12 maart 2008Mosler, Viper, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Ginetta an impressive entrants field!
With less than three weeks from the Test Day – Thursday 27th March – in Zolder, most of the teams entered for the Belgian GT Championship MVD Belcar 2008 are madly preparing their machinery. All the workshops are appropriately working hard and the days are shortening. Certain teams have already clocked up some kilometres – both on home soil and abroad, allowing some new drivers to be given an opportunity, set-ups to be revised and even entirely new cars being granted their baptism of fire. We will undoubtedly have the opportunity of seeing all this for ourselves during the first meeting of the season, namely at the Belgian Race Kick Off on 12th and 13th April at circuit Zolder. In addition this first meeting is also the première for a new format, with two rounds of one hour instead of the usual 125 minutes. In this light SRO Belgium is following the baseline of all the GT3 championships.
“Champ Car will not be coming to Zolder at the beginning of June, however the meeting remains on the books (with amongst others the European Formula BMW) and as such we will be able to make use of the boxes”, Patricia Indekeu, responsible for SRO in Belgium explains. “This means that we can retain pitstops and refuelling as scheduled and programme a race over two hours. For the first meeting of the season we opted for the more spectacular format of going for two one-hour races. This will give the general public two cracking races to kick off the season with.”
And the season starts off under a lucky star. A highly varied and well filled grid –with no less than five or six different makes – expected in the top GT3 class.
Let us start off with Mosler. No less than four Mosler-Chevrolet MT900s should be heading for the first race. This includes two models from Gravity International with Anthony Kumpen-Bert Longin and Vincent Radermecker-Christian Kelders, but also G&A with Guino Kenis and Michael De Keersmaeker and eventually Go to One with amongst others the up-coming German Kenneth Heyer.
“These Anglo-American power beasts will be undergoing a revised evaluation during the FIA-test days in Nogaro, with a view to their homologation in Group 2”, Patricia Indekeu explained. “It goes without saying that in the event that it should be necessary the balance in GT3 could be reviewed in order to respect and retain the philosophy in GT3, namely a proper balance between the makes. GT3 is a driver’s formula, whereby the driver qualities and the strength of the team need to make the difference.”
Who will be taking on the gauntlet thrown down by Mosler? Well in the first instance we see no less than ... four powerful Lamborghini Gallardos. Two of these we already know, namely the car of Chad Racing with our British friends Nigel Greensall and Ian Dockerill, but in addition the first car emanating from a new Antwerp-based team (supported by Astromega) with Haane-Ceusters at the wheel. During their press conference on 20th March in Antwerp they will be revealing other names in this highly ambitious team.
Carrying on in this Italian camp we have a Ferrari F430 entered by Waterloo Motors with the support during the race weekends of Delahaye Racing Team. Frédéric Bouvy and Damien Coens will be manning this fast 430. Rumours abounded in the corridors that a reputable race family had also fallen for the Italian charms and the French Sport Garage is entering for at least one race a Ferrari 430 for another Belgian champion.
The Dodge Vipers are still looking for their first success; however AD Sport might bring a few changes to this fact. The Limburg-based team will be entering two cars, of which one for the regulars Kris Wauters and Raf Vanthoor, whilst Koen Wauters will once again be competing in the entire season, after a year’s absence, and this in the company of Patrick Schreurs.
Laudi Racing and Belgium Racing have joined forces with a Viper for Derdaele-Van Moerkerke, whilst Tom Van de Plas (teamed with Lumbeeck) is still looking for a crew for his second Dodge.
The Dutchman Ron Marchal is still hoping for a sponsor’s budget and/or substantially wealthy driver for the glorious and super fast Aston Martin of Racing for Belgium, and in the Porsche-camp news has transpired that a number of 997s, amongst which a brand new 997 GT3 S, are heading Belcar way. For the cars with 2007-spec a solution is presently being found, whereby the teams that invested in GT3 last year will still be able to hold their own. GPR, Speedlover and First Motorsport are teams in question.
Four Moslers, four Lamborghinis, at least two Ferraris, four or five Dodges, a gaggle of Porsche 997s and perhaps an Aston; all in all a great outlook for the first race.
In Division 2 we obviously come across a few older 996 Supercups, but we also welcome a few new GT4s. This class is presently growing and KS Motorsport spotted this only too well. This team will be on the grid with two original Ginetta G50s, one for the team boss Steve Vanbellingen together with Marnix Vandermaesen. In the meanwhile André Van Hoof (Speedlover) has added an Aston GT4 to his collection. And finally we are still waiting for news from the Lotus camp.
McDonalds Racing, in conjunction with PMB is entering two Porsche 996 Biturbos in Division 3, with Bouillon-Voets and the Belgian actor Stéphane De Groodt, who is making his comeback after five years in the film industry.
