Drivers Anthony Kumpen, Mike Hezemans, Jos Menten and Kurt Mollekens won this year's edition of the 24hrs of Spa. This year's race was particularly challenging as drivers had to handle wet and cold race conditions.
Rain was the cause of the early retirement of Quebecker Jacques Villeneuve. Slowing down the track during an unexpected shower, Villeneuve was forced into a rain accumulation he had no chance to survived to being in dry tires.
He could not escape contact with the wall and his race took an early end before completion of the third hour. Had he been able to rejoin the pits and put on wet tires, the results could have been very different.
Kumpen/Hezemans/Menten/Mollekens finally wins the event in front of no 33 Maserati MC 12 of Pierguidi, Lemeret, Rosenblad and Vosse.
The third car to get passed the start-finish line was also the first of the G2 category, the Audi R8 LMS no 111. In G3, Mutsch, Hennerici, Martin and Wyss (Ford GT) won the race.
Krumm, Turner and Davidson complete the GT1 podium at their first 24hrs of Spa. They were driving a Nissan GT-R for this occasion.
Bruni, Vilander, Melo and Perez-Companc (Ferrari 430 GT2) took the GT2 victory in front of Lucchini, Miller, Holzer and Ragginger (Porsche 997 GT3) and Kirkaldy, Bell, Garcia and Kox.
The race was host to several lead changes in all class. The 10th hour was raced under the safety car as officials repaired a damaged safety wall from heavy contact by Fagnes around midnight.
This led to a very interesting restart, especially in GT1 class as drivers of the no 3 (Olivier Gavin), 4 (Mike Hezemans) and 2 (Pedro Lamy) cars fought hard to take the lead, leaving Hezemans in front of Gavin and Lamy after several intense laps.
Those three cars would exchange lead all over the race after that moment. That was until the no 3 car suffered from oil leak problems and smoke coming out of the car, both problems forcing the team to make several very costly visits to the garages. Even more heartbreaking was the fact that there was only three hours left to the race at that moment.
As for the no 2 car, it spun between Pouhon and Fagnes at 10 AM local time. Damages were severe enough to force the team to retire.
This is how the no 4 team inherited the lead of this race. Some oil leak problems were well managed during the last two hours, well enough to ensure victory to the well deserving team.
Race Result - Spa 24 hours :
PosCarClassDriversCarTimeLapsGapAvgspeed
1.4GT1Hezemans/Kumpen/Menten/MollekensCorvette Z0624:00:03.458559163.12
2.33GT1Guidi/Lemeret/Rosenblad/VosseMaserati MC 1224:00:05.16954811 LAPS159.91
3.111G2Fassler/Moser/Margaritis/BassengAudi R8 LMS24:00:29.12654415 LAPS158.69
4.50GT2Bruni/Vilander/Melo/CompancFerrari F43024:01:07.25754019 LAPS157.46
5.97GT2Ragginger/Lucchini/Holzer/MillerPorsche 911 GT3 RS (997)24:00:07.05453524 LAPS156.11
6.56GT2Kirkaldy/Bell/Kox/GarciaFerrari F43024:01:19.89652831 LAPS153.94
7.61GT2Van Splunteren/Coronel/Hommerson/MacHielsPorsche 911 GT3 RS (997)24:02:07.89852732 LAPS153.56
8.60GT2Collard/Westbrook/O'Young/EdwardsPorsche 911 GT3 RS (997)24:01:34.82552633 LAPS153.33
9.55GT2Mullen/Niarchos/Quaife/GoodwinFerrari F43024:00:38.45052534 LAPS153.13
10.121G3Mutsch/Martin/Wyss/HennericiFord GT24:00:04.00651940 LAPS151.44
11.123G3Lefort/Verbist/ForbesPorsche 911 GT3 Cup S24:00:05.94951841 LAPS151.15
12.161G3Lanik/Loix/Palttala/SlingerlandPorsche 911 GT3 Cup S24:00:51.43951742 LAPS150.78
13.35GT1Krumm/Turner/DavidsonNissan GT-R24:01:49.69051346 LAPS149.51
14.172G3Renard/Wauters/Van Hooydonck/SchroyenAston Martin DBRS924:00:26.23750356 LAPS146.74
15.145G3Kelders/Greisch/Desbrueres/HelaryPorsche 911 GT3 Cup S24:01:52.30749762 LAPS144.84
...
34.118G2Radermeker/Ho-Pin/De Sordi/VilleneuveMosler MT9002:55:57.74465494 LAPS155.19
Rain was the cause of the early retirement of Quebecker Jacques Villeneuve. Slowing down the track during an unexpected shower, Villeneuve was forced into a rain accumulation he had no chance to survived to being in dry tires.
He could not escape contact with the wall and his race took an early end before completion of the third hour. Had he been able to rejoin the pits and put on wet tires, the results could have been very different.
Kumpen/Hezemans/Menten/Mollekens finally wins the event in front of no 33 Maserati MC 12 of Pierguidi, Lemeret, Rosenblad and Vosse.
The third car to get passed the start-finish line was also the first of the G2 category, the Audi R8 LMS no 111. In G3, Mutsch, Hennerici, Martin and Wyss (Ford GT) won the race.
Krumm, Turner and Davidson complete the GT1 podium at their first 24hrs of Spa. They were driving a Nissan GT-R for this occasion.
Bruni, Vilander, Melo and Perez-Companc (Ferrari 430 GT2) took the GT2 victory in front of Lucchini, Miller, Holzer and Ragginger (Porsche 997 GT3) and Kirkaldy, Bell, Garcia and Kox.
The race was host to several lead changes in all class. The 10th hour was raced under the safety car as officials repaired a damaged safety wall from heavy contact by Fagnes around midnight.
This led to a very interesting restart, especially in GT1 class as drivers of the no 3 (Olivier Gavin), 4 (Mike Hezemans) and 2 (Pedro Lamy) cars fought hard to take the lead, leaving Hezemans in front of Gavin and Lamy after several intense laps.
Those three cars would exchange lead all over the race after that moment. That was until the no 3 car suffered from oil leak problems and smoke coming out of the car, both problems forcing the team to make several very costly visits to the garages. Even more heartbreaking was the fact that there was only three hours left to the race at that moment.
As for the no 2 car, it spun between Pouhon and Fagnes at 10 AM local time. Damages were severe enough to force the team to retire.
This is how the no 4 team inherited the lead of this race. Some oil leak problems were well managed during the last two hours, well enough to ensure victory to the well deserving team.
Race Result - Spa 24 hours :
PosCarClassDriversCarTimeLapsGapAvgspeed
1.4GT1Hezemans/Kumpen/Menten/MollekensCorvette Z0624:00:03.458559163.12
2.33GT1Guidi/Lemeret/Rosenblad/VosseMaserati MC 1224:00:05.16954811 LAPS159.91
3.111G2Fassler/Moser/Margaritis/BassengAudi R8 LMS24:00:29.12654415 LAPS158.69
4.50GT2Bruni/Vilander/Melo/CompancFerrari F43024:01:07.25754019 LAPS157.46
5.97GT2Ragginger/Lucchini/Holzer/MillerPorsche 911 GT3 RS (997)24:00:07.05453524 LAPS156.11
6.56GT2Kirkaldy/Bell/Kox/GarciaFerrari F43024:01:19.89652831 LAPS153.94
7.61GT2Van Splunteren/Coronel/Hommerson/MacHielsPorsche 911 GT3 RS (997)24:02:07.89852732 LAPS153.56
8.60GT2Collard/Westbrook/O'Young/EdwardsPorsche 911 GT3 RS (997)24:01:34.82552633 LAPS153.33
9.55GT2Mullen/Niarchos/Quaife/GoodwinFerrari F43024:00:38.45052534 LAPS153.13
10.121G3Mutsch/Martin/Wyss/HennericiFord GT24:00:04.00651940 LAPS151.44
11.123G3Lefort/Verbist/ForbesPorsche 911 GT3 Cup S24:00:05.94951841 LAPS151.15
12.161G3Lanik/Loix/Palttala/SlingerlandPorsche 911 GT3 Cup S24:00:51.43951742 LAPS150.78
13.35GT1Krumm/Turner/DavidsonNissan GT-R24:01:49.69051346 LAPS149.51
14.172G3Renard/Wauters/Van Hooydonck/SchroyenAston Martin DBRS924:00:26.23750356 LAPS146.74
15.145G3Kelders/Greisch/Desbrueres/HelaryPorsche 911 GT3 Cup S24:01:52.30749762 LAPS144.84
...
34.118G2Radermeker/Ho-Pin/De Sordi/VilleneuveMosler MT9002:55:57.74465494 LAPS155.19