round #6 2005 FIA GT: PROXIMUS SPA 24 HOURS(B),July 30-31

BARTELS/SCHEIDER/VDPOELE (MASERATI)

THE ENTRY - As far as it concerns GT1 the entry field at this year's Proximus 24 hours may be considered as the best ever. There were four Maseratis on the grid (two Vitaphones entered by Michael Bartels and two JMB Red Bulls), fife Ferraris (two 550s by Larbre Compétition, two 575s by GPC, and one 550 by RAR), two works Aston Martins DBR9 (earlier seen this year at Sebring, at Silverstone and at Le Mans), two Corvettes (among them the #22 so victorious at the Belcar series), one Lister and (only) one Saleen (Graham Nash's #8 having finished earlier all five FIA GT rounds). Main favourites are the Aston Martins. A walk-over by those extremely fast and reliable cars is feared. However, at the Le Mans 24 hours, where they were dominating the works Corvettes C6-R, the British cars ran in troubles during the three last hours, so nothing is absolutely sure in endurance racing.
In the lower divisions (GT2, G2 and G3) the entry seems rather a joke. Of the 22 cars no less than 19 are Porsches GT3, only two of them, the Gruppe M works cars, being fully competitive. With no Ferraris 360 Modena and even not one single Mosler MT900R on the grid, those lower divisions are like a kind of Porsche Cup, not well appreciated by the broad public who shows to see all types of sports cars. So the Belgian Vertigo-Streiff (disappointing at Imola), a private Maserati Light GT4200 and an old Viper GTS-R (with bike specialist Richard Virenque as one of the drivers) are the lonely non-Porsches in G2.

QUALIFICATIONS
There are three official qualification sessions. But already after the first free practice it was obvious that the Bartels-Scheider-Van de Poele #9 Maserati MC12 was the fastest car on the track (2'18"012), with the two Astons realising only as sixth and seventh. At the second free practice the Vitaphone #9 remains the fastest, now in 2'16"7 with the yellow Belgian Corvette as second and the #29 Aston Martin as third (2'18"2). Things go a lot faster at the first practice session where the Vitaphone #9 Maserati is again fastest, now in 2'14"845, ahead of the #15 Red Bull Maserati of Bertolini-Wendlinger-Peter in 2'15"297 and the #29 Aston Martin DBR9 of Goossens-Kox-Lamy in 2'15"552. The #6 Corvette is fourth, the fastest Ferrari (#11 with Christophe Bouchut at the wheel) sixth. In the lower divisions Collard (#88 Gruppe M Porsche) is 3 full seconds faster than the rest, after the time of the #66 sister car was not ho-mologated. Heavy rain at the night session of the qualifications make that no times are improved. Now the other Vitaphone Masera-ti is the fastest ahead over the #28 Aston Martin and the #15 Red Bull Maserati. During the third and last qualification round only a few cars can improve their times. In GT2 the works Porsches are the two fastest cars. So the top-16 after the qualifications are:
 

THE RACE: FIRST HOUR
Start is given under heavy rain conditions. Since rain started shortly before the start, several teams took off on slicks and had to replace their tyres at the end of the first lap. Scheider (#9 Maserati) is fastest away, but before the end of the first lap he's passed by the #29 Aston Martin (on wet tyres). One lap later we find the two Astons together, having already 10 seconds on the rest of the field. The two Larbre Compétition Ferraris loose a full lap in the pits after having mounted wet tyres. The yellow Corvette (on slicks) slips and must come in for other tyres. Scheider is passed after 10 laps by Erdos in the Saleen. Justin Keen in the Lister Storm is a surprising fifth and now fastest on the track. Two Porsches are already out, the Ebimotors #74 after one lap and Ian Kahn's #175 one lap later. After some 30 minutes it stops raining and the gap between the two Astons, out on the lead, and the chasing Maserati of Scheider, having passed the Saleen, drops from 39 seconds to nil in 9 laps time. Meanwhile Brabham has passed Kox at Pouhon, but after 19 laps both Astons are passed by the Maserati of Timo Scheider.

The Aston Martins took immediately the lead under heavy rain. Brake problems on both cars made them loose all chances to win a second time after their Silverstone 1-2.

Keen (Lister) goes off in the wall of tyres and drops from fifth to ninth. Having started on intermediates the #22 Corvette of Menten moves up into third position when the two Astons are un for tyre change. The #88 Porsche, having been seventh after 30 minutes has tyre problems and drops in the standings. Indeed, after the rain, at once the sun is out, drying the track very quickly. Positions after the first hour are: 1. Scheider (#9 Maserati) 25 laps; 2. Babini (#10 Maserati) at 23 secs; 3. Menten (#22 Corvette) at 30 secs; 4. Brabham (#28 Aston Martin) at 1'48"; 5. Lemeret (#3 Ferrari 575) at 1'49; 6. Bouchut (#11 Ferrari 550) at 1 lap; 7. Kox (#29 Aston Martin) at 1 lap; 8. Bertolini (#15 Maserati) at 1 lap; 9. Keen (#14 Lister) at 1 lap; 10. Longin (#6 Corvette) at 1 lap. In GT2 the #88 Gruppe M Porsche leads the sister car with the Embassy Porsche in third postion.

HOURS TWO AND THREE
Shortly after the first hour Deletraz (#2 Ferrari 575) having lost valuable time in the pits, is one of the fastest drivers on the track, even too fast, since he spins off, comes backwards back on the track, so that Tim Sugden, in the class leading #88 Porsche cannot avoid a violent collision. The Ferrari is out, the Porsche rejoins the pits, where it will be in for repairs during more than four hours. Similar problems for Keen who goes off with the Lister, loosing 30 laps for repairs in the pits. On a now complete dry circuit Bouchut looses a second lap in the pits with minor woes, whilst an excellent Stéphane Lemeret moves with the GPC #3 Ferrari 575 GTC in fourth position. The GNM Saleen, still third after the first 30 minutes looses also a second lap on minor repairs. Eventually Lemeret is victim of a flat tyre and drops to tenth position in the standings. Didier de Radiguez - handicapped by a motor bike accident the evening before the race - moves into fourteenth position with the powerfull Viper, followed by Bas Leinders in the Vertigo. Both lead the G2 class. Shortly before the end of the third hour the Vertigo will pass the Viper, taking the lead in its class. During the third hour spectators witness a sharp combat between Minassian in the blue Russian Ferrari end Bouchut (normally driving that RAR Ferrari) following some half minute further. Both move up in the ranking. An early pit stop for refuelling will end that combat, shortly before the end of the third hour. Positions after 3 hours are: 1. #9 Maserati 69 laps, 2. #10 Maserati at 36 secs, 3. #22 SRT Corvette at 1 lap, 4. #28 Aston Martin, 5. #17 RAR Ferrari F550, 6. #15 Maserati at 2 laps, 7. #6 GLPK Corvette; 8. #29 Aston Martin, 9. #3 Ferrari 575 GTC at 3 laps, 10.#11 Ferrari 550; 11. #16 Maserati; 12. #8 Saleen, 13. #66 Porsche (1st in GT2), 16. #105 Vertigo (1st in G2) at 6 laps.

HOURS FOUR TO SIX
The two Astons, res. one and two laps behind the two Vitaphone Maseratis out on the lead, increase speed and are now moving up quickly in the standings. Once the weather conditions were stable the continuous va-et-vient into the pits is stpped and the better cars are at least found together. Fastest man during the fourth hour is Nicolas Minassian in the Russian Ferrari, proving country mate Bouchut in the French Ferrari that he could go at least as fast as Christophe. Meanwhile the yellow GLPK Corvette, having lost one lap earlier in the race, can pass the SRT Corvette for the fourth place. Darren Turner passed earlier the same SRT Corvette and is now third with his Aston Martin, one lap down to both Vitaphone Maseratis.  The second Aston, having lost a lap in the pits with allumation problems can pass during the fifth hour both Corvettes to take the fourth place. When Jamie Campbell-Walter, in the RAR Ferrari, attacks on his turn both Corvettes, to move again into fifth position, he has problems with the #56 Vonka Porsche, changing no less than three times his line in front of the much faster Russian Ferrari. A collision cannot be avoided and Jamie comes into the pits with a broken airbox and restrictor. The team has no spare parts for it and the #17 Ferrari F550 is retired.
During the sixth hour we find the Lister and the #88 Gruppe M Porsche back on the track after repairs. They both lost res. 30 and 40 laps. The #3 Ferrari 575GTC stays also a long time in its pit with rear spolier fixation problems. The combat for good ranking is fully on now, since the ranking after six hours counts for half points for the FIA-GT ranking. The #29 Aston Martin shows the first signs of a failing braking citcuit, enough to loose its fourth place to the GLPK Corvette. In GT2 the #66 Gruppe M Porsche has a confortable advance over the Autorlando #67 Porsche, coming five laps further. The fast #55 Embassy Porsche is no longer a threat after a spin followed by some long repairs in the pits. In G2 the Bokkenrijders Porsche #191 took profit of a slow stint of the Viper by Richard Viren-que, to take the class lead. The Vertigo is already more than an hour out with an overheating engine. Positions after 6 hours are: 1. #9 Vitaphone Maserati 145 laps, 2. #10 Vitaphone Maserati at 59 secs, 3. #28 Aston Martin at 1 lap, 4. #6 GLPK Corvette at 2 laps, 5. #29 Aston Martin, 6. #15 Red Bull Maserati, 7. #22 SRT Corvette at 5 laps, 8. #11 Ferrari 550, 9. #66 Gruppe M Porsche at 6 laps (first in GT2), 10. #12 Ferrari 550, 11. #16 Red Bull Maserati at 7 laps, 12. #8 Saleen, 13. #3 Ferrari 575 GTC at 8 laps, 14. #67 Porsche at 11 laps (2nd GT2), 15. Porsche GT3-RS (1st G2), 16. Viper (2nd G2), etc.

HOURS SIX TO NINE
During the seventh hour both Astons continue their attack. The #28 can unlap itself coming back to 39 seconds from the leading #9 Vitaphone Maserati, followed at 20 seconds by the #10 sister car. Unfortunately the #29 Aston Martin of Peter Kox is stopped in a similar move. Shortly before 11pm the car passes the Radillon with its front brake discs in fire. The car reaches the pits where a failure in the main brake cylinder is discovered. Repairs drop the car to the 20th place. Meanwhile we have in front always the same #9-#10-#28 trio, all three within the same minute. Two laps further the GLPK Corvette and the #15 Red Bull Maserati struggle for the fourth place. The #16 Red Bull Maserati suffers from transmission problems and drops in the standings. Struggle for the sixth place, five laps behind the leader's trio, goes between the #11 Ferrari and the #22 SRT Corvette. After having lost one hour in the pits the #29 Aston Martin is back on the track, moving up in one hour time from twen-tieth to fourteenth position at midnight. During a pit stop of the two Maseratis the #28 Aston takes the lead, loosing it again after its own stop. The #66 Gruppe M Porsche looses three laps in the pits but holds its leading place in GT2. During the first hour after midnight the SRT Corvette, having lost contact with the #11 Larbre Compétition Ferrari (now in hands of the hyper fast Bouchut) and is now also attacked by the Saleen and the #12 Ferrari. Then Bouchut's car looses 3 laps with ignition problems. Positions after 9 hours are: 1. #9 Vitaphone Maserati 218 laps, 2. #28 Aston Mar-tin at 21 secs, 3. #10 Vitaphone Maserati at 1 lap, 4. #15 Red Bull Maserati at 2 laps, 5. #6 GLPK Corvette at 3 laps, 6. #12 Ferrari F550 at 6 laps, 7. #11 Ferrari F550 at 8 laps, 8. #8 Saleen at 9 laps, 9. #22 SRT Corvette, 10. #66 Porsche GT3-RSR at 12 laps (1st in GT2), etc.  

Bas Leinders gave a perfect demonstration of his driving talents, leading the G2 class ahead of the Viper and all 996 GT3-RS Porsches until the diminutive Vertigo Streiff broke after 84 laps.

HOURS TEN TO TWELVE
After a new outing in the gravel the Lister is definitively retired. The #55 Embassy Porsche looses its third place in GT2 on mechanical woes. The #16 Red Bull Maserati comes no back from the garage: broken gearbox. Early in the tenth hour bloody stupid racing of Helmut Reis at the wheel of the #123 Porsche GT3 Cup (leading the poorly attended G3 class) makes Aston Martin loosing all hope to win the Spa 24 hours. Indeed, climbing up the Radillon, Reis holds his line despite the much faster Aston behind him. A collision cannot be avoided, and the #28 looses its place on the lead. In the pits one has to repair the damages (broken suspension), costing Darren Turner seven full laps. In the other Aston Sarrazin is charging so hard as he can, realising just before 2am the fastest lap time: 2'16"507. Now it's Maserati in 1-2-3. When David Brabham rejoins the track he has also been passed by the GPLK Corvette and the #12 Ferrari 550. But even before 3am the #28 Aston Martin is already fifth, six laps down to the leading #9 Vitaphone Maserati which has 1'30" over the #10 sister car. But then, Anthony Kumpen, fourth in the GLPK Corvette and three laps down to the two leading Vitaphone cars, goes off. The car is towed away from its dangerous position and can rejoin the trackto come back in ninth position, 17 laps behind the leaders. At mid-race difference between the two Vitaphone Maseratis is 1'13". The #28 Aston is now fourth, preceeded by three Maseratis. First Ferrari is the #12 at 8 laps in fifth position, with the #11 of Bouchut and Co two laps further after some poor stints. The #66 Porsche of Gruppe M, having one hour earlier still five laps over the #67 Autorlando Porsche, looses its complete advance in the pits, a first time to repair a broken suspension arm, a second time when Lucas Luhr slips over oil. A third Porsche, a simple RS of Bokkenrijders, comes three laps further, headed by the #66 and #67 being now in the same lap. Positions at mid-race are:
1. #9 Vitaphone Maserati 292 laps, 2. #10 Vitaphone Maserati at 1'13", 3. #15 Red Bull Maserati at 2 laps, 4. #28 Aston Martin at 6 laps, 5. #12 Larbre Ferrari F550 at 8 laps, 6. #11 Larbre Ferrari F550 at 10 laps, 7. SRT Corvette at 11 laps, 8. #8 GNM Saleen at 14 laps, 9. #6 GLPK Corvette at 17 laps, 10. #29 Aston Martin at 18 laps, 11. #66 Gruppe M Porsche RSR at 20 laps (1st in GT2), 12. #67 Autor-lando Porsche RSR (2nd in GT2), 13. #191 Bokkenrijders Porsche RS at 23 laps (1st in G2), etc.
Shortly after mid-race Sascha Maassen quits the Embassy Porsche garage in 22nd position, half a lap behind the #69 Proton Porsche of the Rieds and the Felbermayers. Up from now those two cars are involved in a combat for the third place in GT2. The #3 GPC Ferrari 575C having lost valuable time in its garaga with all kind of body problems is 50 laps down to the leaders and out for even a top-10 place at the finish.

In hands of Nicolas Minassian the Russian Ferrari 550 Maranello was the fastest of all Ferraris. The car was on its way to a fourt place when the Vonka Porsche, swithing three times from position on the track, provoked a collision, enforcing the RAR Ferrari to be retired from fifth place.

The #15 Red Bull Maserati of Bertolini, Wendlinger and Peter lost two laps during the first two hours of the race. The car finished after 24 hours always two laps down to the #9 Vitaphone Maserati.

HOURS 13 TO 18
It's again raining. The #28 Aston Martin is closing the gap with the leaders from 6 laps to 4 laps in less than three hours time. Shortly after 4am Babini, in the #10 Vitaphone Maserati, goes off, causing suspension damage. The car looses 25 minutes in the garage and rejoins the track in fifth position, splitting the #12-#11 Ferrari train. At 4.45am Babini takes the fourth place from Lilian Bryner in the #12 Ferrari F550. Sarrazin is now the fastest man on the track, now that raining is over. He constantly turns laps in 2'17". Meanwhilre Michael Mallock in the Saleen passes the #22 Corvette, taking the seventh place. Shortly after the Corvette comes in for change of the right rear upright, dropping in the standings to eleventh position. At 6.40am the #11 Ferrari passes the #12 having problems with its sixth gear. At 7am the GT2 leading Porsche #66 has four laps in hand over the Autorlando Porsche. The Embassy Porsche, having passed the Proton Porsche is now third in its class. In G2 the #191 Bokkenrijders Porsche is leading, preceeding even the Autorlando #67 Porsche. After 15 hours of racing under a pale sun the Bartels/Scheider/Van de Poele #9 Vitaphone has 3 laps over the #15 Bertolini/Wendlinger/Peter Red Bull Maserati. The Brabham/Turner/Sarrazin #28 Aston Martin is third at 5 laps, the #10 Biagi/Babini/Davies Vitaphone Maseratio follows at 10 laps. Two laps further we find the two Larbre Compétition Ferraris at 12 laps, followed by the Saleen (seventh!), the GLPK Corvette (at 18 laps) and the Kox/Lamy/Goossens #29 Aston Martin, now ninth at 20 laps.
At 7.10am Jamie Davis (#10 Maserati) blows away the cobwebs by a fastest lap time of 2'15"598. Up from now the #28 Aston Martin wins no longer field on the leading Maserati, being victim of a breaking brake balance cable. The #12 Ferrari 550 has no longer access to its sixth gear. When the car comes in for repair its again 1-2-3 for Maserati after 17 hours of racing. At 8.30am the class leading #66 Gruppe M Porsche is in trouble at Bus Stop. Rockenfeller brings the car slowly to the garage. At 8.50am Babini slows down the #10 Vitaphone Maserati with a small fire in the rear. Eventually the car is abandoned. Christophe Bouchut, very unhappy when he woke up to see "his" #11 Ferrari F550 twelve laps down from the lead, doing now triple stints, is now in third position behind the two Maseratis (#9 and #15). The #28 Aston Martin rejoins the race in sixth position, already 15 laps down to the leading car. A new pit stop, always with brakes whoes, make the car loosing another seven laps, now being passed by the #29. The Saleen, having had a troublefree race up to now, will loose its sixth place, coming into the garage with a kind of an engine problem. When Lucas Luhr can quit his garage with the #66 Gruppe M Porsche, he is four laps behind the #67 Autorlando Porsche. However he closes the gap to only one lap with still six hours to go. Surprisingly, at 9am both Porsches are leaded by the #191 Bokkenrijders Porsche of the inferior G2 class. A collision between that car and Moccia's Autorlando Porsche will the Belgians make loosing their splendid tenth place, shortly before the end of the 18th hour.  Positions at 10am after 18 hours of racing are: 1. #9 Vitaphone Maserati 440 laps, 2. #15 Red Bull Maserati at 2 laps, 3. #11 Larbre Compétition Ferrari at 11 laps, 4. #12 Larbre Compétition Ferrari at 13 laps, 5. #6 GLPK Corvette at 16 laps, 6. #29 Aston Martin at 19 laps, 7. #28 Aston Martin at 22 laps, 8. #8 Saleen at 29 laps, 9. #67 Autorlando Porsche at 33 laps (1st in GT2), 10. #66 Gruppe M Porsche at 34 laps, etc.

HOURS 19-21
Sky is grey and cloudy and rain hangs in the air. It's pretty cold for the season. The vailliant Saleen looses valuable time in the pits dropping further in the standings. It becomes obvious that Maserati is on its way to win its first Spa 24 hours. Short rain-squalls are followed by short dry period, the track drying quicky under heavy wind. For the mechanics it's a piece of poker to find out what kind of tyres to mount. Speed is decreasing, except for Bouchut, racing with a knife between his teeth. Eventually in three hours of racing he will win three laps on the leading car. The Embassy Porsche rejoins at least the race after a tremendously long pit stop. All hope on a podium place in GT2 has gone for the team. Meanwhile Bert Longin is coming closer and closer to the #12 Ferrari, having no longer a sixth gear. With three hours to go his Corvette and the Bryner/Calderari/Zacchia/Bouvy car (with Bouvy at the wheel) are in the same lap. Didier de Radiguez is no longer in the pits of the Viper, since he has to comment this afternoon a moto race. Nevertheless the Viper is fifteenth. Positions after 21 hours are:
1. #9 Vitaphone Maserati 510 laps, 2. #15 Red Bull Maserati at 2 laps, 3. #11 Larbre Compétition Ferrari at 10 laps, 4. #12 Larbre Compétition Ferrari at 14 laps, 5. #6 GLPK Corvette at 14 laps, 6. #29 Aston Martin at 17 laps, 7. #28 Aston Martin at 19 laps, 8. #66 Gruppe M Porsche at 35 laps (1st in GT2), 9. #67 Autorlando Porsche at 36 laps , 10. #22 SRT Corvette at 39 laps, etc.

The GLPK Corvette C5-R seemed on its way to a podiul place when at once Anthony Kumpen went off. Having dropped into ninth position the car could come back into fourth position, thanks to a fabulous double stint of Bert Longin.Unfortunately the car has been disqualified for ...a not connected data recorder. Since the car won a race at the FIA GT series stewards are looking after the smallest failure. Each refuelling of the #6 was sharply controlled by one of the FIA GT marshals.

The #12 Larbre Compétition Ferrari of Lilian Bryner, Enzo Calderari, Steve Zacchia and Fréderic Bouvy was still fourth when after 17 hours of racing they felt without sixth gear. Eventually the car was passed by the GLPK Corvette after a splendid double stint of Bert Longin. However, after the disqualification of the Belgian yellow Corvette the #12 was officially classified as fourth overall.

Despite a stupid collision with an amateur in a G3 Porsche, having cost the car seven laps, there was still hope that the #28 Aston Martin, having been twice shortly out at the lead (once after 30 minutes and once after 9 hours) could win the race. However, similar brake problems as on the sister car made all hope impossible. Having reduced its arrears to four laps in less than three hours of racing, the car lost again twenty laps in the pits, and then, at once, all hope was over.

HOURS 22-24
Eventually Longin can pass the sick #12 Ferrari and take the fourth place. Rain is heavier now and in front Van de Poele and later his team mate Scheider slow down. Eventually the last named will be the first to come in to change his intermediates for wet tyres. The last hour the circuit is soaking wet, all cars slow down, except Bouchut in the #11 Ferrari 550 and Tim Sugden who chases both the Embassy Porsche and the Proton Porsche. At the end of the race several cars, among them the #3 Ferrari 575 GTC and the two Aston Martins wait in their pits the last half hour of the race, to come only out at the real end. Now there is no more doubt. Maserati wins its first 24 hour race on European soil, proving how reliable the cars are. Michael Bartels is in tears on the podium. For him, Timo Scheider and Eric van de Poele it's one of the most beautiful victories in their career. For van de Poele it's already his third win at the Spa 24 hours. GT2 is won by the Lieb/Rockenfeller/Luhr #66 Porsche, despite two long pit stops. Moccia/Groppi/Camathias are second in their class. Eventually the Reids/Felbermeyers, being in trouble during the last hour, loose their third place to the GPR private Porsche. G2 is won by the Bokkenrijders Porsche RS ahead of the Viper. G3 with only four cars at the start was a kind of a practical joke won by the Muhlner Motor-sport #124 after the team lost its #123 by the stupid driving of Helmut Reis. [JPVR]

Ferrari can no longer win a 24 hour race on such a fast circuit as Francor-champs. Despite all the talent of Christophe Bouchut the Larbre Compétition Ferrari #11 came no further than a third place.