FIA GT CHAMP 2004,  SPA 24H - ROUND 7
#2 FERRARI 550 M WINS
Yukos Porsches confirm, BMW M3 fast but not enduring

August 1 - The Proximus 24-hours of Spa-Francorchamps saw the #2 BMS Ferrari 550 Maranello starting from the pole, since Fabrizio Gollin took TQ in 2'15"047 ahead of the #5 Vitaphone Saleen S7-R (2'15"221) and the #1 BMS Ferrari 550 Maranello. There were 42 cars at the start. Among them we found in GT-R no less than 15 cars: 4 Ferraris 575 GTC (on ranks 4-5-8-21 on the grid), 4 Saleens S7-R (ranks 2-7-12-18 on the grid), 3 Chrysler Vipers GTS-R (ranks 10-13-41), 2 Ferraris 550 Maranello (ranks 1-3 on the grid), and 2 Lister Storms (ranks 9-15 on the grid).  In N-GT we noted 14 starters, except for the #62 Ferrari 360 Modena - fastest N-GT on the grid in 2'20" 861 - and for the Nissan 350Z, all Porsches 996 GT3R. Moreover there were 9 cars in the special G2 class. Among them the Corvette C5-R realised the 6th place on the grid. More impressive however were the 2 Schnitzer BMW M3R cars, real factory cars, and going like bombs at the early stages of the race. Other cars in this national class are the 2 Vertigo-Streiff cars and a lot of Porsches 996GT3. In the G3 class (single-made series cars) we noted 3 Porsches GT3-Cup, 1 Viper GTS-R and 1 Lotus Elise. 
Immediately after the start Uwe Alzen took the lead with the #5 Vitaphone Saleen, followed by the Ferraris 550 and 575 GTC. The #9 Zwaan's Viper refused to start and was retired without having left the pits. After 20 minutes the N-GT leading Ferrari 360 Modena suffers a tire puncture damaging the rear wing. The car finishes in the barriers and is beyond repair. The pace car comes out and Alzen decides to make a pit stop for fuel. The same is done by the 2 Schnitzer BMWs. The Ferraris stay all behind the pace car.
During the four first hours we found the Ferraris #1, #2, and #11 in front with the Vitaphone Saleen. Due to the several pit stops the Schnitzer BMWs and the Freisinger Porsches 996 GT3R were at a given moment found among the top-5. Especially the BMWs were extremely fast, achieving laps in nearly the same time as the leading GT-R cars. 
At 19h20 the leading Vitaphone Saleen S7-R stops along the circuit offering the Ferraris #1, #2 and #11 the three first places. The #143 BMW looses several laps in the pits with an oil leak. The #142 will loose its 4th place with a tire puncture, but can come back in the two following hours. After 6 hours of racing positions are: 1. #11 Ferrari 575 GTC 145 laps, 2. #1 Ferrari 550 Maranello, 3. #2 Ferrari 550 Maranello, 4. #143 BMW M3 GT3 at 2 laps, 5. #77 Porsche 996 GT3R (N-GT leader), 6. #7 Saleen S7-R at 4 laps, 7. #50 Porsche 996 GT3R, 8. #10 Viper GTS-R, 9. #88 Porsche 996 GT3R at 7 laps, 10. #18 Ferrari 575 GTC at 9 laps. The fastest Freisinger Yukos Porsche lost 13 laps in the pits but is running again at the 20th place.
At mid-night the three Ferraris race always together, followed with the surprisingly fast #143 BMW. But shortly after the #1 Ferrari 550 Maranello hits a debris and looses 21 laps in the pits for repairs of the whole front of the car. It rejoins the race in 17th position. The lonely surviving #7 Saleen has to retire at 01h and the two Listers run in problems. Shortly before mid-race the #143 BMW M3 - third at that moment - stops at Stavelot with electrical failure. Positions after 12 hours are: 1. #2 Ferrari 550 Maranello 286 laps, 2. #11 Ferrari 575 GTC at 1'01", 3. #77 Porsche 996 GT3R at 3 laps (N-GT leader), 4. #50 Porsche 996 GT3R at 6 laps, 5. #143 BMW M3 at 8 laps (but no longer racing), 6. #10 Viper GTS-R at 11 laps, 7. #99 Porsche 996 GT3R at 15 laps, 8. #88 Porsche 996 GT3R at 17 laps, 9. #75 Porsche 996 GT3R at 18 laps, 10. #1 Ferrari 550 Maranello at 19 laps. The #142 BMW, having lost more than one hour in the pits during the evening, is making a great come-back in the hands of Hans-Joachim Stuck and both Müllers.
It's still night when the spectators realise that BMW will not win its 19th Spa 24-hours. Indead the vaillant #143 doesn't pass any longer, whilst the #142 is 26 laps behind the two leading Ferraris in 15th position. It's now obvious that the struggle for victory lane goes between the four gentlemen drivers on the #2 BMS Ferrari 550 Maranello and the four professional drivers on the #13 GPC Giesse Ferrari 575 GTC. During the 13th hour the "professional" Ferrari takes the lead, having a 25 seconds lead over the "gentlemen" Ferrari at the end of the 13th hour. One hour later the difference is already 1'42". The #1 Ferrari 550 Maranello is now already 6th, but at 19 laps of the leaders. In 5th pmosition, behind the two Yukos Porsches we find the Zwaan's #10 Viper (at 11 laps). The #142 BMW is already 11th. After 15 hours the difference between both leading Ferraris is up to one lap. The #142 BMW enters the top-10. At the end of the 18th hour drama for the GPC Giesse Ferrari: The diffuser 'drops', wearing away the vertical strakes, and leaving an almost featureless panel, which is what is held up by the rubber straps. So top driver line-up in damaged, less-developed Ferrari against more of an amateur line-up in highly-developed Prodrive 550. The #10 Zwaan's Viper has to retire with a blown-up motor. Positions after 18 hours are: 1. #13 Ferrari 575 GPC 417 laps, 2. #2 Ferrari 550 Maranello at 2"34, 3. #50 Porsche 996 GT3R at 7 laps (leading N-GT), 4. #77 Porsche 996 GT3R at 10 laps, 5. #1 Ferrari 550 Maranello at 20 laps, 6. #99 Porsche 996 GT3R at 24 laps, 7. #71 Porsche 996 GT3 at 25 laps, 8. #17 Ferrari 575 GTC at 32 laps, 9. #142 BMW M3 at 34 laps, 10. #69 Porsche 996 GT3R.
The #88 Gruppe M Porsche and the #75 Seikel Porsche are retired. The problems with the rear of the GPC Giesse Ferrari make it for Miko Salo (his first 24-hour race!) impossible to come back on the BMC Ferrari 550 Maranello. The #17 Ferrari 575 GTC, lucky winner at Donington, looses valuable time in the pits with suspension problems. Positions are maintained until the last hour. Then BMB decides to call the #1 into the pits and to wait there until the last minutes. They play on security, defending the 3rd place in GT-R. In the overall standings the #1 looses 2 places, dropping from 5th to 6th. As a result of this strategy the 3 Freisinger Yukos Porsches finish on ranks 3-4-5 with the BMW M3 immediately behind as 6th. The #2 Ferrari 550 Maranello, with Liliane Bryner doing the last stint, wins the race ahead of the #11 Ferrari 575 GTC, where Vincent Vosse did the last stint. For results  after 24 hours click here.   [JPVR]

FIA GT Championship - Round #7 - Proximus 24 Hours Of Spa -  Results