FIA GT CHAMP 2004, ZHUHAI ROUND 11
MASERATI'S SECOND WIN
They make it 1-2. Luhr/Maassen win N-GT Series!

November 14 - At Zhuhai, in China, 29 cars were present for the final round of the 2005 FIA GT Championship. Once more there were no Listers, whilst the Dutch and French Viper were only present as field fillers. For Lister and Viper the FIA GT story seems definitively over. At the qualifications the Ferrari 550 Maranello of Matteo Bobbi and Gabriele Gardel was the fastest, followed by the two terrible Maseratis MC12. Series winners Lucca Cappellari and Fabrizio Gollin were not in, since their #2 Ferrari Maranello was now shared by Drudi/Dor/Cadei. The race was fully dominated by the two Maseratis, taking the two first places at the finish with Bertolini/Salo finishing 1 second earlier than Herbert/de Simone. Only one other car finished in the same lap, the Bobbi/Gardel Ferrari 550 Maranello, having won the round at Dubaï. Christophe Bouchut, having joined Calderari/Bryner on the #3 Ferrari Maranello finished fourth overall.

In N-GT Lucas Luhr and Sacha Maassen caused a stir by winning in extremis the N-GT class after Ortelli/Collard had to withdraw after 57 of the 113 laps. By finishing second in N-GT behind the Ferrari 360 Modena of Pescatori and Melo, Luhr and Maassen won eventually the FIA GT series for N-GT drivers. For Pescatori - having lost his team mate de Simone during the four last rounds (after his move to Maserati) it was only his second N-GT victory of the season.  [JPVR]

FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI ROUND 10
FERRARI 550 OF BOBBI & GARDEL TAKES 2ND WIN
But Cappellari/Gollin are series winners!

October 10 - In Dubaï, at the one but last round of the FIA GT Championship, Matteo Bobbi and Gabriele Gardel not only qualified as first - ahead of the two terrible Maseratis - but they also won the race, their second victory of the season. At the finish they had an advance of 42 seconds over the Maserati MC12 shared by Johnny Herbert and Fabrizio de Simoni. Two other cars finished in the same lap: the #3 Ferrari 550 Maranello of Biagi/Calderai/Bryner and the #5 Saleen S7 of Bartels and Alzen. By finishing fifth, at one lap, Cappellari and Gollin ensured their overall victory in the series: with one round to go their advance over Bobbi/Gardel is more than 10 points - 10 points being the maximum which can be won at the last round.
It seems that the rôle played by the Listers and Vipers during the past years is definitively over. Just as at Oschersleben no Listers came at the start, whilst the Vipers of the Swaan Bros and of Beltoise were only present as field fillers, at no moment envolved in the combat for victory. The Maserati of Bertolini/Salo, having won last month, was retired just before mid-race.

In N-GT Lucas Luhr and Sacha Maassen won once more, already their sixth victory of the season. Their arrears on Ortelli/Collard, running the sister Yukos Porsche, is now down to 2.5 points. That means that it is not impossible that Luhr and Maassen will win the N-GT class, should Ortelli and Collard have technical problems during the real last round at Zhuhai in China. Just as at Oschers-leben they finished one complete lap behind the Luhr/Maassen Porsche. The Ferrari 360 Modena of Pescatori - now with Jaime Melo as team mate - finished again third in the N-GT class. This year the Porsches won nine of the ten rounds, the Ferrari Modena only once. [JPVR]

FIA GT CHAMP, OSCHERSLEBEN ROUND 9
MASERATI'S FIRST WIN
They beat the Ferrari 550 by one complete lap!

September 19 - At Oschersleben it became more and more obvious that the nrew Maseratis are killing the series. Contrary to all other cars, having been derived from street cars, the Maseratis are real race machines, built in function of competition. On the German circuit they dominated the complete field.
At the German circuit Lechner/Seiler/Konrad were the fastest qualifiers with their #4 Saleen. Series leaders Cappellari/Gollin were second. Both Maseratis, handicapped by 90 kgs of extra ballast were res. fifth and seventh.  But shortly after the start they moved up, setting the pace. The Bertolini/Salo Maserati was followed by three Ferraris 550, one Ferrari 575 and the #8 Saleen of Goodwin/Fontes, after the #34 Maserati of Herbert/de Simone lost two laps in the pits.
Towards the final stages of the race Bertolini and Salo lapped the entire field. At the finish they had one lap over the series leaders Cappellari and Gollin. Since the Maserati can win no points for the series Cappellari/Gollin added 10 new points to their total, so that - without miracle - they seem to go after the series win. Their runners-up, Bobbi and Gardel finished fifth, good for 5 points. Third place went to the Saleen of Goodwin/ Fontes, their best result this year.

N-GT saw Lucas Luhr and Sacha Maassen taking their fifth win of the season at the wheel of the #99 Yukos Porsche 996 GT3-R. At the qualifications they were already fastest in their class, ahead of the #62 Ferrari 360 Modena, now shared by Pescatori and Belgium's Vincent Vosse. In the race those two cars and the Porsche 996 GT3-R of Ortelli and Collard were pulling away from the rest of the N-GT cars. At the finish Luhr and Maassen had one complete lap over Ortelli and Collard and over Pescatori and Vosse. That means that they are narrowing the gap with the N-GT leaders Ortelli/Collard. They have good hope that, with two rounds to go, they can still finish as winners of the N-GT class. [JPVR]

FIA GT CHAMP 2004, IMOLA ROUND 8
#5 SALEEN S7-R: THIRD WIN
 Alzen/Bartels do it again - "Killer" Maseratis 2nd & 3rd

September 8 - At Imola several new cars entered the FIA GT Competition. Among them the two new Maseratis MC12, pure factory cars, not derived from an existing race car as all other cars. Both cars finished at their maiden race, with res. 65 kg and 60 kg ballast, second and third. Already now they are considered as the "killers" of the FIA GT Championship. There were also the two Lamborghinis Murcielago R-GT entered by DAMS. They were absolutely not so convinging as the Reiter sister car, having finished 3rd in Valencia at its lonely outing.  There was also the yellow Ferrari 360 Modena, entered by Scuderia Veregra, having moreover a Chrysler-Viper GTS-R in the GT-class.
Winners, for the third time, were Uwe Alzen and Michael Bartels with their Vodaphone Saleen S7-R. During the whole race they were purchased by the two Maseratis and no less than 5 Ferraris 550 or 575. But at the finish all Ferraris were at least one lap down to the fast Saleen. Pics of the new Maseratis and Lambos are to be found below.
Luca Capellari and Fabrizio Gollin, having finished fourth, despite 100 kg of extra weight, are still leading the series, 16.5 points ahead on their team mates Matteo Bobbi and Gabriele Gardel, having finished sixth at Imola. They had to start with 45 kg ballast.

N-GT saw Pescatori hang onto a narrow lead over the repaired #99 Freisinger Porsche of Lucas Luhr, but eventually managed to ease away in the second half of the first stint, then hung on to a reasonably safe margin, which was looking good at 28 seconds at the flag. Some hours later, the Ferrari was excluded, but the GPC team has appealed. It became a Yukos / Freisinger 1-2-3, with the heavier Ortelli / Collard RSR in second (after Ortelli had an off under braking), the Vassiliev / Bergmeister car third. The Piccolo / Berton 360 was a distant fourth. Ortelli and Collard (72 points) are now 8.5 ahead of Maassen and Luhr, with Pescatori still on 46. [JPVR]

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 see below   [JPVR]

FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP 2004, ROUND 6
#17 FERRARI 575 GTC WINS
 Alzen/Bartels: no third victory  at Donington Park (GB)

June 26 - At Donington Park (GB) Austria's Karl Wendlinger (ex-F1) and Brazils Jaime Melo won  after an absolutely nail-biting finish to the three-hour race.  After leading for much of the race, and after having opted for two instead of three pit stops, Karl Wendlinger had seriously to slow down if he wished to avoid running out of fuel. For Uwe Alzen, having started from pole position, the JMB Racing Ferrari 575 GTC was found meat during its slow last lap. He could pass the black Ferrari without any problem, when at the penultimate corner, after a collision between the race leading #5 Saleen S7-R and ye #99 Freisinger Yukos N-GT Porsche of Lucas Luhr, Wendlinger could pass the Vodaphone car to win, 6 seconds ahead of poor Alzen, missing his third victory.  Babini and Peter took third for GPC Giesse. Eventually Ferrari made it 1-3-4-5-6-7.
This year only Saleen can beat the Ferraris 550 and 575. For the 575 it's only its first victory of the season and its second in two seasons. The Lister is no longer able to win. On the holy British home ground the work's Lister was even absent, and it can be feared that the car will not seen back this year. The Creation Autosportif Lister, good for three top-5 places this year was retired. The two Dutch Chrysler Vipers are nothing more than field fillers, especially now that Christophe Bouchut and Marc Goossens are no longer behind the wheel.
Luca Capellari and Fabrizio Gollin, having finished fifth, despite 100 kg of extra weight, are still leading the series, 9 points ahead on their team mates Matteo Bobbi and Gabriele Gardel, having finished fourth at Donington Park.
N-GT was dominated by the Yukos Porsches - Stephane Ortelli/Emmanuel Collard finishing ahead of Sacha Maassen/Lucas Luhr. First Ferrari in N-GT was the Scuderia Ecosse Modena 360, finishing fourth in its class, headed by the Gruppe M Porsche 996 GT3-R shared by Tim Mullen and Jonathan Cocker. [JPVR]

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