29 maart 2007FIA GT3 successful in its objective with an extremely open 2007 championship
Both SRO Belgium and the Mediagroep Van Dyck Belcar people have definitely succeeded in their objective: the launch of a brand new championship with as leading thread the FIA GT3. In addition to this the 2007 season announces itself to be of grand-cru quality, with a well filled entry list with more than 40 cars and at least six serious contenders in line for victory.
Who would have dared bet more than one euro a few months back that there would be some twenty new GT3s on the grid for the Belgian First Races in Zolder? “Not even ourselves”, SRO Belgium humbly admits. “We have also concluded that Belgium appears to be the country where the GT3s are represented the best.”
Finally 19 GT3s are on the entrants list; five makes are represented, amongst which a Corvette Z06, an Aston Martin DBRS9, two Mosler-Chevrolet (we are awaiting a third model in the course of the season), five Dodge Vipers and ten Porsches 997 GT3 Cup.
“Perhaps an Italian thoroughbred is still missing to complete the list, but it will appear in due course”, we are assured by the organisers. Morgan, Ascari and Ford GT40 are also on the wish list to appear at one or other round.
Whilst waiting for that first green light we could venture a forecast with this impressive field, but immediately notice that it is highly difficult to come up with a definite favourite. A shortlist is feasible, and the following names come to the forefront: the defending champions Kumpen-Longin (Corvette), the Radermecker-Lémeret duo (Mosler-Chevrolet), Vanthoor-Kris Wauters and the German-Canadian duo Heyer Jr-Thomas with their Dodge Viper, the Aston Martin of Coekelbergs-Marshal or one of the many fast Porsche-teams with Duez-Maes, D. Loix-de Radiguès, Penders-Lamot, Dumarey-Soulet or Dierick-d’Ambrosio in the front line.
Ten candidates for a podium and that is not all. Perhaps we should also take into account one or other outsider such as Vanierschot-Schreurs (Porsche), Van-Hover-Van Loo (Porsche), Kelders-Lambert (Mosler), Van Moerkerke-Ceusters (Dodge) or those fast young girls Stéphanie Boden and Alexandra Van de Velde, who can undoubtedly hold their own with their bulky Dodge Viper
We should also take into account the Mosler-BMW of Guino Kenis and Michaël De Keersmaecker, declared favourites in Division 3, where the reference time will play a part. Further on in this same Division 3 we have the Thiers brothers (Porsche 997), the regulars Vollebergh-De Laet (996 RSR) as also the Derdaele-Verhoeven-Empsen (Ultima) trio. They will also be putting their best foot forward. Further down the grid we come across the Division 2 cars, with the older Porsche 996 Supercup or the brand-new GT4s, amongst which the BMW Z4 of Smets-Lagrange and the small Lotus Exige of Verhiest-De Cock.
You can admire all this splendid machinery on Sunday 1st April for a race run over 125 minutes, and this as from 13.50hrs. And we eagerly await the initial verdict.
You can still download your free entry tickets via the new website www.sro-belgium.be, and where you will also discover all relevant information. This site is also accessible via www.belcar.com
