-R out of the race. The team's second car, driven by Daoudi and Longin, came in a fine fourth place, just missing out on a podium after a last minute fuel stop. Last year, Freisinger Motorsport finished second in the N-GT class at Spa, and this year they will be hoping to go one better and take the win.
The leading car will be driven by Stéphane Ortelli and Emmanuel Collard, who won together in Sweden, and young French driver Romain Dumas, who has driven for the team at Le Mans for the past two years. Dumas is one of the frontrunners in the Euro F3000 series, and also drove for Freisinger in the final round of the 2001 FIA GT Championship. Bert Longin will be in the nr 55 Porsche 996 GT3-R, with Georges Fourgeois and two other drivers yet to be named.
AUTORLANDO :(3rd in N-GT, 26 points)
Italian team Autorlando Sport took their first win of the season in Oschersleben, with Peter and Wolff bringing their Porsche 996 GT3-R home ahead of the RWS Porsche of Garcia and Felbermayr. The team remains in third place in the Teams classification, but has begun to close the gap to second placed Freisinger Motorsport. "The win in Oschersleben was very good for us," Philipp Peter explained. "We had worked on the race set-up from the beginning of the weekend, but I think our win came partly from superstition. Last year my wins came when I drove second, so I persuaded Toto to start the race, and we were able to win again. Toto has made good progress this year; he concentrates hard, listens a lot, and is able to apply it on the track. It also helps that we are good friends, and have been for 15 years, so we trust each other and get results."
For the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, the nr 58 Porsche 996 GT3-R will not be driven by the usual team, but by four German drivers : Dr Stefan Jentzsch, Dr Ulrich Schumacher, Udo Schneider and Andreas von Zitzewitz.
RWS:RICCITELLI AND QUESTER RETURN (5th in N-GT, 10 points)
After starting the season in the GT category with a Porsche 996 GT, Luca Riccitelli and Dieter Quester, part of RWS's winning line-up in last year's Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, will return to the team for this year's event. "We will be racing the car usually driven by Garcia in the FIA GT Championship, and the line-up looks very strong to me," Luca said. " We won last year, and so I hope we can do it again. However, in a 24-hour race, it is not only important to have fast drivers, you need everything else to go right too. But I think we have a good chance. I have been waiting for a long time to drive - it is definitely time to get back to the track and time to win!"
They will be joined in the nr 76 car by Oschersleben winners Philipp Peter and Toto Wolff, making a very strong team indeed. "We finalised the deal with RWS last week," Peter said. "We need to be strong to beat the Freisinger guys who are even stronger. I think the race will be interesting, and there will be a lot to think about in terms of tactics, with points being allocated at 6 and 12 hours. I like Spa; I had my first Porsche Supercup podium finish there last year, and the track holds a number of good memories. We tested there in the Supercup at the track last week. I am sure the car will be good, and the Pirelli tyres too."
Antonio Garcia, who has had two podiums for RWS in the three races he has had with the German team, will be in the nr 77 car with Russian drivers Alexei Vasiliev and Nikolaj Fomenko. They will be joined by another Spanish driver, Jésus Villearoy.
July 10,2002 Dart Racing To Enter Ferrari 550:
Dart Racing, the Italian team that enters an Alfa Romeo 156 Gta for young British driver Tom Ferrier in the FIA European Touring Car Championship, has announced plans to enter the FIA GT Championship.
In conjunction with Red Bull, they plan to race an Italtecnica-built Ferrari 550 Maranello, updated to 2002 specifications, from the Pergusa round on September 22nd. The car will be driven by Austrian Dieter Quester and Italian Luca Riccitelli, who have been frontrunners in the N-GT class for RWS Motorsport over the past two seasons.
A presentation of the team and the car's livery will take place in the Super Racing Club in the Oschersleben Paddock, at 18:00 on Saturday 13th July.
June 10,2002 Championship Update:
LARBRE COMPETITION CHEREAU TAKES THE LEAD (1st in GT, 33 points)
To the delight of team manager Jack Leconte, second place for Bouchut and Terrien, and sixth for Vosse and Rosenblad, gave French team Larbre Competition Chéreau enough points to take the lead of the FIA GT Championship Teams Classification after the Anderstorp race. The team's exemplary consistency, with its cars finishing in the points at every race, has also meant that the nr 1 Chrysler Viper GTS-R will carry 100 kg penalty weight at Oschersleben. "We are all very pleased, as this was the aim," explained Vincent Vosse, driver of the nr 2 Larbre Competition Chéreau Chrysler Viper GTS-R. "We have a number one car, and our job is to help it win the Drivers Championship, and we also have to help the team in order to win the Teams Championship. Unfortunately, my error in Qualifying in Sweden meant that Rosenblad and I were not able to finish higher than sixth. I think otherwise we could have been in the top four, because I like racing in the rain. Luckily, I do not make mistakes like that very often. The team has been very reliable so far this season; for good results, you need to be both reliable and competitive, which is not such an easy compromise." Vosse is looking forward to Oschersleben, where he last raced in 1999. "It seems a long time ago. As far as I remember, it's a modern circuit, a bit like Valencia, but faster. We were third fastest in Qualifying there, in both the rain and the dry, but had engine problems in the race. I'm really looking forward to going back, as I have some good memories of the place."
LISTER STORM RACING AIMS FOR A GOOD RESULT (2nd in GT, 30 points)
"We'll have almost no weight in Oschersleben - only 10 kg - which is a big bonus," Jamie Campbell-Walter said after neither Lister Storm finished the rain-soaked Swedish race. "No-one in the team is familiar with the track, but as far as I know it is quite short and twisty; circuits like that are generally easier to learn than longer tracks like Spa-Francorchamps. Sweden was unfortunate, but we have to look forward, and hope to get some good points before the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa." Jamie finished his previous race in the mud, having left the track due to a persistent brake problem. "The car was full of gravel and mud, but there was no damage. We really suffered with the brake problem, which was caused by a broken cable. We've changed it, and everything is now OK. However, in Anderstorp, no-one had a spare cable. BMS leant us one, but it was 4 inches too short. Strangely, it is usually cheap and simple parts like that which cause the most problems."
CARSPORT HOLLAND HOPING TO PROGRESS (3rd in GT, 28 points)
Dutch team Carsport Holland is currently lying in third place in the GT Teams Classification, after its two Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars finished in third and fourth places at Anderstorp. Mike Hezemans last drove at Oschersleben in 1999, at the wheel of a Marcos LM600 in the free practice sessions. "I only did a handful of laps, because the engine broke," the Dutch driver said. "As far as I remember, the track is quite slow, and we might have a little bit of a power advantage over the Ferrari there, as there are no long straights. But basically, I think the Lister will be unbeatable, especially as they have almost no penalty weight. We have been trying different roll bars and other things, to try and make progress with the car. We were so quick at the start of the season, but everyone else has caught up with us. There are a lot of very good drivers in the various Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars, which means they are still competitive, but despite that, I think it will be difficult for any of us to win a race, except for the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, where our reliability should win through."
FORCE ONE RETURNS TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
The Force One Ferrari 550 Maranello missed the Anderstorp event, in order to test the car and attempt to solve the reliability problems, which have plagued the car during the previous races. "We have been testing in Fiorano, and have made a lot of changes to the car," Philippe Alliot explained. "We will be back for the Oschersleben race, and we hope that the car will be reliable." As usual, Alliot will share the nr 5 Ferrari with French rock star and motorsports enthusiast David Hallyday.
JMB RACING RETAINS ITS LEAD (1st in N-GT, 52 points)
"We had a few problems in Anderstorp," Andrea Montermini admitted. "We thought we would be fine in the rain, but the conditions were different than we had supposed, and the hour and a half behind the safety car destroyed our job." The points leaders in the N-GT Drivers Classification only finished in fourth place in Sweden, the first time they have failed to finish on the podium this season. "We really need to work a lot, as Porsche is putting in a huge effort," Montermini continued. "However, I am enjoying my first season in the FIA GT Championship, and I am so pleased to be driving a Ferrari and to have been leading the Championship for five races. The whole team, including myself, is putting in a huge effort to try and maintain that lead. There is a lot of pressure from Porsche." The nr 51 Ferrari 360 Modena of Andrea Garbagnati and Andrea Bertolini crossed the line in second place in Anderstorp, to maintain the team's lead in the Teams Classification. "The result was really good, but the conditions were tough, and I nearly went off a couple of times on the straight," Andrea Garbagnati explained. "Andrea Bertolini did a very good job and gave me the car in second or third place. We didn't change our Pirelli tyres, as they were performing very well, so we gained some time. I concentrated on making as few mistakes as possible, and achieved our best result so far, finishing ahead of Pescatori and Montermini. I still can't really believe it ! "
FREISINGER DRIVERS ORTELLI AND DAOUDI CONFIDENT (2nd in N-GT, 34 points)
Anderstorp saw Stéphane Ortelli take his third consecutive win, sharing the nr 54 Porsche 996 GT3-R with Emmanuel Collard. For Oschersleben, he will be reunited with his Jarama team-mate, Sascha Maassen. "We used to race together in 1998 and 1999 for Roock Racing, and got pole position in Oschersleben in 1999," Ortelli explained. "I have really good memories of that race, as I had a very good fight with Beretta in the Oreca Viper, although we eventually retired with mechanical problems. I think the circuit will be advantageous for us, as we have driven there before, although it is not my favourite sort of track. I am rather concerned about the penalty weight, which will be difficult on a track like that, with a lot of corners and chicanes. The important thing is for Porsche to win on home ground in Germany, so we will try hard to beat the Ferrari cars. We need another good result for the points, so I hope we will get it on Sunday."
The nr 55 Freisinger Porsche 996 GT3-R, driven by Stephane Daoudi and Bert Longin, has been making steady progress since the beginning of the season, and Daoudi claimed the second place on the grid for Anderstorp, his best qualifying position yet. Despite a difficult race, Daoudi is confident for the rest of the 2002 FIA GT Championship. His Belgian team-mate Bert Longin took the wet start in Anderstorp (and not Daoudi as stated in the post-race quotes). "It was very difficult for Bert at the start, as the windscreen wipers were not working, so he had to go slowly. When I took over, I went off twice, as I couldn't see anything, which meant I lost a lot of time," French driver Daoudi explained. "However, I feel I am improving race by race, and I am confident that we will soon be able to get some good results. At one point in Anderstorp I was catching Ortelli, although I was a couple of laps behind him. The car is now very competitive, and I am learning the circuits. Apart from Magny Cours, they are all new to me. The advantage with that is that I am getting very quick at learning new tracks. For Oschersleben, I hope we will be able to finish on the podium."
TWO CARS FOR AUTORLANDO SPORT (3rd in N-GT, 16 points)
Autorlando have made steady progress this season, scoring points in every round except for Spain.
"I must say we were very lucky to get a podium finish in the last race," said Toto Wolff, driver of the nr 58 Autorlando Porsche 996 GT3-R. " Before the race, if you had asked me if it was possible, I would have said never. During qualifying, our engine wouldn't start, and then it burnt, so we only did two or three laps with an engine that wasn't working properly. We started 11th, a long way down. However, I had a solid turn at the start of the race. The stop and go didn't help, but Walter Lechner was very lucky with the safety car and got up to 3rd, overtaking Pescatori on the track. All season we have had problems in qualifying, but in the race we are really on the pace. I think the main reason is that we have two very balanced drivers. I am really looking forward to Oschersleben as I know the track well. It is a short, narrow track, not particularly hard to learn, but there is one very fast triple left that you have to be careful with. I'm really hoping to be on top. Philipp Peter should be back in the car with me; he is driving in the Porsche Supercup this weekend and we will see how it goes. If not, Walter is ready to step back in, and he knows the circuit by heart, so that won't be a problem." As in Spain, Joel Camathias and Renault Sport Clio Trophy leader Luca Rangoni will share the other car.
June 28,2002 Anderstorp Friday Free Practice Times:
Leading times - Friday - First practice session - Anderstorp:
1. Paul Knapfield / Bobby Verdon-Roe #15 Lister Storm Lister Storm 1m 32.432s / 39 laps
2. Mike Hezemans / Anthony Kumpen #3 Team Carsport Holl Chrysler Viper GTS-R 1m 32.823s / 29 laps
3. Marc Duez / Fabio Babini #12 Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper GTS-R 1m 32.979s / 38 laps
4. Jamie Campbell-Walter / Nicolaus Springer #14 Lister Storm Lister Storm 1m 33.211s / 22 laps
5. Jean-Denis Deletraz / Andrea Piccini #23 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello 1m 33.355s / 40 laps
6. Henrik Roos / Magnus Wallinder #29 Henrik Roos Team Porsche 996 Turbo 1m 33.736s / 21 laps*
7. Jean-Pierre Jarier / Francois Lafon #9 Team ART Chrysler Viper GTS-R 1m 34.025s / 35 laps
8. Christophe Bouchut / David Terrien #1 Larbre Comp-Chereau Chrysler Viper GTS-R 1m 34.587s / 22 laps
9. Vincent Vosse / Carl Rosenblad #2 Larbre Comp-Chereau Chrysler Viper GTS-R 1m 34.802s / 27 laps
10. Paul Belmondo / Claude-Yves Gosselin #11 Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper GTS-R 1m 35.703s / 36 laps
11. Enzo Calderari / Lilian Bryner / Frederic Dor #22 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello 1m 35.882s / 39 laps
12. Markus Paltalla / Kurt Mollekens #25 PSI Motorsport Porsche 996 Turbo 1m 35.978s / 32 laps
13. Luca Cappellari / Fabrizio Gollin #4 Team Carsport Hol Chrysler Viper GTS-R 1m 36.254s / 37 laps
14. Stéphane Ortelli / Emmanuel Collard #54 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 36.501s / 36 laps
15. Antonio Garcia / Michele Merendino #76 RWS Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 36.531s / 34 laps
16. Jürgen von Gartzen / Ian Khan #60 JVG Racing Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 36.657s / 39 laps
17. Stephane Daoudi / Bert Longin #55 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 37.262s 39 laps
18. Christian Pescatori / Andrea Montermini #50 JMB Racing Ferrari 360 Modena 1m 37.480s / 37 laps
19. Philipp Peter / Toto Wolff #58 Autorlando Sport Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 37.579s 40 laps
20. Raffaele Sangiuolo / Thomas Pichler #62 Cirtek Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 37.748s / 29 laps
21. John Nielsen / Robin Liddell #64 Cirtek Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 37.922s / 32 laps
22. Pontus Morth / Thomas Faraas #75 Eurotech Scandinavia Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 37.969s / 34 laps
23. Marco Lambertini / Batti Pregliasco / Iradj Alexander #53 JMB Competition Ferrari 360 Modena 1m 38.524s / 37 laps
24. Johan Sturesson / Tomas Nystrom #72 Podium Racing Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 38.591s / 22 laps
25. Nikolaj Fomenko / Alex Vassiliev #77 RWS Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 39.601s / 37 laps
26. Gerold Ried / Christian Reid #16 Proton Competition Porsche 911GT2 1m 40.549s / 40 laps
27. Pietro Gianni / Tony Ring #52 JMB Competition Ferrari 360 Modena 1m 40.717s / 35 lap
28. Marcus Gustavsson / Hubert Bergh #73 Podium Racing Porsche 996 GT3-R 1m 40.910s / 23 laps
29. Andrea Garbagnati / Andrea Bertolini #51 JMB Racing Ferrari 360 Modena 1m 42.122s / 39 laps
30. Bosse Jonasson / Anders Levin / Claes Lund #28 JPS Porsche Racing Porsche 996 Turbo 1m 46.394s / 14 laps
June 25,2002 Anderstorp Preview:
Four weeks after leaving the Spanish track of Jarama, the teams taking part in the various events of the LG Super Racing Weekend series will meet up once more, this time in Sweden, at the Anderstorp circuit. This will mark the first visit of many of the competitors to Scandinavia, and an interesting weekend of racing is in prospect. The FIA European Touring Car Championship has raced at Anderstorp on three occasions in the past, although this will be the first time since the Championship was revived last year. This will be the FIA GT Championship's first visit to Sweden, although the Championship raced in Scandinavia in 1997, in the Finnish capital Helsinki.
The Scandinavian Raceway in Anderstorp was built in 1968, and hosted the Swedish Formula One Grand Prix between 1973 and 1978. It is a medium-fast track, best known for its long straight. Built alongside an airstrip, this straight is extremely wide, before funnelling into a very tight second-gear corner at the end. After a right-hander, the track has two corners that are slightly banked. After a second straight and a left-handed corner comes the track's second famous feature, the carrousel, which is quite fast and, according to drivers, seems never-ending. "The key is to stick to the right side and wait and wait," explained Swedish driver Carl Rosenblad, who will be at the wheel of the nr 2 Larbre Competition Chéreau Chrysler Viper. "It's important not to have any oversteer. Generally, I think the track should be good for endurance as only one corner could give problems for overtaking : the tight left-hander leading back onto the pit straight. There are good run-offs, the grip is medium and tyre wear is generally good. It's a track that is easy to learn, and I don't think my local knowledge will give me much of an advantage after the first couple of laps."
The FIA GT and European Touring Car Championships will be joined by the Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup and the Renault Sport Clio Trophy, while the S60 Volvo Challenge replaces the Lamborghini Supertrophy for this event. Anderstorp is in southern Sweden, between Jönköping and Halmsted. The nearest town is Gislaved, and the circuit is located on the 27 route towards Värnamo. The nearest airport is Jönköping, which is 50 minutes away. Gothenburg airport is one of the best connected, an hour away, with Malmoe a two-hour journey away.
In 2002, the FIA GT Championship has seen one of the closest and most varied starts to the season in its history. The four races so far disputed have seen three different winners, with three different manufacturers and teams represented. Lister Storm Racing has won twice with the Lister Storm, at Magny Cours and Brno. Paul Belmondo Racing took their first victory since 2000 at Silverstone with their Chrysler Viper GTS-R, while BMS Scuderia Italia were victorious in Spain with a Ferrari 550 Maranello. The N-GT category has been equally exciting, with the Ferrari - Porsche battle currently evenly balanced with two wins apiece. JMB Racing has a healthy lead in the Championship, but Freisinger Motorsport, winner of the past two rounds, is catching up fast. Anderstorp, the first brand-new venue of the season, should be an interesting challenge for teams and cars alike, while the flat, medium-speed circuit should prove a welcome contrast after the hilly, twisting circuits of Brno and Jarama.
GT CHAMPIONSHIP
JARAMA RESULT PROVISIONAL:
The results of the GT class of the Jarama round remain provisional, pending investigations into sealed parts on the nr 3 Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper GTS-R.
LISTER STORM RACING LOSES WEIGHT (1st in GT, 30 points)
Despite a relatively disappointing performance in Spain, with only one point being scored by the two cars, British team Lister Storm Racing is still leading the Championship in the Teams classification, while Jamie Campbell-Walter and Nicolaus Springer are joint first in the Drivers points table. "Neither the team nor the drivers have been to Anderstorp before," team principal Laurence Pearce explained. "I think that is the case for many teams, so it should be a level playing field. We will only have 40 kg penalty weight, which should be better. We were really surprised by how penalising the weight was in Jarama, especially under braking." Bobby Verdon-Roe and Paul Knapfield, who share the nr 15 Lister Storm, finished second at Silverstone but have retired in the last two races. "Although we've only finished one race, we proved we can be competitive when everything goes our way," Verdon-Roe explained. "We need some luck and no problems. We finished second at Silverstone despite three spins, which proves we can be up with the leaders. Jamie and Nicolaus are doing a great job, and I think we are capable of equalling their performance. Anderstorp will be new to us, like to most people, but we have no penalty weight, and hopefully we should get a good result. Paul is doing extremely well; he has proved he has the speed and I am lucky to have such a quick team-mate. I haven't given up hope of a good result in the Championship; a few good races would put us back in contention."
LARBRE COMPETITION CHEREAU CLOSES ON THE LEADERS (2nd in GT, 26 points)
The 2001 FIA GT Champions, Larbre Competition Chéreau, placed their two Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars in third and fourth places at the previous round in Spain. With Bouchut and Terrien finishing on the podium at every race, the two Frenchmen will now be carrying 90 kg penalty weight in the nr 1 Chrysler Viper. For Carl Rosenblad, the sole Swedish driver competing regularly in the FIA GT Championship, Anderstorp will be a rare occasion for him to compete with an international Championship on home territory. Carl knows the track extremely well, having competed there in the Swedish Touring Car Championship over the past four seasons. "I think the Viper should go well at Anderstorp," he said. "However, I can imagine that our rivals will be fast there too, and I think the grid will be similar to those of the rest of the season. There are unlikely to be any dramas. The track is very easy to learn, so I will not have much of an advantage, and I don't think those cars with penalty weight will suffer too much there." David Terrien is looking forward to the race. "Although I don't know the track, and our car will be very heavy, I am looking forward to visiting Scandinavia. It is very interesting for someone like me, with international sponsors, to visit new ground."
CARSPORT HOLLAND LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN (3rd in GT, 21 points)
Carsport Holland continues to accumulate points this season, with Kumpen and Hezemans finishing second in Spain. However, their second car, driven by Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio Gollin, failed to finish the race, after suffering an electrical failure. Nine points behind the leaders, and five behind the reigning Champions, everything is still to play for in the category.
"We really hope for another podium finish in Anderstorp," Anthony Kumpen explained. "We need the points ! If we don't have any problems, we should finally be able to win this weekend. The track is new to me, but Mike Hezemans has driven there before, so that might give us a slight advantage in terms of set-up. I don't know much about the track, but I think the long straight might be to the advantage of the Ferrari, which will be fast again. The Lister has lost weight, so they will be tough to beat. I think it's going to be a fast and close race. We are also making plans for the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, which will be our most important race of the season. It's my home race, too, and both Mike and I have driven there twice already this season, so we have plenty of recent experience. We should be sharing our car with Thierry Tassin, who raced there for Carsport Holland last season, and is a four-time winner of the event in a touring car - so we've got a really good package."
DELETRAZ HAPPY AFTER FIRST FIA GT WIN (5th in GT, 11 points)
BMS Scuderia Italia's Jarama win was also the first win for Jean-Denis Deletraz in the FIA GT Championship, despite having taken part in a variety of cars since the start of the Championship in 1997. He continued his run of luck by taking the LMP675 class victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving a Noel del Bello Lehmann Reynard. "It's incredible. After having a run of minor problems, you begin to have doubts. But with two results like that, you gain extra confidence, not only for yourself, but for the whole team," explained the Swiss driver of the nr 23 Ferrari 550 Maranello. Deletraz is looking forward to the next round in Anderstorp. "The car is now running very well, and after four races, the team is getting to know the car and everything is going well. We hope to take advantage of Anderstorp, where we will only have 40 kg penalty weight, to get another good result and to improve our points score. It is certain that the fact that we had no weight in Jarama played to our advantage, and it is going to be a lot closer for the next race. No-one in the team knows the track, but that is what free practice is for. As for my team-mate, Andrea Piccini, he is fantastic. Coming straight from F3000, he has all the speed and aggressiveness from that level of driving, but he adapted very quickly to the needs of endurance racing. It is great working with him." The team should have a new evolution of their engine ready for Anderstorp.
N-GT CHAMPIONSHIP
JMB RACING STILL IN COMMAND (1st in N-GT, 43 points)
Despite finishing second in the past two races, JMB Racing currently has a comfortable 19-point lead in the FIA N-GT Championship, while Christian Pescatori and Andrea Montermini lead the Drivers classification. Pescatori, who finished in second place at Le Mans with the Audi factory team, will be back in his Ferrari 360 Modena for Anderstorp. "It shouldn't be too difficult to change back to the Ferrari, as I know the car extremely well and I have done so much work on it," he said. "As I don't know much about Anderstorp, I do not know whether it will suit us or the Porsche cars, which have been very fast over the past few races. I know that my team and Pirelli both want to win the Championship and so they will all be working hard to get us back into the first position in the races. We hope to do some more work on the car before the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, in order to make the car more reliable, as we have to finish the race this year."
JMB Competition will have a new driver in the nr 52 Ferrari 360 Modena, with Swedish driver Tony Ring replacing Gianluca Giraudi for this race only. Ring is an experienced Ferrari driver in the Ferrari-Porsche Challenge, and also commentates for Eurosport in Sweden.
FREISINGER AIMS FOR THREE IN A ROW (2nd in N-GT, 24 points)
Following their Brno win with an equally dominant performance in Spain, Freisinger Motorsport doubled their points score during the past round, with Daoudi and Longin scoring two points for a fifth-place finish, while Stephane Ortelli and Sascha Maassen claimed the ten points for the win. After a fine second place finish in their class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team is gearing up for Anderstorp, where the nr 54 Porsche 996 GT3-R will have to carry 40 kg penalty weight for Anderstorp, just 10 kg less than the nr 50 JMB Racing Ferrari 360 Modena.
Team regular Ortelli should be partnered by French driver Emmanuel Collard, who twice won the Sports Racing World Cup. Collard last took part in the FIA GT Championship in 1997, when he drove the JB Giesse Porsche 911 GT1.
JVG RACING HOPING FOR ANOTHER PODIUM (3rd in N-GT, 13 points)
Jürgen von Gartzen and Ian Khan have been one of the greatest surprises of the N-GT category. They have scored points at every round, and are currently lying third in the Championship, despite only having one car, compared to the two entered by the teams above them in the points. "Our current position is quite good, but we are not improving," team owner and driver von Gartzen explained. "We were second at Magny Cours, then finished in fourth place twice, followed by sixth in Jarama, which is not the sort of progression we want to continue over the next races. That is why we have been working on the car, and we will be trying very hard to finish in the top three in Anderstorp. However, the level of competition in the Championship is also increasing, so it will be difficult. But I am still optimistic."
STRONG LINE-UP FOR CIRTEK MOTORSPORT
Rob Schirle's squad of Porsche 996 GT3-R cars will see another impressive line-up of drivers climb behind the wheel in Sweden, as the British outfit will be joining up with well-known Danish driver John Nielsen for the weekend. "John's team has a 675-class Reynard, which they are preparing for various sportscar races, but he also wants to get into GT racing," Rob Schirle explained. "If this weekend goes well, we might collaborate further, with me working on the GTs, while he concentrates on the prototype. It will be very good to have him driving for me this weekend, as he knows the track backwards. He is likely to drive with Adam Jones, who already drove for me at Silverstone. I was very impressed with Adam's speed, and as he knows the car, they should make a good team." With people such as Kelvin Burt and Jean-Marc Gounon having driven his cars this year, Schirle would nonetheless prefer a stable line-up. "With the level of the Championship, you cannot hope to compete with the top cars when your line-up keeps changing, as you can't be on the pace right away. It is really professional out there, with some of the world's top GT drivers taking part, which means it can be tough for small teams like us. But we're still here, and that is the important thing." The second car will be driven by team regular Raffaele Sangiuolo, who will be joined by Thomas Pichler, a former Formula Renault driver who drove two races for MAC Racing in 2001.
SWEDISH TEAMS AND DRIVERS
A record number of four national teams with five cars will be joining the FIA GT regulars in Anderstorp. In the GT class, JPS Porsche Racing Team will enter a Porsche 996 Turbo for Swedish drivers Bosse Jonasson, Anders Levin and Claes Lund. Henrik Roos Team has a Chrysler Viper GTS-R. Team owner Roos will share the car with a familiar FIA GT Championship figure, Magnus Wallinder, who last drove for Pennzoil Quaker State G-Force in a Porsche 996 GT3-R in 2000. Podium Racing will be entering two Porsche 996 GT3-R cars. Their drivers include Johan Sturesson, whose father Per Sturesson finished third when the European Touring Car Championship raced at Anderstorp in 1987, in a Volvo 240 Turbo, Tomas Nyström, who was battling for the Swedish Touring Car Championship lead last year, Marcus Gustavsson, who drove for Elgh Motorsport in the final two rounds of the FIA European Super Touring Championship last year, and Hubert Bergh, who is a leading GT driver in Sweden.
Team Eurotech Scandinavian will also be entering a Porsche 996 GT3-R. The drivers are Pontus Mörth, a young driver out of single-seaters, and Norwegian Thomas Faraas.
April 18,2002 Piccini Confirmed At BMS Scuderia Italia:
Italian driver Andrea Piccini has been
confirmed as the final driver for the BMS
Scuderia Italia team, which is entering
two Ferrari 550 Maranello cars in the
2002 season of the FIA GT Championship.
Piccini has been competing in the FIA
Formula 3000 Championship over the
past three seasons, and was a test driver
for Minardi last year. "It is difficult to find a way to continue after Formula
3000," the 23-year old driver explained. "I think this is my best chance, as
the car is good and the team is one of the best."
"However, apart from testing a Ferrari 360 Modena, I have never raced a
GT car, so I am going to have a lot to learn, to get used to a new kind of
car. Unfortunately, we will be getting the cars very late, so there will be
no opportunity to test before the first race. But I am confident, and my
team-mate, Jean-Denis Deletraz, is very experienced, so he should be
able to help me."
April 17,2002 Kumpen Ready For Magny Cours:
This weekend witnesses the opening
round of the sixth annual FIA GT
Championship, beginning with the first
round at the French Formula 1 circuit of
Magny Cours, 200kms south of Paris.
After a successful debut 2001 season,
young Belgian hotshot Anthony Kumpen's
sights are set on taking the championship
honours for his new team, Carsport Holland.
He explained: "This season we are going all out to win all the races and
I'm very excited to see where we are. I had a good grounding last year
with the Belmondo team, but I believe my step up to Carsport will give me
the best possible chance. My team mate, Mike Hezemans has finished
second in the series for the last two years and he's a very professional
driver. Together I think we can make an excellent season. The team are
totally motivated for success especially after our recent successful test
here a couple of weeks ago."
Kumpen's mount this year is a Chrysler Viper GTS-R with special 'tweaks'
added by his team boss Toine Hezemans. Although for the last three
years he has contested such cars in races in Europe and the USA, he
believes this year's car is the best Viper he has driven.
"We have developed the car since the season ended last year, and we
have the factory support of Pirelli tyres who's research and development
is second to none."
"The car handles so well and gives me so much confidence, it's going to
be one of the best packages in the FIA GT this year."
Regarding the race this weekend, he added: "I really enjoy the technical
aspects of the Magny Cours circuit. In my opinion it is well designed with
some tough and challenging corners, which tend to suit the Viper well.
We can also use a lot of the cars horsepower on the long straight, which
can be an advantage."
"My first ever FIA GT race was here two years ago which was the last
race in the season, and I came fourth then. Last year was not so good as
we had an engine problem, but I am looking forward to a productive race
this time around."
April 16,2002 2002 FIA GT Championship Entry List:
GT Category
No Team/Equipe Nat. Car/Voiture
1 Larbre Competition-- Chereau F Chrysler Viper GTS-R
2 Larbre Competition-- Chereau F Chrysler Viper GTS-R
3 Team Carsport Holland NL Chrysler Viper GTS-R
4 Team Carsport Holland NK Chrysler Viper GTS-R
5 Force One Racing F Ferrari 550 Maranello
7 RWS Motorsport D Porsche 996 Gt
8 Lehmann Sport D Chrysler Viper GTS-R
9 Team Art F Chrysler Viper GTS-R
11 Paul Belmondo Racing F Chrysler Viper GTS-R
12 Paul Belmondo Racing F Chrysler Viper GTS-R
14 Lister Storm Racing GB Lister Storm
15 Lister Storm Racing GB Lister Storm
16 Proton Competition D Porsche 911 GT2
17 Proton Competition D Porsche 911 GT2
22 Bms Scuderia Italia I Ferrari 550 Maranello
23 Bms Scuderia Italia I Ferrari 550 Maranello
N-GT Category
No Team/Equipe Nat. Car/Voiture
50 JMB Competition F Ferrari 360 Modena
51 JMB Competition F Ferrari 360 Modena
52 JMB Racing F Ferrari 360 Modena
53 JMB Racing F Ferrari 360 Modena
54 Freisinger Motorsport D Porsche 911 GT3-R
55 Freisinger Motorsport D Porsche 911 GT3-R
58 Autorlando Sport I Porsche 911 GT3-R
60 Jvg Racing D Porsche 911 GT3-R
62 Cirtek Motorsport GB Porsche 911 GT3-R
63 System Force Motorsport NL Porsche 911 GT3-R
77 RWS Motorsport D Porsche 911 GT3-R
In accordance with Article 45 of the 2002 GT Sporting Regulations,
drivers may be nominated up until the end of scrutineering of each event.
April 15,2002 Magny Cours Preview:
The first round of the 2002 season of the FIA GT Championship should see a grid of 29 cars line up for the start of the 500km race on Sunday, April 21st. Seventeen cars are expected in the GT category, and twelve in the N-GT. Four different makes of car- Chrysler, Ferrari, Lister and Porsche- will be taking part, with seven different models. The GT class will see another episode in the battle between the Chrysler Viper GTS-R, the Ferrari 550 Maranello and the Lister Storm, joined this year by the new Porsche 996 GT. In N-GT, four Ferrari 360 Modena cars will be facing the more numerous group of Porsche 996 GT3-R cars.
LARBRE COMPETITION CHEREAU PREPARES FOR THE SEASON
French team Larbre Competition Chéreau ran its two Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars on a test track alongside the Magny Cours circuit last week. "We spent two and a half days testing, including some wet tyre testing for Michelin," explained David Terrien, who was driving the Larbre Competition Chéreau Chrysler Viper GTS-R for the first time. " I found the Viper very pleasant to drive, more precise than I remembered, and very comfortable and well-balanced. We had a few teething problems with the 2002-evolution car, so neither Christophe Bouchut nor I were able to do as many kilometres as we would have liked. However, Magny Cours is a track I know well and like a lot. I won the N-GT race there last year, and I won the Sports Racing World Cup at the track in 2000, which should make up for any lack of pre-season testing. Christophe and I both won FIA GT titles in 2001, and our objective is to keep on winning in 2002." Carl Rosenblad and Vincent Vosse also took part in the test day, driving the car that won the Championship in 2001. "It went very well, and Vincent and I were equally fast, with the same set-up," Carl Rosenblad explained. "I think we should make a really good team. I am really looking forward to returning to international racing after four years in the Swedish Touring Car Championship," Rosenblad continued. "I think I am really going to enjoy it. There should be a good level of competition, and I hope we will be competitive within the team as well. There are no team orders!" Rosenblad last drove at Magny Cours seven years ago, in Formula 3000. "It is a track that requires a great deal of confidence in order to get a really fast lap. You have to be fully committed going into the corners."
FORCE ONE RACING JOINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP
A new French team, Force One Racing, will be taking part in the 2002 season of the FIA GT Championship. It will be entering a Ferrari 550 Maranello, to be driven by Philippe Alliot and David Hallyday. The two men won their class in the FFSA French GT Championship in 2001, at the wheel of a Ferrari 360 Modena, and have since decided to set up their own team and move up to the FIA GT Championship. Alliot, a former Formula One driver, who competed in 109 Grands Prix, last drove in the Championship in 2000, with the JMB Competition Ferrari 360 Modena. Hallyday is a successful singer and songwriter, who has been involved in Motorsport since 1989. "We aim to win the FIA GT Championship, thanks to our team of professionals, associated with some of the best engineers from Formula One," they stated before the official launch of the team on Monday 15th April, in Paris.
ANDREA PICCINI CONFIRMED FOR BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA
Italian driver Andrea Piccini has been confirmed as the final driver for the BMS Scuderia Italia team, which is entering two Ferrari 550 Maranello cars in the 2002 season of the FIA GT Championship. Piccini has been competing in the FIA Formula 3000 Championship over the past three seasons, and was a test driver for Minardi last year. "It is difficult to find a way to continue after Formula 3000," the 23-year old driver explained. "I think this is my best chance, as the car is good and the team is one of the best. However, apart from testing a Ferrari 360 Modena, I have never raced a GT car, so I am going to have a lot to learn, to get used to a new kind of car. Unfortunately, we will be getting the cars very late, so there will be no opportunity to test before the first race. But I am confident, and my team-mate, Jean-Denis Deletraz, is very experienced, so he should be able to help me."
ORTELLI AND AMORIM FOR FREISINGER MOTORSPORT
German team Freisinger Motorsport has announced its drivers for the 2002 season. Stephane Ortelli, from Monaco, and Portuguese driver Ni Amorim will share one of the two Porsche 996 GT3-R cars the team will enter in the N-GT class. Belgian driver Bert Longin and Frenchman Stéphane Daoudi will be behind the wheel of the second car.
Both Ortelli and Amorim have been taking part in the FIA GT Championship since its first season. Ortelli finished in second place at Helsinki in 1997, at the wheel of a Roock Racing Porche 911 GT1. Last year, driving for Freisinger, he finished seventh in the N-GT classification, after four second-place finishes. "I am very pleased for two reasons," Ortelli explained. "This year I will be able to do every race, as there are no clashes with the Porsche Supercup, and I will be racing with Ni for the full season. This is very good for me as I will be able to race in the best of conditions. I think it will be a very close battle in N-GT, and I am really looking forward to Magny Cours, which is a track that suits me." Amorim drove for Roock Racing in 1998, before moving to Chamberlain Motorsport in 1999, competing at the wheel of a Chrysler Viper GTS-R. Last year, he drove with Ortelli in Austria, finishing in second place. "I am very pleased to have signed for Freisinger for the season. They are a good team, with a lot of experience. I think the Dunlop tyres will be very good; we have done some testing over the winter. I am very optimistic for the coming season, and I think that with Stephane, we should be able to do some good races and aim for the podium. Our objective is the Championship."
Daoudi last raced in the FIA GT Championship in the Zolder round in 2000, driving a MAC Racing Porsche 996 GT3-R. He has also been a regular competitor in the French FFSA GT Championship, winning the Magny Cours round outright, despite running in the less powerful Cup class.
SYSTEM FORCE PREPARE FOR FIRST SEASON
Dutch team System Force continues to prepare for its first season in the FIA GT Championship, when it will enter a Porsche 996 GT3-R for Dutch drivers Peter van Merksteijn and Phil Bastiaans. "We had hoped to organise further testing after Magny Cours, but we had some delays rebuilding our new gearbox," said team manager Gerard Grouve. "We are working hard to get ready for Magny Cours; we are currently in discussions concerning our tyres. As a private team, we are very happy to be taking part in the FIA GT Championship, and we are looking forward to the first race. I think we will learn a lot at Magny Cours, which will help at Silverstone, and by Brno we should be running well."
March 28,2002 Magny Cours Team Testing News:
Team Carsport Holland, RWS Motorsport, Team ART, Paul Belmondo Racing, Lister Storm Racing, JMB Competition, Autorlando and System Force Motorsport are all testing at Magny Cours this week. The Lister Storm and the Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper GTS-R were the fastest cars on the track, both setting times within the 1:34 bracket, two seconds quicker than the best lap time set during the 2001 race. News follows from these teams, and others, which will be taking part in the 2002 FIA GT Championship, the first round of which will be held at Magny Cours on April 21st.
NEW REAR WINGS FOR FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP
A number of the teams taking part in the Magny Cours test have adapted their cars to take advantage of the new rear wings authorised by the Technical Regulations for the 2002 season. Previously the whole of the wing had to be contained within the perimeter of the car, when seen from above. This restriction has now been lifted. The wing, of a maximum width of 2 metres, must not protrude beyond the rearmost point of the car, as seen from above, and must not be higher than the highest point of the roof of the car. "The new wing makes the car more stable and easier to drive, which should be a real advantage during the race," explained Mike Hezemans of Carsport Holland. Lister Storm Racing's Jamie Campbell-Walter agreed : "The new rear wing is more efficient."
TEAM CARSPORT HOLLAND TESTS AT MAGNY COURS
Carsport Holland ran one of its 2002-version Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars at Magny Cours, and was pleased with the progress made during the test days. "The car has undergone a number of changes, including the radiator, a different front splitter and the new rear wing, and we have also tested a lot due to our new Pirelli tyres," Mike Hezemans explained. He will drive the car with 23-year old Belgian driver Anthony Kumpen, who drove a Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper GTS-R in 2001, finishing in third place at Silverstone and Jarama. Kumpen has adapted well to his new team. "The car was really quick, considering that we have not had time to do much work on it since Sebring. There is room for improvement, and we will continue to test, to try to gain more time. However, most of our testing has taken place in cool, fresh conditions, and it could be quite warm when we return here for the first race. I hope we will be fast enough to beat the Lister Storms and other Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars - I am really motivated to do a good job." Luca Cappellari also drove the Chrysler Viper during the test days; his teammate has not yet been confirmed. "Thierry Tassin, who drove for us during the 2001 Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, is likely to join the team," Mike Hezemans said.
SUCCESSFUL FIRST TEST FOR RWS MOTORSPORT
German team RWS Motorsport was extremely pleased with the first test of the Porsche 996 GT2 car it has entered in the GT class of the FIA GT Championship this season. "I did not expect the car to run so well on its first time out," team manager Hans Mühlbauer commented. "We have had no problems whatsoever, and have already been able to start fine-tuning the car." Luca Riccitelli, who finished third in the 2001 N-GT Drivers Classification, was consistently lapping the 4.25 km Magny Cours track in 1:38. "I am really happy with the new car," the Italian driver explained. "It is sharper, more precise, than the N-GT car, and the top speed is higher, especially in the corners. Although we are still lacking power, we are sure we can improve the engine before the first race, and gain at least another second in speed." Riccitelli's teammate, Austrian driver Dieter Quester, was also pleased with the car. "The car looks excellent; if it goes as fast as it looks, then we should be the champions !"
JARIER LOOKS FORWARD TO 2002
Former Formula One driver Jean-Pierre Jarier was testing the ART Chrysler Viper GTS-R at Magny Cours this week, checking the changes which have been made to the car during the winter break. "We have new tyres, a new rear axle, new brakes, new engine inlets, and we need to test them all," 55-year old Jarier explained. "I also need to test myself, as I haven't raced for five months, which is a long time at my age. However, I still enjoy racing, especially in this car, in the FIA GT Championship. It is fun to drive such a big, powerful car, and it makes me feel a lot younger than if I was driving historical cars, like many of my contemporaries. I am looking forward to the new season, and hope that we can achieve some good results." As in 2001, Jarier will drive alongside François Lafon.
PAUL BELMONDO RACING PREPARES FOR THE SEASON
All four Paul Belmondo Racing drivers were present at Magny Cours for the test days, with both the nr 11 and 12 Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars being prepared for the coming season. "We are working steadily on the cars," team owner and driver Paul Belmondo explained. "We had some engine problems on the Duez/Babini car on the first day, which have been solved, and we are now able to work on the set-up." Belgian driver Marc Duez, who has joined the team this season, previously raced for Paul Belmondo Racing at Zolder in 2000, when he was leading the race until the penultimate lap. "Everything is new on the car - a new engine, new transmission - so we have a lot of work to do. But I think Fabio Babini and I will form a very good line-up, and I am very pleased to be here for the season," he said.
EXTENSIVE TESTING PROGRAM FOR LISTER STORM RACING
Lister Storm Racing ran their two Lister Storm cars almost continuously during the two-day Magny Cours test. "We have done more testing over this winter than ever before," Jamie Campbell-Walter explained. "We have run over 4000 kilometres with the Lister Storm, and we have visited three of the first four tracks, which is especially good for my team-mate Nicolaus Springer. We know that the Carsport Holland, Larbre Competition Chéreau and Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Vipers will be fast, but we will be there to pick up the pieces if they have any problems." Bobby Verdon-Roe took advantage of the test to get to know the Magny Cours track. "Neither I nor my team-mate Paul Knapfield have driven here before, so we are getting used to the track, and not really going for a time. I am very pleased to have a full season with Lister Storm Racing."
BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA JOINS THE FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP
Italian team BMS Scuderia Italia will be taking part in the 2002 season of the FIA GT Championship, running two Ferrari 550 Maranello cars. The team previously competed in the Championship in 1997, when they entered a Porsche 911 GT1 for Pier-Luigi Martini and reigning N-GT Champion Christian Pescatori. More recently, the team, based in Brescia, has raced in the FIA Sportscar Championship, claiming both the Team and Drivers titles in 2001. Their drivers for 2002 are likely to include BMS regulars Enzo Calderari and Lilian Bryner, who will be joined by Frédéric Dor in one car, with the second car shared by Jean-Denis Deletraz and former Minardi Formula One test driver Andrea Piccini.
"The cars, which are from Prodrive, will be delivered in the first two weeks of April, so we will not have an opportunity to test before the first race," logistics manager Marco Strepavara explained. "As the team, mechanics and drivers all need to get used to the cars, we will have a steep learning curve at Magny Cours. We hope to build up a good feeling for the cars during the first part of the season, and then to look for podium finishes later on."
JMB COMPETITION TESTS THREE CARS AT MAGNY COURS
Three Ferrari 360 Modena cars were running at Magny Cours, with six of the confirmed drivers for the 2002 season present. "The nr 50 car, which will be driven by Christian Pescatori and Andrea Montermini, is completely new," team manager Benjamin Durand explained. "The nr 51 chassis was the winning car from the 2001 season, and the nr 52 is also a 2001 chassis. We have been working on the set-up and solving some of the minor problems which are only to be expected at this stage of the season." Andrea Montermini, who will be driving alongside reigning N-GT Champion Christian Pescatori in 2002, is looking forward to this new challenge. "This is very new for me, and I am sure Christian will help me a lot. I hope that I will get up to speed as quickly as possible; I am pleased to see that I am already quite close to his times. The car is fast, beautiful, and enjoyable to drive - and it is a Ferrari, which is very important for me, as an Italian. The team is extremely professional and is helping me a lot." Andrea Bertolini, who drove for Art Engineering in 2001, has joined JMB
Competition for 2002, and will drive with Andrea Garbagnati. "I am very pleased," Bertolini said. "I work as a test driver for Ferrari, so I am used to driving the cars all week, but this is the first time I will be racing them at the weekends as well." Garbagnati, who has driven a number of races over the past two seasons of the FIA GT Championship, will be doing the full season for the first time. "I am really looking forward to it," he said. Pietro Gianni, winner of the Lamborghini GTR Supertrophy in 2001, will also be racing for the team, alongside fellow Italian Gian Luca Giraudy. The two remaining drivers will be confirmed shortly.
BERT LONGIN TO RACE FOR FREISINGER MOTORSPORT
Belgian driver Bert Longin has announced that he will be competing for German team Freisinger Motorsport in 2002, taking part in eight of the ten rounds of the FIA GT Championship, at the wheel of one of the team's two Porsche 996 GT3-R cars. Longin won the Belgian Belcar series in 2000. He first drove in the FIA GT Championship at Zolder in 2000, finishing fourth overall with Wolfgang Kaufmann in the Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 911 GT2. Last year, he finished in sixth place in the GT category of the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, with the GLPK Chrysler Viper GTS-R. "My ambitions are to improve my knowledge at this level as much as possible, and hopefully to score Championship points. I know I can count on the experience of the team."
FIRST RUN FOR SYSTEM FORCE MOTORSPORT
Dutch team System Force Motorsport ran their brand-new Porsche 996 GT3-R for the first time during the Magny Cours test days, with drivers Peter van Merksteijn and Phil Bastiaans at the wheel. "This is the first time we have driven the car. As we are a new team, we need to work hard before the first race," team manager Gerard Grouve explained. Bastiaans, who has signed to drive the car for the full season, was satisfied by the end of the first day. "We are learning a lot about the car, and we have made a number of changes - some bad, but some good. I know how competitive this Championship is, and we hope to be running well by the third round. It is nice to get an opportunity to compete at such a high level." Bastiaans has driven in the Dutch Touring Car Championship over the past two seasons. The team will continue testing at Zolder next week.
WOLFF AND PETER TEST FOR AUTORLANDO
Austrian drivers Philipp Peter and Christophe Wolff were at the wheel of the Autorlando Porsche 996 GT3-R during the Magny Cours test days. Peter, who won two races for the Italian N-GT team during the 2001 season, was very pleased with his times. "I think we were the fastest N-GT car on the track today; we were setting lap times in the high 1:40's, which is quite good considering that we do not yet have the proper engine. Wolff was within two seconds of my time, which is looking good for the season." Wolff, an experienced Formula Ford driver who left motorsport entirely for a number of years before returning two seasons ago, was happy with the progress he has made. "I really like the Porsche, and have been trying to improve by comparing myself to Philipp, who is my benchmark." The two drivers hope to race for Autorlando during the coming season; an announcement is due next week.
RUSSIAN DRIVERS HAPPY AFTER MAGNY COURS TEST
Russian drivers Nicolaj Fomenko and Alex Vassiliev were present at Magny Cours to try out the RWS Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R that they will be driving this season. Fomenko and Vassiliev have been driving in the FIA GT Championship since 2000, and previously raced with Freisinger Motorsport. "We made very good progress this afternoon," Fomenko explained on the Tuesday. "We lost three hours this morning due to a gearbox problem, but we are now around six seconds faster than we were at this stage last season. I hope that by tomorrow we will be able to set a time between 1:41 and 1:42. I think we can do a really good job this season."
March 28,2002 Team Carsport Magny Cours Testing:
Team Carsport Racing Box came out of
the latest official FIA GT Championship
happy, declaring the test a positive
success at Magny Cours, France.
Regular drivers Mike Hezemans, Anthony
Kumpen and Luca Cappellari all spent a
large amount of time behind the wheel of
their respective Pirelli shod Chrysler Viper
GTS-R's, and all three were pleased with
their day's work.
Mike Hezemans commented "Today was a big success. I held the lap
record here last year and I think due to the changing track conditions I
was able to break the record quite easily. I can put the success down to
our Pirelli tyres. We were trying some new compounds on long stints in
the car and after the times I set I have a lot of confidence in them".
Mike's Father, Joint team principal Toine Hezemans added "I believe this
year will see a new 3 way battle between Carsport Racing Box, Lister and
Larbre Competition. The Lister matched our times but today I think the
track was particularly fast".
This year Carsport Holland joined forces with Milan based Italian Viper
counterparts Racing Box, making for a formidable force in the FIA GT
Championship.
The team's 2002 signing, 23 year old Anthony Kumpen added "The car is
very very good. I did some long sessions and I was able to be
consistently quick. The Pirelli tyres are a big plus point for us, and will be
a key factor in our success this year.".
The 2000 Belgian driver of the year added "Overall I think we will have a
tough fight during the year but I am more than confident we will get the
results we desire".
The first round of the FIA GT Championship will take place at the Magny
Cours Grand Prix Circuit in the heart of France, on April 19/21.
March 21,2002 Belmondo Signs Duez & Babini:
Paul Belmondo Racing has announced that
Marc Duez and Fabio Babini will be driving one
of the team's two Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars
this season.
Belgian driver Duez has been an occasional
participant since the start of the FIA GT
Championship in 1997. Last season, he shared
one of the Team Rafanelli Ferrari 550 Maranello cars with Günther Blieninger,
finishing third at Zolder, as well as joining Larbre Competition Chéreau to win the
Proximus 24 Hours of Spa with Christophe Bouchut and Jean-Philippe Belloc.
“I am very pleased,” Duez said. “This is the first time I will be able to compete in
a full season of the Championship. Belmondo has made an intelligent choice in
remaining with the Chrysler Vipers, and by choosing to concentrate on running
two cars. I am also very happy to be driving with Fabio Babini, who is an
excellent driver. I think we can say that we are strong outsiders for the title.”
Babini took part in his first season in the FIA GT Championship last year, driving
an Art Engineering Porsche 996 GT3-R with Luigi Moccia. Five podium finishes, as
well as a win at Zolder, placed him eighth in the N-GT Drivers Classification.
“I think they will be one of the best line-ups,” Belmondo commented. “The cars
are the same as last year, but they have been entirely reconditioned, and are like
new. We have also included a number of evolutions. They should be very
competitive.”
Another change for the French-based team sees them move over to Pirelli tyres.
“We have tested with Pirelli, and we are delighted,” Belmondo continued. “They
are extremely motivated, and I think we will have a very good season.”
March 21,2002 JMB Announces Drivers:
The 2001 N-GT Teams' Champion, JMB
Competition, has announced that its leading
Ferrari 360 Modena car in the 2002
Championship will be driven by two Italian
drivers : 2001 Champion Christian Pescatori
and former Formula One and CART driver
Andrea Montermini.
This will be Pescatori's third season with the
French team, with whom he won the Sports
Racing World Cup in 2000 before claiming the FIA N-GT title in 2001.
The team will be entering a total of four Ferrari 360 Modena cars, two under the
title of JMB Competition and two under the name JMB Racing. All four will use
Pirelli tyres. As before, the cars will be prepared in collaboration with Italian
company Michelotto.
The rest of the drivers are still in the process of being determined, and the final
line-ups should be announced shortly. The team also has a new sporting director,
experienced French driver Jean-Pierre Malcher, who drove for the team in 1995
and 1996, in the Andros ice-racing Trophy and the Porsche Supercup.
March 19,2002 Team & Driver Updates:
PAUL BELMONDO RACING ANNOUNCES 2002 PLANS
Paul Belmondo Racing has announced that Marc Duez and Fabio Babini will be driving one of the team’s two Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars this season. Belgian driver Duez has been an occasional participant since the start of the FIA GT Championship in 1997. Last season, he shared one of the Team Rafanelli Ferrari 550 Maranello cars with Günther Blieninger, finishing third at Zolder, as well as joining Larbre Competition Chéreau to win the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa with Christophe Bouchut and Jean-Philippe Belloc. “ I am very pleased,” Duez said. “ This is the first time I will be able to compete in a full season of the Championship. Belmondo has made an intelligent choice in remaining with the Chrysler Vipers, and by choosing to concentrate on running two cars. I am also very happy to be driving with Fabio Babini, who is an excellent driver. I think we can say that we are strong outsiders for the title.”
Babini took part in his first season in the FIA GT Championship last year, driving an Art Engineering Porsche 996 GT3-R with Luigi Moccia. Five podium finishes, as well as a win at Zolder, placed him eighth in the N-GT Drivers Classification.
“I think they will be one of the best line-ups,” Belmondo commented.“ The cars are the same as last year, but they have been entirely reconditioned, and are like new. We have also included a number of evolutions. They should be very competitive.” Another change for the French-based team sees them move over to Pirelli tyres. “ We have tested with Pirelli, and we are delighted,” Belmondo continued. “ They are extremely motivated, and I think we will have a very good season.”
RWS MOTORSPORT MOVES TO THE GT CATEGORY
German-based team RWS Motorsport has decided to enter its Porsche 996 GT2 car in the GT category this season. The car will be shared by regular drivers Dieter Quester and Luca Riccitelli. RWS has been one of the strongest contenders in the N-GT class over the past two seasons, and finished on the same number of points as eventual N-GT Champions JMB Competition in 2001. “ This is a big change, but it is what our sponsor, Red Bull, wants,” team owner Rudi Walch explained. “ We will not have as much power as the Vipers or the Lister cars, but we will try hard and see what happens. We do have a slightly better fuel consumption than the bigger cars, but I think we will still have to do two stops. However, it will be a new experience for us. We are real rookies in this category, but we will do our best and try to make a bigger step up in the future. I hope we will have many wet races this season, which might improve our chances !”
RWS will also enter one Porsche 996 GT3-R in the N-GT class, for the two Russian drivers Alexei Vassiliev and Nicolaj Fomenko.
SECOND CAR FOR LISTER STORM RACING
Lister Storm Racing will be entering two cars in the FIA GT Championship this year. After previously announcing Jamie Campbell-Walter and Nicolaus Springer for one Lister Storm, the team has now confirmed that the second car will be shared by British drivers Paul Knapfield and Bobby Verdon Roe. Verdon Roe drove for Lister at Jarama and Estoril last season, finishing in second place in Portugal. Knapfield drove a Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R in a number of rounds last year. “ We will have two Professional / Gentlemen driver teams this year,” team press officer Fiona Pearce explained. “ Paul tested the car at Jarama for the first time, and obviously it will take him some time to get used to the car. Bobby drove for us last year, and should be fine. We will still be aiming for podium finishes, and hope to pick up some points.”
The team spent two days testing at the Spanish track of Jarama, running with the new Dunlop tyres. “ I am very impressed with the Dunlop tyres for the race runs; we are making big strides forward,” the 2000 FIA GT Drivers Champion Jamie Campbell-Walter said afterwards. Nicolaus is also happy with the progress he is making. “ The Dunlop tyres have given me the confidence to drive the car on the limit,” he explained.
LEHMANN SPORT JOINS THE FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP
New German team Lehmann Sport will be entering a Chrysler Viper GTS-R in this year’s FIA GT Championship. “ This is a new thing for me,” team owner Walter Lehmann explained. “ My father was a racing driver in the 1960s and 1970s with Lola, and I wanted to start a team of my own. We have chosen the FIA GT Championship to make our debut.” The team has been in contact with a number of drivers, and a final decision concerning the line-up should be made shortly. “
We are looking for drivers with Viper experience,” Lehmann explained. “ I believe that with a good team, and good drivers, good results should follow. Our aim this year is to learn as much as possible, and to try our best.” The team is expecting the delivery of its new Chrysler Viper GTS-R from Oreca at the end of March. “ We hope it will be in time for the FIA GT test days, but if not, we will organise private testing before the first race of the season.”
FATHERS AND SONS AT PROTON COMPETITION
Proton Competition will be entering two Porsche 911 GT2 cars this season. One will be driven by Gerold and Christian Ried, while the second car will be shared by Horst Felbermayr and Horst Felbermayr Jr. The team has been working on a new Porsche 996 GT2 car over the winter break, but eventually decided to remain with the older cars “ It was a difficult decision,” Christian Ried explained. “ We know that the cars are not really competitive, but if you enter a brand new car, you will have many problems at the beginning.” Proton has been a regular competitor in the FIA GT Championship since 1997, with the team’s best result a fourth place at Silverstone in 1998. Horst Felbermayr father and son, from Austria, have also taken part in many rounds of the FIA GT Championship, both in a Porsche 911 GT2 and in a Chrysler Viper GTS-R.
JMB COMPETITION ANNOUNCES LEAD DRIVERS
The 2001 N-GT Teams’ Champion, JMB Competition, has announced that its leading Ferrari 360 Modena car in the 2002 Championship will be driven by two Italian drivers : 2001 Champion Christian Pescatori and former Formula One and CART driver Andrea Montermini. This will be Pescatori’s third season with the French team, with whom he won the Sports Racing World Cup in 2000 before claiming the FIA N-GT title in 2001.
The team will be entering a total of four Ferrari 360 Modena cars, two under the title of JMB Competition and two under the name JMB Racing. All four will use Pirelli tyres. As before, the cars will be prepared in collaboration with Italian company Michelotto. The rest of the drivers are still in the process of being determined, and the final line-ups should be announced shortly. The team also has a new sporting director, experienced French driver Jean-Pierre Malcher, who drove for the team in 1995 and 1996, in the Andros ice-racing Trophy and the Porsche Supercup.
CAMATHIAS TO RACE FOR AUTORLANDO SPORT
Swiss driver Joël Camathias has announced that he will continue to compete in the FIA GT Championship in 2002, combining programs in the Autorlando Porsche 996 GT3-R and the European Formula 3000 series. “ This is a big opportunity for me to gain experience on a number of international tracks,” Camathias explained. He should race in four rounds of the FIA GT Championship, including the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa. “ I am especially looking forward to driving in my first 24 hour race. I wanted to do it last year, but conditions should be better this year.” Camathias enjoyed driving the Porsche 996 GT3-R last year. “ It was difficult at the beginning, as it was the first time I had driven anything like that. But by Estoril, I had a good feeling for the car, and I really enjoyed it. I think it is very important for me to compete in the GT Championship. Although my main program is still in single-seaters, realistically speaking I know that it will be difficult to get to Formula One, and I have more hope of a good career in endurance racing.”
March 5,2002 Team & Driver Updates:
CARSPORT HOLLAND TESTING AT MUGELLO
Carsport Holland has been testing one of its Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars at the Italian track of Mugello. Anthony Kumpen did most of the work, as Mike Hezemans has been unwell. “ It has been raining continuously, so we have not been able to achieve as much as we hoped, which is a shame. Hopefully the weather will improve soon,” Mike Hezemans explained.
“ Everything is going well with the car,” Kumpen added. “ We have done a lot of testing this winter for Pirelli, using many different tyres. We have also run with our new, bigger wing, and should soon have a new engine from Swiss tuner Mader, which has performed very well on the test bench. It is all looking very promising, and I cannot wait for the first race.” Anthony has settled in well with Carsport Holland.“ I really enjoy driving with Mike, as he is very fast, and we have similar driving styles, and agree on the set-up of the car. It also helps that we both speak Dutch. I have also enjoyed working with team manager Toine Hezemans. He knows so much about racing; he has been a great help.” The team has not yet announced the name of their second driver, who will compete alongside Italian Luca Cappellari in the team’s second Viper.
MOLLEKENS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SEASON WITH PSI
Belgian team PSI is continuing with its preparations for this year’s FIA GT Championship, and is planning to enter two Porsche 996 turbo cars in the GT category. “ We are putting the finishing touches to the first car, and it should be ready to start testing on March 12th,” said team manager Christian Schumacher. The team will initially test in Valencia, returning to Spain in April to put the final touches to the program. “ We have also started to assemble the second car. Everything is going to plan, and is looking good.” Former Formula 3000 driver and team manager Kurt Mollekens will be PSI’s leading driver for 2002. “ I am really looking forward to doing a full campaign this season,” the Belgian driver said. “ Obviously, the car is still a Porsche, and we cannot hope to fight with the fastest Chrysler Vipers. However, we hope to get into the Superpole, and to score a few points over the season. The car was reliable last year, despite a lack of testing, and it should be even better this year. The team has built a new car over the winter, which is lighter, and more powerful, so it should be very good. The driver line-ups will only be established after the test sessions, as we want to have the fastest drivers in one car.” Potential drivers for PSI include Bert Longin, Eric Geboers, Stephane Cohen and Marcus Paltalla, all of who drove occasional races in the FIA GT Championship last season.
PIRELLI TYRES FOR RWS IN 2002
RWS has announced that it will be using Pirelli tyres for the 2002 season. The German team has been one of the main contenders in the N-GT category over the past two seasons, and finished on the same number of points as eventual Champions JMB Competition in 2001. “ Pirelli has made a big step in the last two years, and we are pleased to be using their tyres,” team manager Rudi Walch commented. However, the team has not been able to test the tyres on their Porsche 996 GT3-R cars yet, as they are still on their way back to Europe from the Daytona 24 Hours.
Despite racing a Porsche 996 GT2 in the US long distance race, RWS is currently planning to enter two Porsche 996 GT3-R cars in the N-GT category of the 2002 FIA GT Championship. “ One of the cars will be for Luca Riccitelli and Dieter Quester, while the second one will be driven by the Russian drivers Nicolaj Fomenko and Alexei Vassiliev,” Walch concluded. Fomenko and Vassiliev have competed in the FIA GT Championship since the end of the 2000 season, previously driving a Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R. Their best results in 2001 were in Silverstone and Estoril, where they finished in tenth place in the N-GT category.
Luca Riccitelli drove the team’s Porsche 996 GT2 car at Daytona. “ The car was not bad at all,” he said. “ I was not far off the times set by the Larbre Competition Chrysler Viper GTS-R, and there is still plenty of room for improvement.. We should have a better idea of its potential later. However, it might be better to have a good season in the N-GT class with the Porsche 996 GT3-R. We know what that car is capable of achieving, and I have been close to claiming the Championship over the past two seasons. So we would start the season with the definite aim of fighting for the title- although, in motorsport, nothing can be guaranteed !”
CIRTEK RETURN TO THE FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP
British team Cirtek will be entering a Porsche 996 GT3-R in the FIA GT Championship this season. Cirtek, run by Rob Schirle, has been an occasional participant in the FIA GT Championship since 1998, with a Ford Saleen Mustang and a Porsche 911 GT2. More recently, Cirtek entered a Porsche 996 GT3-R in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, retiring after 210 laps. “ We will definitely have one car, and hope to finalise a second,” Schirle said. “ The drivers will be Rob Wilson and Paul Dawson, as well as Raffaele Sangiuolo. We are still looking for one more driver before the final line up will be confirmed.” New-Zealand born Rob Wilson started racing in 1975. As well as taking four wins in last season’s British GT Championship, driving a Chrysler Viper GTS-R, he also works as a driving coach for a number of teams. He and Dawson drove for Cirtek in this year’s endurance race at Daytona. Italian driver Sangiuolo has been a regular competitor in the FIA GT Championship, competing last season for Mac Racing in a Porsche 996 GT3-R.
February 18,2002 Lister Testing:
Last weekend was the first test of the year for Lister - at Magny Cours with two cars, Jamie Cambell-Walter's Storm from last year with a new aerodynamic package and Nicolaus Springer's car, which is just as it run at the last FIA race in Estoril. The two days were also spent testing the new Dunlop tyres.
Both days were cool and dry - it was immediately apparent that both cars were faster than at Magny Cours last year - the cool air helping the power of the engines. On the first day Jamie, in Nicolaus' 2001 Storm, set a time of 1.35.5 compared with Julian's time of 1.37.1 in last year's race and a fastest lap by Hezemans of 1.36.7. Then it was time to change to his car and see if the winter's hard work had paid off. It had. Jamie set a time of 1.34.1.
On to Tuesday with Nicolaus spending the morning in Jamie's car - his times were in the low 1.37's - on a par with the times of both Jamie and Julian in last year's race. Jamie continued with race runs on the Dunlop tyres - all completed with excellent results.
The driver pairing in the Lister Storm for this year will be JCW and Nicolaus. Judging by the performance of the car and drivers last weekend we are looking forward to the challenge.
As regards a second car in the FIA - prospects are looking doubtful for a full season entry; the official entry being due in before 28th February.
February 15,2002 Team Updates:
LARBRE ANNOUNCES 2002 PLANS
The 2001 FIA GT Championship-winning team, Larbre Competition Chéreau, has announced its plans for 2002. The French-based team will enter two Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars in the Championship. The two new cars, both with all of the latest specifications from Oreca, will continue to use Michelin tyres, but the engines will now be tuned by Swiss company Mader.
Current FIA GT Champion Christophe Bouchut will share one car with the 2001 N-GT Champion, David Terrien. “ I think we are going to be a very strong line-up,” Bouchut said.“ We will be doing everything to try and win the Championship again.” 25-year old Terrien is moving up to the GT class after his victorious season with JMB Competition, when he drove a Ferrari 360 Modena with Christian Pescatori. “ From a sporting point of view, this is a very good thing for me. I really wanted to move up to the GT class and to keep on winning, so this is the best possible option. I know there will be a lot of pressure, but it is healthy pressure, and I intend to do everything possible to do well. It will also be excellent to drive alongside a renowned driver like Christophe, who has won everything in endurance racing.”
The second car will be shared by Belgian FIA GT regular Vincent Vosse and Swedish driver Carl Rosenblad. Vosse, who has spent two seasons with Paul Belmondo Racing, said he was very happy to have signed with Larbre for 2002. “ I think Larbre has proved to be one of the best teams in the Championship. I drove with Carl at Le Mans last year, and we had a good feeling together, so I think it will be quite good. I believe we can do a good job and fight for the Championship.”
Carl Rosenblad is making a return to the FIA GT Championship. The 32-year old Swedish driver drove alongside Christophe Bouchut in the Kremer Racing Porsche GT1 in 1997, and made a one-off return in 1998 at Dijon, racing for Larbre Compétition in a Porsche 911 GT1. Since then, he has competed in the Swedish Touring Car Championship, also taking part in the final two races of the 2001 FIA European Touring Car Championship. “ Racing in Sweden for four years was good, both for my career and my racing skills. However, it is exciting to be back in international racing, returning to the classic European tracks, and it is great to be with the winning team. Vincent and I raced together at Le Mans, and we got to know each other well, so it is good to be teamed up with him. My aim is as always to do my very best and to score as many points as possible and hopefully end up as a winner.”
LISTER MOVES TO DUNLOP
2000 FIA GT Champion team Lister Storm Racing announced that they would be using Dunlop tyres in 2002, a development contract having been signed between the British team and the tyre company. Lister will be testing their new tyres at Magny Cours over the weekend of 16th and 17th February, with Jamie Campbell-Walter and Nicolaus Springer at the wheel. “ I am really looking forward to working with Dunlop,” Laurence Pearce explained. “ It will be exciting to work on the development of new tyres for the GT cars, and we look forward to winning more races and Championships with the GT Storms on Dunlop tyres.”
REITER LAMBORGHINI ON 2002 GRID
Hans Reiter is planning to enter his Lamborghini Diablo GT in the 2002 FIA GT Championship. The car created a sensation in the final race of 2001, when, driven by Peter Kox and Oliver Gavin, it finished in fifth place, to take its first points. “ That gave us a real boost,” Reiter explained. “ We knew that the car could be fast, but we had to prove we could do it in competition.” For the new season, Reiter hopes to have at least one professional driver included in the line-up. “ We want to do well, and it is essential to have a professional, as it makes such a difference to the times. We are much further ahead than we were last year, but we still need to invest more time. There is a lot of work to do on the engine- the one that ran at Estoril was at least 60 bhp less powerful than the Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper, for example. We are lucky that the season starts relatively late, as it gives us more time to prepare.” The team, which could also run cars in the Lamborghini GTR Supertrophy support event, hopes to make a final announcement about their 2002 plans later this month.
APP PLANS PORSCHE TURBO
Dutch tuner and Porsche specialist APP hopes to enter a Porsche 996 turbo in this year’s FIA GT Championship. Aart Andriessen has been working on the car since before the start of last season. “ The car is looking very good,” he said. “ The engine is performing very well, and produces over 600 bhp. We have both a sequential and a normal gearbox, and I think it should be competitive against the other cars in the Championship. However, we still have to find the budget to run a whole season. We are a very small company, but we wanted to show that we could build this car. It is very satisfying.” The team plans to test in March. “ I will do everything I can to be at the first race!” Andriessen concluded.
SYSTEM FORCE JOIN THE FIA GT
System Force Motorsport, from the Netherlands, has announced that it intends to race a Porsche 996 GT3-R in the 2002 FIA GT Championship. Team co-owner Peter van Merksteijn will drive the car, which will be collected from the Porsche factory within the next week. The second driver will be announced later. Van Merksteijn, who started his career in rallies, moved over to circuit racing in 1995, and has since competed in a variety of series, including the Ferrari F355 Challenge, the Renault Sport Clio V6 Trophy, the Porsche Pirelli Supercup and the Dutch Touring Car Championship. Team manager Gerard Grouve, who was van Merksteijn’s co-driver in his rallying days, is looking forward to the challenge of racing in the FIA GT Championship. “ The team is very busy preparing for the season. We want to collect as much information as we can, to try to make this year a success. Peter’s style of driving means that after three or four laps, he is up to speed, and his rally experience means that he is particularly good in changing weather conditions.”
February 12,2002 Dunlop Tires For Lister:
An exciting new venture for Lister - a development contract has been signed with Dunlop tyres for both the GT Storms and the prototype.
We will be testing the new Dunlop tyres this weekend in Magny Cours - hopefully on a dry track ! We will also be testing various developments made over the winter - Jamie and Nicolaus will be driving.
Laurence Pearce Says "I am really looking forward to working with Dunlop; it will be exciting to work on the development of new tyres for the GT cars but especially for the prototype. Our ultimate aim, of course, is to win Le Mans in the prototype but in the meantime we look forward to winning more races and Championships with the GT Storms on Dunlop tyres."
February 6,2002 2002 News Update:
PIRELLI TESTS IN VALLELUNGA
Tyre manufacturer Pirelli recently conducted a two-day test at the Italian track of Vallelunga, during which Carsport Holland ran both their Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars. Mike Hezemans set the fastest time, with a lap of 1:10.57, with new team-mate Anthony Kumpen four tenths of a second slower. “ This was a test for the tyre manufacturer, and we were mostly interested in giving them solid, workable feedback,” Kumpen said afterwards.“ We know we will have the best tyres available this season, so this testing is very important.”
TWO CARS FOR PAUL BELMONDO RACING
“ Everything is going well, and I think we will have a very strong team this year,” team owner Paul Belmondo said, confirming that Paul Belmondo Racing would enter two Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars in the 2002 season of the FIA GT Championship. The team, which has been competing in the Championship since 1999, finished in fourth place in last year’s Teams’ classification. “ One car will be driven by Claude Yves Gosselin and myself,” Belmondo continued. “ The other will be driven by two fast drivers.” Contracts are still being finalised, but the team hopes to make further announcements shortly.
PRODRIVE FERRARI TO BE ENTERED BY PRIVATE TEAM
A private team will be appointed to race the Ferrari 550 Maranello built by Prodrive, which took part in five races during the 2001 FIA GT Championship, winning both the Austrian and Spanish rounds. The identity of this private team has not yet been announced. However, Prodrive will be present at all rounds of the Eurosport Super Racing Weekend™ Series, as they are running the two Volvo S60 cars entered in the FIA European Touring Car Championship, one of which will be driven by Rickard Rydell.
UPDATED VIPER FOR TEAM ART
“We are delighted to be doing another season in the FIA GT Championship,” said Guy Orgeval, the team manager of Automotive Racing Team. “ The Chrysler Viper GTS-R has been updated with all the latest additions : a new engine from Caldwell, and various items from Oreca, including a new, lighter exhaust system, which saves us six kilos, and a new axle.” The car, with its unusual modern art livery, by contemporary artist De Rosa, will be in the hands of Jean-Pierre Jarier, who competed in 136 Formula One Grands Prix, and François Lafon. “ I am sure the Viper can be competitive again this year, and that it will be a very good season,” Orgeval continued.
The team is currently busy working on the car, which will run for the first time in March.
N-GT CHAMPIONSHIP
NEW 2 LITRE N-GT CATEGORY
From January 1st, 2002, a new 2-litre category was created within the N-GT class. It is open to cars with original engine capacities between 1700 and 2200 cc. However, the maximum racing engine cylinder capacity is limited to 2000 cc, without air restrictors; the bore, crankshaft and connecting rods may be modified in order to achieve this capacity. The minimum weight is 850 kg, with a maximum of 9” by 17” wheels.
Eligible cars in this range include the Hommel Berlinette RS, the Lotus Elise and Exige, the Opel/Vauxhall Speedster, and the Renault Spider. The class will be introduced in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, and its inclusion in the N-GT Championship will be requested from 2003 onwards. There will be no separate podium or classification for this category.
HIGH SPEED RACING TO COMPETE IN N-GT
Italian team High Speed Racing is planning to enter a Ferrari 360 Modena in the 2002 season of the FIA GT Championship, in collaboration with Cannes Ferrari dealer Auto Palace. The team took part in the Challenge Ferrari West series in 2001, finishing first and second with drivers Ange Barde and Max Blancardi, who also finished third in the Ferrari World Final. The team will take delivery of the new car from the Michelotto factory on February 15th, and will start testing with Gianluca De Lorenzi at the Italian track of Fiorano. “ We are very pleased to be taking part in the FIA GT Championship,” team-owner Edo Berto explained. “ We want to win, and that is what we will be aiming for.” The drivers for the full season have not yet been finalised, although De Lorenzi, who competed last season in the FIA European Super Touring Championship for GDL Racing, is likely to be named.“ There is a lot of interest, and we have to look very carefully,” Berto concluded.
ORTELLI CONTINUES WITH FREISINGER
German team Freisinger Motorsport will be entering two Porsche 996 GT3-R cars in the N-GT class in 2002. “ A third car might be entered for the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa,” team manager Ietoshi Kaneko explained. “ So far, the only driver we can confirm is Stephane Ortelli.” 31-year old Frenchman Ortelli has been competing in the FIA GT Championship since 1997. Last season, he helped to take Freisinger Motorsport to third place in the N-GT Championship, claiming four second-place finishes, including the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa.
JÜRGEN VON GARTZEN RETURNS WITH TWO CARS
Jürgen von Gartzen is planning to enter two Porsche 996 GT3-R cars in the FIA N-GT Championship, one of which he will drive. “ We are still talking to sponsors and drivers about the new season, and discussions are going well,” he said. The German driver started the 2001 season in a Larbre Competition Chéreau Porsche 996 GT3-R, setting the N-GT pole position at Monza and finishing third at Brno. Later in the year, he returned with his own team, Klober JVG Racing, and a Porsche 996 GT3-R. The team scored points in the German and Portuguese rounds, placing in eleventh place overall.
January 18,2002 2002 Regulation Changes:
CHANGES TO SUPERPOLE FOR NEW SEASON
A minor, but significant, change has been made to the Superpole qualifying system for 2002.
The cars will be divided into three groups after the first qualifying session. Group A will consist of the six fastest GT cars. Group B will be for the top six N-GT cars. Group C will be for all the remaining cars. Groups A and B will go on to the Superpole session, where the relative grid positions, set during the first qualifying practice session, will be redistributed within each group. Group C will qualify in the second 15-minute session as before.
NEW HANDICAP WEIGHTS
Another change to the 2002 season will mean that penalty weights will only be awarded to the top three in each category. The race winner will receive 40 kg, with 30 and 20 kg for the second and third placed cars and drivers respectively. The N-GT podium finishers would receive half these amounts. The fourth-placed teams would not receive a penalty. Penalty weight will be deducted from the rest of the cars, with the fifth placed car losing 20 kg, sixth 30 kg and seventh and onwards 40 kg. The maximum penalty weights remain 100 kg in GT and 50 kg in N-GT.
Handicap weight will also be awarded to cars joining the Championship during the course of the season, with 20 kg for cars joining from the third race ; building up to 60kg from race six onwards. Once again, the amounts are halved for N-GT cars.
No penalty weights will be carried for the now-obligatory Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, but penalties will be awarded according to the results after six and twelve hours, as well as to the three top finishers.
January 18,2002 Team News And Updates:
BROOKSPEED JOINS THE FIA GT
British team Brookspeed is planning to enter a Chrysler Viper GTS-R in the 2002 FIA GT Championship. The team has previously raced in the British GT Championship and in a number of international events.“ The team is now four years old,” team owner Martin Braybrook explained,“ and we felt that we would like to do a full season in a European Championship. We realize how competitive it is, but we will have a go.” One driver has already been confirmed, the young Finn Kari Mäenpää, with the other driver yet to be named.
VACANCY AT CARSPORT HOLLAND
Carsport Holland is currently working on the team’s two Chrysler Vipers, in order to get them ready for the new season. They are planning to do the Sebring 12 hour-event in March, to further test their new Pirelli tyres and to check the car out before the FIA GT season starts. There has also been a driver change for the second car. “ De Simone has cancelled for the second car, so we are looking for another driver. However, there is a lot of interest, so I am certain we will find someone fast and professional,” Mike Hezemans said.
LISTER CONFIRMS TWO CARS
“I can confirm that we will have two cars in the Championship, and that two of our drivers will be Jamie Campbell-Walter and Nicolaus Springer, but as yet that is all I can say.” Laurence Pearce will be taking up the challenge to try and regain the titles he won in 2000.“ I would really like to see Nicolaus Springer win the FIA GT Championship. I don’t see why it could not be done. I think we proved at the Nürburgring and Estoril that with one driver only doing a few laps, you can still get a good result.” Pearce is looking at possible drivers for his other seats.“ The most important factor for me, is that it has to be someone I can get on with, someone willing to work our way. Getting up to speed is more a question of testing and working hard- fitting in with the team is much more important.”
TWO CARS FOR PSI MOTORSPORT
Belgian team PSI Motorsport, who entered a Porsche 996 Turbo in selected rounds of the 2001 Championship, is planning to enter two cars in the 2002 season.“ We are building two new Porsche 996 GT2 cars,” team manager Christian Schumacher explained. “ One should be driven by the same line-up as last year, Kurt Mollekens and Stéphane Cohen. The second will be shared by Markus Palttalla, Eric Geboers and Bert Longin.” The previous model of the car made good progress during 2001, and proved to be reliable. “ We have big hopes for the new season,” Schumacher concluded. “ We knew that 2001 would be a year to learn and to evolve, to give us a chance to situate ourselves in relation to the other competitors. We are quietly confident for 2002, and think the cars should go well.” Finnish driver Palttala competed in the FIA European Touring Car Championship last season, driving for GDL Racing in the Super Production Championship. He also drove for PSI in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, winning the Group 2 class in a Porsche 996 GT3. Belgian drivers Geboers and Longin each drove one race in the GLPK Chrysler Viper last season, while Geboers also shared the PSI Porsche 996 Turbo with Mollekens and Cohen in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa.
December 16,2001 2002 Carsport Announces Driver Lineup:
Team Carsport Holland have today announced
their lead driver pairing for 2002. Experienced
Carsport regular Mike Hezemans will be joined
by Belgian young charger Anthony Kumpen in a
heavily revised Chrysler Viper GTS-R.
The pairing will contest the FIA GT
Championship, selected rounds of the
American Le Mans Series and the partnership will begin with the Daytona 24
Hours in February.
Front running Italians Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio De Simone will drive the team's
other lead Viper GTS-R, and both cars will run on new Factory Pirelli tyres.
Carsport Team Principal Toine Hezemans - pleased to announe the deal
commented: "Of course I am very happy to have Mike, Anthony, Luca and Fabrizio
confirmed for 2002. It's a strong line-up and one that will give us the best chance
of success."
Mike Hezemans and former Paul Belmondo Racing pilot Anthony Kumpen shared a
Viper run by Carsport and American Viper Racing recently at Petit Le Mans,
scoring a fine 3rd in class.
Mike Hezemans added "I think Petit Le Mans was really the begining of our
relationship. I am pleased to be sharing with Anthony, we're both quick and he
has a lot of experience also in a Viper. He was my first choice partner after Jeroen
Bleekemolen, because I think we had a good season together winning 2 races, but
he hasn't decided his career and we wanted to start our programme for 2002
now."
Thrilled to join the Dutch team, Cranfield University and Focusing Sport backed 23
year old Kumpen added "I am really looking forward to the new season. We're
going to be doing a lot of development and testing and I believe the Viper of
Carsport Holland will be the best choice for me. I have a lot of respect for Toine
and Mike, they have always been successful in racing, and I hope we can add to
the success story in the coming season."
Adding to the team's strength is a new tyre deal, sealed this week by Toine
Hezemans and the Italian tyre giant Pirelli. "Yes, we have a 2 year contract with
Pirelli. We recently had a very impressive run on the new Pirelli development tyres
at Valencia, and after breaking the lap record I decided yes we would take the
challenge to win the FIA GT Championship with Pirelli."
Further cementing the relatinship with Italy, respected and versatile team Racing
Box will collaborate with Team Carpsort, headed up by respected Team Director
Luca Canni-Ferrari.
"This is also very good news for for both teams. Racing Box are a very good team
with some excellent personnel. We have joined forces and pooled our resources.
As a team we will have the full services of ex-Audi Sportscar engineer Massimo
De Prete who will work with me to develop the Vipers" added Hezemans senior.
December 15,2001 2002 Techical Regulations & Calendar:
The Technical and Sporting Regulations for the 2002 FIA GT Championship have been approved.
TECHNICAL REGULATIONS - As from 1 January 2002
Homologation - The minimum production figure for the homologation of a GT has been increased to 100 cars (previously 25) in twelve consecutive months.
For safety reasons, cars will have to achieve full EU-type approval. Alternatively, the manufacturer must satisfy the FIA that the car meets all criteria for public authority approval in the United States or Japan.
2002 FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP - CALENDAR
4/21 MAGNY-COURS
5/5 SILVERSTONE
5/19 BRNO
6/2 TBA
6/30 ANDERSTORP
7/14 LAUSITZRING
8/4 SPA
9/8 ZANDVOORT
9/22 TBA
10/6 TBA
10/20 ESTORIL
November 27,2001 Ferrari Customers Get "Ferrari Owners Racing Department"
:
Photo Courtesy:Prodrive
According to the Italian "Autosprint" Ferrari will develop a GT version of the Ferrari 550 Maranello for the season 2002. The racecar shall be build for potential customers who might be interessted to take part of the FIA-GT championship or American LeMans Series.
The previous Formula 1 press agent Claudio Berro will be in charge to setup the new etsablished division "Ferrari Owners Racing Department". Berro will work under the authority of Ferrari motor sport executive director Jean Todt. Berros' successor shall become Luca Colajanni.
The interest on behalf of Ferrari to spread their motorsport activities was already existing for a long time. If never either admitted openly they have been very proud about the successes of the Prodrive team. Prodrive could score considerable successes in the FIA-GT championship with the same car this season and have been invited to official demonstration and test drives to Maranello/Fiorano last week. Even test driver Luca Badoer couldn't withstand to take a drive in the Ferrari 550.
However, an official manufactures engagement in one of those series mentioned above is out of discussion.
November 15,2001 Ferrari Testing At Fiorano:
Photo Courtesy:Prodrive
At the invitation of Ferrari, the privateer
Prodrive and Rafanelli/Italtecnica teams ran
two 550 Maranello GT cars at the Fiorano
circuit, yesterday and today.
Both cars took part in this year's FIA GT
Championship, taking two wins and three pole
positions. The teams' official drivers took turns
on the track; Peter Cox for Prodrive and Emanuele Naspetti for the
Rafanelli/Italtecnica squad.
The Maranello company's official test drivers, Luca Badoer and Dario Benuzzi were
also in action. A total of 140 laps were completed, around forty of them on a wet
track yesterday. Luca Badoer was quickest, going round in 1 minute 14.812
seconds.
October 3,2001 Provisional 2002 FIA-GT Calendar:
The Provisional 2002 calendar for the FIA-GT Championship is as follows:
April 21 MONZA
May 5 SILVERSTONE
May 19 TBA
June 6 BRNO OR ZOLDER OR LAUSITZRING
June 30 ANDERSTORP
August 4 24H DE SPA
September 8 ZANDVOORT
October 6 TBA OR ESTORIL
October 20 MAGNY-COURS
September 26,2001 Clerico To Partner Kumpen At Jarama:
Emanuelle Clerico will partner 22 year old Anthony Kumpen in this weekend's
penultimate round of the FIA GT Championship at Jarama (Spain).
The ex-Oreca factory Viper driver shared with Kumpen in April's round 2 of
the series at Brno, Czech Republic, and a strong run looked certain to end
with a podium finish until a fuel pump failure ended their race prematurely.
Hoping not for a repeat of that retirement, but more for a repeat of their
strong overall performance, Kumpen commented "It's great to drive with
Clerico again. We were very evenly matched, well, i was a bit quicker
really! But i have had some good consistent races with Paul (Belmondo) and
Claude-Yves (Gosselin) over the last 4 or so races, but I think I will have
a better chance of success this weekend".
"We will need to qualify in the top 6 there's no doubt. I don't know the
circuit but it doesn't look the easiest to pass, especially with over 30
cars battling for position. Then, as I said before, a podium finish is the
aim. There are no team orders within Paul Belmondo Racing so that makes
things a bit easier, and we can then run our own race with our own
strategy".
September 25,2001 Jarama Team Update:
After the autumnal weather at the Nürburgring, the Eurosport Super Racing Weekends are moving south for the final two events. Round nine will be held at the Spanish track of Jarama, 28 km north of Madrid. The arid countryside surrounding the 3.858 km track will be a total contrast to the forests and hills of the previous round, and hopefully some warmer weather will be awaiting the teams and drivers.
This will be the first time either the FIA GT Championship or any recent major touring car Championships has visited Jarama. A host to series such as the Formula Nissan and the Spanish GT Championship, the track is tight and twisty, with evocative corner names such as Nuovolari and Ascari. A popular circuit for winter testing, the Spanish Grand Prix was often held at the track, the last time being in 1981.
The FIA GT Championship last visited Spain in 2000, when the first round of the season was held in Valencia. Spanish driver Antonio Garcia, who won the N-GT class in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa with RWS Motorsport, knows the track well, having won there in the Formula Nissan Championship last season. He will be back at the wheel of the nr 76 RWS Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R for this race. "It’s a nice track, uphill and downhill, but it will be the first time I’ve raced a sportscar there. It should be good."
ETCC driver Luis Villamil was born in the Asturias region of Spain but lives in Madrid, and knows the track well. Currently ninth in the Super Production Championship, he drives an Alfa Romeo 156 for Scuderia Bigazzi. "Jarama is a difficult track that demands a lot of drivability and requires a perfect set-up. As I know the circuit very well, I have a little advantage because I can start to work on the set-up from the first laps of Saturday’s free practice, while the others will have to spend time learning the track."
FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP
Championship Rundown The previous round of the FIA GT Championship saw Larbre Competition Chéreau claim the 2001 GT Teams title, while Lister Storm Racing took their third win of the season. The podium saw three different cars in the top three positions for the first time this year- a Lister Storm, a Chrysler Viper and a Ferrari 550 Maranello. There is still a close fight for second place in the GT category, with Lister Storm Racing only five points behind Carsport Holland, and only one point separating Jamie Campbell-Walter and the Dutch duo of Mike Hezemans and Jeroen Bleekemolen in the Drivers classification. Although the GT titles have been awarded, the title fight continues in the N-GT category, where only five points separate the rivals, RWS Motorsport and JMB Competition. Battle has been fierce between the Ferrari 360 Modena and the Porsche 996 GT-R all season, and with two rounds remaining, everything is still wide open. Freisinger Motorsport, which has finished in second place in the last three races, also has a mathematical chance of taking the title.
GT CHAMPIONSHIP
Larbre - Chéreau (1st, 82 pts) :
weight off at last Although Larbre Competition Chéreau claimed the FIA GT Teams Championship at the Nürburgring, the nr 7 Chrysler Viper GTS-R finished in seventh place, the worst result of the season for Christophe Bouchut and Jean-Philippe Belloc. "Basically, we’re suffering because our car is still very standard," Bouchut said. "We were hoping for a new evolution of the engine from Caldwell, but the current international situation means that has been cancelled. We’ve lost 20 kg, but it won’t make much difference. Still, as we have achieved our goals, it means we will not be under any stress for the final races. We would like to maintain our position as the team that has won the most races." The team’s nr 50 Porsche 996 GT3-R will be driven by Patrice Goueslard, Sebastien Dumez and Jean-Luc Chéreau.
Carsport Holland (2nd, 47 pts) :
defending their second place Hezemans and Bleekemolen finished in second place at the Nürburgring, while the second Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper crashed out at the start. "It wasn’t badly damaged- just the front splitter, radiator and bumper," Mike Hezemans explained. With Lister Storm Racing close behind, the team needs to work hard to secure their second place in the Championship. "I haven’t driven there before, so it will be new to me," 19-year old Jeroen Bleekemolen said. "But I think it should be OK. I have heard it’s twisty and not so quick, so it might be good for us like the Hungaroring was. 100 kg penalty weight is still difficult, but we’ll have to see how the other teams cope with the track. We really want to be second in the Teams and third in the Drivers Championships. With a bit of luck we should be able to make it. It’s been a really good season."
Paul Belmondo Racing (4th, 36 pts) :
Both Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars finished in the points at the Nürburgring. For the Spanish race, all three yellow and blue cars should be competing, with Brno pole-setter Emmanuel Clérico back in the line-up. "I know the Jarama track quite well," Boris Derichebourg said. "I tested there in F3000 and also did some Dunlop tyre testing there in early 2000. The changes we made to the team for the Nürburgring, with the engineers, worked pretty well. The team knows the track and should have a good base to work from. Everything is falling into place, but I think we reacted a bit too late. We need to really push for the last two rounds- at least we don’t have much weight to worry about. We’ve got Dunlop tyres that work really well, and the team has found a good set-up." Anthony Kumpen is also looking forward to the race. "I think we should go well, but it is extremely tough and harder now to win than at the start of the season. Getting into the Superpole is hard. You have to squeeze every ounce of power and grip out of the Chrysler Viper for one lap, and there is a big risk to go off, but it's fun to do."
Lister Storm Racing (3rd, 42 pts) :
Lister Storm Racing driver Jamie Campbell-Walter hopes that the team’s Nürburgring win signals the end of its run of bad luck. "The car was fantastic during the last race, and I think the conditions helped us a bit, as our wet and dry set-ups are quite similar, unlike some of our rivals," he explained. However, he has never driven at Jarama before. "It should be interesting. The Lister Storm entered in the Spanish GT Championship has raced there, so we have some data that could be useful. We should start out with the right gear ratios, and save some time. The Lister won at that track, so it looks as if it is good for the car, with quick corners and hairpins, although there is also a very long, fast straight. I’m not looking forward to seeing the speed of the Vipers or Ferraris down there !" Lister Storm Racing claimed the British GT Championship last weekend. "So everyone is in a good mood, and we’re hoping to fight for the second place in both the Teams and Drivers classifications. It would also be nice to see Julian Bailey and Nicolaus Springer on the podium."
Prodrive Allstars (equal 5th, 14 pts):
Second win ? The nr 15 Ferrari 550 Maranello has finished on the podium for the last two races, with a win in Austria and third place in Germany, meaning that the car will carry 60 kg penalty weight for the Jarama race. Swedish driver Rickard Rydell will be joined once more by Alain Menu, from Switzerland, who drove the car when it made its debut in Hungary.
Rafanelli (equal 5th, 14 pts) :
Neither Team Rafanelli Ferrari 550 Maranello will take part in the Jarama round of the FIA GT Championship, but it is hoped that the Italian-run cars will return for the final round in Estoril.
N- GT CHAMPIONSHIP
RWS Motorsport (1st, 53 pts)