NÜRBURGRING 1000 KMS, D (Sept. 2-3) Round #4 LMES

ZYTEK BEATS ORECA AUDI AFTER GRUELLING COMBAT - CONVERS ASTON IN GT1 - GPC MODENA LOOSES GT2 - SPYKER CAUSES STIR

September 6 - Compared to the rounds of the AMLS number of entries at the rounds of the LMES is systematically twice as high. At the Nürburgring 1000-kms 44 cars showed (less than at the three previous rounds). There were9 LMP1 cars in the highest class, 11 LMP2 cars, 9 GT1 cars and 15 GT2 cars.
Fastest qualifiers in LMP1 were the #7 DBA 03S Judd in 1'44"965, the #17 Pescarolo C60 Hybrid in 1'45"451 and the ORECA Audi in 1'46"688. The #15 Zytek 04S, having realised no time, had to start from the last place on the grid. Fastest qualifiers in LMP2 were the #25 MG Lola EX264 in 1'48"232 (good for a fifth place overall), the #41 Lola B05/40 in 1'49"194 (seventh overall) and the Swiss #27 Lola B05/40 in 1'49"782 (ninth overall).
Fastest qualifiers in GT1 were the #51 BMS Ferrari 550 Maranello in 1'54"881 (20th), the #52 sister car in 1'54"922 and the #61 Cirtek Ferrari 550 Maranello in 1'55"030. Once more there were no Saleens, no Corvettes and no Lamborghini Murcielago. Two old Vipers and the JMB Ferrari 575 GTC seemed not competive. The Porsche 996 Turbo, still very competitive at Silverstone realised no time. The Convers Aston Martin DBR9 realised the fourth time in its class.
Two big surprises in GT2. For the first time this year a Ferrari 360 Modena, GPC's, realised the fastest time in 2'00"125, ahead of the Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 360, and two TVRs. Second surprise: the Dutch Spyker C8 Spyder preceeded all but one Porsches.

For the first time this year we have a sunny race at the LMES. Fastest away after the start is the #7 DBA 03S of Minassian. Already during the first lap the Jota Zytek has a slight collision, bringing the safety car out during one lap. The works Zytek, having started from the last place, needs 11 laps to move up in the top-10. Minassian is now 0.6 secs ahead of the Pescarolo ang 6 secs of the ORECA Audi with Alan McNish at the wheel. After 15 laps Hayanari Shimoda is already fourth, a half minute down to the leaders. A stop-and-go penalty makes him dropping in fifth position, passed by Barbosa's Dallara. Just before the end of the first hour the Pescarolo damiges on the left side its rear diffuser. The #18 Rollcentre Dallara suffers a punction and gearbox problems. When Minassian has to pit for refuelling McNish takes the lead after 60 minutes, followed at 2.2 secs by the DNA 03S, at 22 secs by Collard in the Pescarolo (still suffering from its diffuser), at 36 secs by the works Zytek of Shimoda, and at nearly a full lap by Barbosa's Dallara. Erdos is sixth in the #25 MG Lola EX264, leading LMP2 ahead of the Swiss #27 Lola B05/40. In GT2 the two Ferraris 360 Modena (GPC and Scuderia Ecosse) are found at the two first places, whilst the BMS Ferraris lead GT1 ahead of the Convers Aston Martin DBR9. The Racing for Holland Dome has (once more) technical problems and is since ten laps in the garage. The Jota Zytek is back and struggling with the leading GT1 cars to move up in the ranking. The A Level Porsche 996 Turbo is retired after 30 laps.

Early during the second hour the Scottish Ferrari 360 Modena has a long pit stop and drops into 36th position. Then Collard (#17 Pescarolo) spins at the Michelin Kurve after contact with the Dallara. The works Zytek thus moves up into third position. Towards the end of the second hour the works Zytek even can take the lead due to pitstops of the ORECA Audi and the DBA 03S. In GT1 Pescatori (#51 BMS Ferrari 550) leads Ramps (#52 BMS Ferrari 550) and Janis (#57 MenX Ferrari 550, having started from the last row). In GT2 Drudi leads (#99 Ferrari 360) Pompidou in the Sabah Porsche by 28 seconds and Kane (#81 TVR) by nearly an entire lap. In LMP2 Erdos is the leader, holding a strong fifyh place overall. Shortly after, however, the car will loose four laps in the pits with motor problems, so that Didier Theys can take the LMP2 lead. The ORECA Audi is called in for a stop-and-go penalty, due to passing under yellow. Only after the stop it becomes obvious that the sanction had to go to the Pescarolo, not to the #4 Audi. After the regular pit stop we find three cars out at the lead within 20 seconds: the DBA 03S ahead of the OREACA Audi and the works Zytek. The Pescarolo is one lap down. Towards mid-race the gap between the three leaders is down to 10 seconds. Barbosa (Dallara) is now fifth, just behind the Pescarolo, Theys (leading LMP2) is sixth. In GT1 the two BMS Ferraris 550 are leading the MenX Ferrari 550 and the Aston Martin DBR9. In GT2 Babini (Ferrari 360 Modena) leads the Lieb Porsche, and the Autorlando Porsche. The Spyker Spider is surprisingly fourth in its class. Shortly after the third hour the works Zytek looses over one minute in the pits, but can hold its third place. 

After 3h30 of racing Jamie Campbell-Walter (DBA 03S) leads Ortelli (Audi R8) by 6 seconds and Chilton (#15 works Zytek) by 43 seconds. In GT1 the Cirtek Aston Martin DBR9 can take the lead after pit stops for both BMS Ferraris. In GT2 the Spyker can pass the Autorlando Porsche to take third place of its class. Before the end of the fourth hour Ortelli (Audi R8) can take the lead after a spin of Chilton (Zytek). It's noteworth that the combined age of the two works Zytek drivers is only 43 years: the youngest team ever seen in endurance racing. In LMP2 the #27 Lola B05/40 and the #37 Belmondo Courage C65 are close together in 6th and 7th position. Between them and the three leaders we find the Pescarolo as 4th (one lap down) and the #8 Dallara (three laps down).
After an unhappy tyre change on the DBA 03S, locking up a front left tyre, Alan McNish (Audi R8) can take the lead early in the fifth hour, followed at 13 seconds by the works Zytek. The vailliant MG Lola EX264 of Erdos/Newton, third in LMP2, is retired. Out too are both TVR with suspension problems. After 4h30 of racing McNish (Audi R8) leads Minassian (DBA 03S) by 13 seconds. The #15 Zytek, having had ignition problems, with Shinoda at the wheel, is 40 seconds down. The Aston Martin DBR9 always leads GT1, the GPC Ferrari 360 Modena does the same in GT2 where the Sebah Porsche is second, 25 seconds down to the class leader.

After 4h45 of racing drama in GT2: the GPC Ferrari 360 Modena, having been leading the class since the start spins and goes off the sraight with a left puncture. The car is beyond repair and the Sebah Porsche takes now the lead in GT2, ahead of the surprisingly Spyker Spider. In GT1 the Cirtek Aston Martin DBR9 has already a complete lap over the two BMS Ferraris 550 and the MenX Ferrari 550. Sad situation for Bouchut and Vasiliev in the #61 Cirtek Ferrari 550: they are only fifth in their class, what's good for 4 points, not enough to keep the leading in the ranking after four of the five LMES rounds.
Drama too in LMP2 where the #37 Paul Belmondo Courage is with troubles in the garage, loosing definitively contact with the Horag Lola B05/40 of Theys and Lienhard. that car, meanwhile, lost its sixth place to the much faster Jota Zytek, having made a strong come-back after its whoes during the real first laps.
In front three cars storm together to the finish line, McNish (Audi) 14.2 secs ahead over Shimoda (Zytek) and 18.5 over Minassian (DBA 03S). The last hour is one long gruelling combat among those three. With 45 minutes to go McNish has 17.7 secs over Minassian and 26.9 secs over Shimoda. Minassian is now fastest man on the track. With 30 minutes to go he is 4.3 secs down to the Audi with Shimoda close behind. With 20 minutes to go Shimoda can pass Minassian and follows at 9.5 secs from the Audi. With 10 minutes McNish has still 4.2 secs over Shimoda and 8.6 over Minassian. After 183 laps the Zytek is 1.9 secs down. During laps 184 to 186 the two cars run side to side on the straight. At lap 188 the Zytek can pass the Audi to hold it until the finish. For Zytek it's their second LMES win. [JPVR]

SILVERSTONE 1000 KMS, GB (Aug. 11-13) Round #3 LMES

ORECA AUDI R8 WINS AT LEAST - MENX FERRARI 550 IN GT1 - 2nd WIN FOR COURAGE IN LMP2 - SEBAH PORSCHE AGAIN IN GT2

August 14 - The Silverstone 1000-kms were contested under apocalyptic conditions to be compared with the legendary 1965 Sebring 12 hours (won by a Chaparral 2A): at a certain moment cars were seen aquaplan-ning at a speed of only 30 mph. Nevertheless it was a thrilling race where the Oreca Audi of Ortelli/McNish was fighting during six hours with the Minassian/Campbell-Walter DBA 03S Judd unitil the finish line. Eventual-ly the Audi R8 won, 6 seconds ahead of the DBA.
We noted a splendid entry field with 11 cars in LMP1, 12 cars in LMP2, 9 cars in GT1 and 15 cars in GT2: the most representative field of the season. Sensation at the qualifications, where not the Pescarolo, not the works Zytek and not the Oreca Audi, but the DBA 03S was the fastest in 1'34"562, nearly two full seconds faster than the works Zytek with 1'36"314 and the Pescarolo C60 in 1'36"362. Then followed the Audi R8, the Jota Zytek, and the #13 Courage C60. The two Dallaras were eighth and ninth, preceeded by the RML MG Lola EX264 of Erdos/Newton having realised the sharpest time in LMP2. The Lister Storm Hybrid and the Dome S101 disappointed on ranks 16 and 20. In GT1 the Russian Cirtek team has two cars on the grid: the #61 Ferrari Maranello (also raced at the FIA GT series) and the #62 Aston Martin DBR9 (the first private Aston, in vain expected at the Spa 24 hours). Both cars are now raced under the ConversBank logo. Bouchut is fastest on the Ferrari in 1'46"056, followed by Darren Turner on the DBR9 in 1'46"217. Then follows the Czech Ferrari Maranello as third GT1. Fastest GT2 is the Scu-deria Ecosse Ferrari 360 GTC in 1'51"713, followed by the Autorlando Porsche RSR and the GPC Ferrari Modena 360. The Gruppe M Porsche RSR #88 disappoints with 1'55"197.

At least a victory for the Oreca Audi R8 of Hugues de Chaunac, earlier 4th at the Le Mans 24 hours. At the Monza 1000-kms the car was absent.

Under heavy rain and wild wind Bouillon is fastest away in the Pescarolo, but spins and is passed by three cars. Minassian (DBA) leads Kurosawa (Jota Zytek) and Erdos (MG Lola) at the end of the first lap. Gabbiani, hitting the #15 works Zytek spins off with the Dome and the car is alrea-dy out after one lap. The Zytek has front end damage and goes to the garage. During the second lap Bouillon moves in second position behind the DBA During the fifth lap he spins a second time, loosing time in the pits. McNish (Audi R8) moves into second place, 30 seconds behind the Creation DBA. Only 3 LMP1 cars are in the top-10, due to horrible weather conditions. The Kaufmann Porsche 996 Turbo surprisingly leads GT1. In GT2 order is MG Lola as fourth, #30 Courage C65 as fifth and #36 Courage C65 as sixth. Tim Sugden spins for the third time in the Gruppe M Porsche, far behind the #90 Sebah Porsche leading GT2. After 55 minutes the Creation DBA leads McNish (Audi R8) by 7 seconds. Third is Erdos in the MG Lola, leading GT2, fourth the Jota Zytek, seventh the Dallara Judd. The Kaufmann Porsche Turbo leads GT1 on rank 9, one lap clear of Kox in the Menx Ferrari, Malucelli in the #52 BMS Ferrari and Bouchut in the Conversbank Ferrari. Then the safety car comes out under torrential rain. The Aston DBR9 (with the too slow Fomenko as team mate of Goossens and Turner) is one lap further. The heavy GT1 cars are extremely handicapped by the soak wet tracvk, and preceeded by several GT2 cars.  

After 25 minutes the safety car retires. The works Zytek is back, having lost seven laps in the pits. In hands of Justin Keen the Lister enters the top-10 and moves up to seventh. Rockenfeller passes the Sebah Porsche and leads now GT2 with the Autorlando Porsche, but is shortly after passed by the Ice Pol Racing Porsche RSR. The Pescarolo spins again off and drops in the standings. Racing conditions are so horrible that the pace car comes again out. After 2 hours standings are: 1. Creation DBA 03S, 2. Oreca Audi R8, 3. RML MG Lola (leading LMP2), 4. Belmondo Courage C65, 5. Ice Pol Porsche RSR (leading GT2), 6. Kaufmann Porsche 996 Turbo (leading GT1), 7. Dallare Judd, 8. Lister Storm Hybrid, 9. MenX Ferrari 550, 10. Sebah Porsche RSR, 11. #13 Courage C60, 12. #19 Lola B98/10, etc.
After 2h15 racing conditions improve. With the safety car retired the Pescarolo (17 laps down!) is the fastest car on the track. Then raining is again torrential. When Amanda Stretton spins off and destroys the #19 Lola B98/10, the saftey car is again out and the Audi R8 can close the gap with the Creation DBA leading the race. The cars crawl over the near-ly inpracticable circuit. The RML MG Lola has electrical problems, dropping into 17th position. The MenX Ferrari 550 passes the Porsche Turbo, moves up to eighth, and leads now GT1. Just behind the Sebah Porsche has passed the Ice Pol and Autorlando Porsches, to lead GT2. After three hours the skies are beginning to clear. Positions are now: 1. Creation DBA 03S, 2. Oreca Audi R8 at 1 lap, 3. Kruse Courage C65 (leading LMP2), 4. #8 Dallara Judd, 5. Belmondo Courage C65, 6. Lister Storm Hybrid, 7. MenX Ferrari 550, 8. Sebah Porsche RSR, 9. Team Jota Zytek.

Second consecutive class win for the Belmondo Courage, finishing again 4th.

When the safety car comes back, several cars pit, and the Lister can move up into fourth place. In GT2 the Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 360GTC is now second behind the Sebah Porsche RSR. After 3h30 of racing the Pescarolo is pushed along the pit lane with electrical bothers. Campell-Walter is now in the Creation DBA and McNish can bring the Oreca Audi R8 back from one lap behind to 1'15" behind. In GT1 the Czech Ferrari 550 is joined by Vasiliev in the #61 Concersbank Maranello. The Aston had serious roadholding problems, but is still there. Now that track condi-tions improve the car goes faster. Goossens, who was two laps behind the two GT1 leading Ferraris, can unlap himself, moving with the DBR9 in the standings. After 20 minutes in the pits the Pescarolo is at least fired up. The Lister runs in problems and is now even passed by the MenX Ferrari. Positions after 4 hours are: 1. Creation DBA 03S, 2. Oreca Audi R8 at 48 secs, 3. DBA Judd at 4 laps, 4. Belmondo Courage (leading LMP2), 5. Menx Ferrari 550 (leading GT1), 6. Lister Hybrid, 7. Porsche Turbo (2nd in GT1), 8. MG Lola (2nd in LMP2), 9. Kruse Courage C65, 10. Convers Ferrari 550, 11. Sebah Porsche RSR (leading GT2), 12. Jota Zyntek, 14. #13 LMP1 Courage C60, 15. Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 360 GTC, 16. Convers Aston Martin DBR9, etc. During the following 15 minutes McNish brings the gap back from 48 to 20 secs. The Horag Lola B05/40 passes the Kruse Courage and the MG Lola, entering in the top-10. The Lister drops seriously in the standings when it finishes in the gravel before crawling under yellow into the standings. Lienhard spins with the Horag Lola and Newton reconquers his second place in LMP2.

With one hour to go positions are: 1. Creation DBA 03S, 2. Oreca Audi at 4 secs, 3. DBA Judd at 6 laps, 4. Belmondo Courage C65 at 7 laps (leading LMP2), 5. MenX Ferrari, 6. Sebah Porsche RSR (leading GT2) at 8 laps, 7. MG Lola, 8. Horag Lola B05/40, 9. Kruse Courage C65, 10. Kaufmann Porsche Turbo at 9 laps. Shortly after McNish can pass the DBA, bbut both cars are now nose to tail. After their last pit stop with 30 minutes to go Oretelli jumps in the Audi, Campbell-Walter stays in the DBA. Difference between both cars is less than one full second. Bouchut passes the Kaufmann Porsche Turbo and is now second in GT2. He moves up to sixth place, before being passed by the Team Jota Zytek, making a fabulous fast last hour. The Kruse Courage can pass the MG Lola to be second in LMP2. The Horag Lola B05/40 drops in the stan-dings. During the three last laps Ortelli can widen the gap with the Creation DBA from 0.463" to 5.6 secs. Eventually the Oreca Audi wins the race after nearly six hours, 6.9 secs ahead over the Creation DBA 03S. The Rollcentre Dallara Judd is for the third consecutive time third, now seven laps behind the winner. The Belmondo Courage C65 is again fourth, as at the Monza 1000-kms, winning LMP2. The MenX Ferrari F550 wins GT1, finishing fifth overall with the Convers Ferrari F550 as second in this class (7th overall) and the Porsche Turbo third (12th). GT2 is won by the Sebah Porsche RSR (just as at Monza), now finishing 9th overall. The Autorlando Porsche (16th) and second Sebah Porsche (20th) complete the podium in GT2. [JPVR]

MONZA 1000 KMS, I (July 8-10) Round #2 LMES

WINS FOR PESCAROLO (LMP1), COURAGE (LMP2), FERRARI 550 (GT1) AND PORSCHE GT3-RS (GT2) - GOOD ENTRY!

August 12 - At a cloudy Monza, where the works Zytec realised sur-prisingly the pole position, a head of the #17 Pescarolo - the last named car was leading most of the race. Only dujring the first hour the very fast Nicolas Minissian seemed able to follow the Pesca with his DBA Judd. Those were the two fastest cars of a field of 8 LMP1. At mid-race the difference between both top cars was only one minute, but a late water leak (broken water pipe) on the DBA cost it a chunk of time and dropped it to seventh at the flag – the Pescarolo having virtually led the bulk of the race, on the way to a well deserved, post Le Mans win (not without its incidents though). The works Zytek with Shonoda at the wheel was leading the race during the 22 first laps, with Collard in the Pescarolo close behind. Then followed Minassian in the DBA and Gounon in the Courage. The works Zytek and the Courage had both suspension problems, early in the race, and dropped in the standings. After two hours the Minassian/Campbell-Walter DBA was always second, 1'11" behind the Pesca. Then followed the Dallara of Vanina Ickx, but already at two laps. After four hours Minassian was only 14" down to the leading car, with the Team Jota Zytek already at 4 laps, the Dallara at 5 laps. When the DBA had to enter with it's broken water pipe the Jota Zytek and the Dallara both won a place. Then followed, 8 laps further, the Belmondo Racing Courage LMP2, winning its class ahead of the Chamberlain Synergy Lola B05/40 AER and the RML Lola EX264 MG having won at Le Mans. This time the LMP2 cars were com-petitive, not so ridiculous as at the Le Mans 24 hours.

There were 10 GT1 cars at the start: 5 Ferraris 550 Maranello, one 575 GTC, two Lamborghini Murcielagos and two old Vipers. During 133 laps the GT1 class was dominated by the Reiter Lambo, extremely well driven by Kox and Simon. Then followed the MenX Ferrari 550, having been fastest at the qualifications, closely followed by the #51 BMS Ferrari 550. Two other Ferraris, the Russian #61 (with Bouchut) and the #52 BMS had already their traditional outings in the gravel (a speciality of the hyper slow Fomenko). After 4 hours of racing the Lambo had already 2 laps clear over a quartet of 550 Maranellos, all four within 20 seconds. That were in that order the BMS #51, BMS #52, Russian #61 and Czech #67. When 6 laps later the Lambo was definitively in the garage with engine whoes, Tomas Enge could pass the trop of other Maranellos to take the class lead. A stop and go penalty of 3 minutes made him loose victory, so that the #51 BMS 550 of Pescatori/Seiler/Bartyan finished as class winner.
In GT2, with 14 entries everybody expected a win of the Gruppe M works Porsche. However the Autorlando #76 Porsche-RSR (with Gruppe M's Mike Rockenfeller at the wheel!!!) was the fastest of the whole field. Three punctures and a broken clutch made the car retire after 94 laps. The Gruppe M Porsche was already out with a broken McPherson strut. Everybody expected a class win of the Scuderia Ecosse Modena, but two outings in the gravel cost them victory, now going to the slower but fully relable Sebah Porsche of Marc Lieb and Xavier Pompidou.