16 oktober 2007Mosler, executioner in the dual between the PK Carsport Corvette and the Porsche of GPR
The Mediagroep Van Dyck Belcar ‘new look’ GT3 maiden season will come to an end around six o’clock on Sunday evening. The FIA GT Championship - with Belcar & BTCS–meeting will be the scene for the climax over 125 minutes (with the start at 15.45, immediately after the final round of the FIA GT-championship), a denouement where all the titles, with the exception of one, will be decided.
Similar to the F1 in Brazil here also there are candidates in contention for the top crown in Division 1 Belcar GT3. It is never easy to bring a favourite to the fore, however the Corvette with race #1 of PK Carsport, driven by Kumpen and Longin, could well be one of the front crunners. PK presently has 85 points with a mere half point lead over the Porsche of GPR with N°56 driven by Maxime Soulet and Guillaume Dumarey.
“We’re obviously aiming for the double in the FIA GT-championship and the Belcar”, a laughing Anthony Kumpen remarks, who will be driving both the Corvette C5-R and the Z06. “And what with the final of the BTCS also, it can’t be anything less than a brilliant race weekend, so let’s hope that it turns out to be an enjoyable show!”
However the driver from Hasselt is in no way committing himself... “A great deal can happen during a 125’ race, the weather conditions just being one of them. Nothing is decided until after the chequered flag has dropped, even though our team, PK Carsport, undoubtedly deserve to clinch the title.”
This last comment also applies to GPR, winners of the recent 24 Hours of Zolder, the championship’s highlight of the season. And they are only half a point behind...
“It’s going to be pretty difficult all the same”, is how Maxime Soulet summed up his chances. “We have 415 bhp under the bonnet and they have more than 500. Enough said. But we’re leaving nothing to chance and Guillaume has been preparing himself thoroughly for this last race, both mentally and physically. We’re going for a podium place, and we would be happy with the vice-champion title, so anything on top of that is a great bonus, because before the start of the season we would undoubtedly have signed up for that.”
This bonus could also be the Driver Challenge, where Guillaume is presently in second place some seven points from Bart Couwberghs. The latter has been piling up successes in Division 2 this year, and with his NGT Porsche 996 Supercup, is the sole known champion (Division 2) until now. “Here also I want to do everything possible to help my team mate win the title”, Soulet continues, who for the last three days has been undergoing intensive training with Dumarey junior. “He has made enormous progress and has reached a decent level, especially when you know how difficult it is to handle the Porsche 997.”
Following on from the last meeting at Spa both the Moslers of Gravity International will be carrying on through with their surge and will be the real executioners in the duel. From a mathematical angle the DHL N°24 of Radermecker-Lémeret is still in with a chance – only 11,5 points down and with still 20 units to be shared out -, but as with Raikkonen in Brazil, both drivers will need to count on the opposition experiencing problems should they hope to wrap up the title.
But what about the others? The Racing for Belgium Aston Martin DBRS9s is already on its way to Dubai and will not be present; however there is actually another outsider. For the first time in the Mediagroep Van Dyck Belcar a Ferrari 430 will be on hand. The experienced French duo of David Halliday-Claude Yves Gosselin is travelling up to Zolder with this Italian beauty. Johnny’s singing son will have competition from Koen Wauters, because he also wants to be in on the final act of the 2007 Belcar and this together with his brother Kris in the AD Dodge Viper. And the other Viper, in the colours of the GS Motorsport-duo of Heyer-Thomas is undoubtedly also a podium contender.
But let us not forget the gaggle of Porsches, with up front Prospeed (Bouvy-Loix and Penders-Lamot), as also the second GPR 997 of Duez-Maes.
In Division 2, where we see the return of the BMW Z4 GT4 of G&A, everything is decided, but in the Division 3 Belcar Specials the Thiers brothers (997 Russell Racing) can feel both CEO and AD Sport breathing down their necks.
Do you want to be there? The final of the Mediagroep Van Dyck Belcar 2007, not forgetting the finals of the BTCS and the FIA GT-championship, is an absolute must. Tickets can be bought in pre-sale (with a discount: 10 euro for the weekend instead of 15 euro) via the Circuit Zolder website (www.circuit-zolder.be) or at one of the Dexia-branches.
