14 april 2008Kumpen-Longin make it a double in the Mosler MT900
Race 1: Under wet conditions thirty competitors, all fitted with rain tyres, took the start of the first race of the Belgian GT Championship MVD. It was Ron Marchal who took off from pole position, after an appeal from his team, but was immediately surprised by Max Soulet in the GPR Porsche 997. Behind these two a great battle ensued with amongst others Vincent Vosse (Ferrari), ahead of Longin, Maes, Verbergt and Van Hooydonk.
Soulet experienced over inflated tyre pressure problems and had to relinquish his lead to the two Moslers of Gravity International. Ron Marchal was able to hold off Longin who was breathing down his neck, but Longin finally managed to take the lead. Voss also fell back behind the two MT900s, whereby the Lamborghini of Tim Verbergt and Jeffrey Van Hooydonk in the Dodge Viper slotted into third and fourth places.
Ron Marchal was the first to come into the pits, and went back out on rain tyres, which turned out to be a bad choice. In fact 10 minutes later Kumpen left the pits on slicks. Kumpen with the hand over did loose some ten seconds due the battery problem.
Up front after the window of compulsory stops we had the A+ Racing Viper of Robert Dierick. A surprise, which was not to last very long. As with several other drivers Dierick had left the pits a few seconds too soon resulting in an additional visit to the pit lane for the compulsory penalty 10” stoppage.
Even a spin by Kumpen couldn’t stop the young driver from Limburg taking the chequered flag. In second and third places we had the two Porsches 997 GT3 S Cup of Couwberghs and Franchi and when these two decided to collide in the penultimate lap Kumpen and Longin had nothing to fear any longer.
As such the Lamborghini of Mikke Van Hool and Henk Haane slid up into second place on the podium, ahead of the Gillet Vertigo, « Guest », of Renaud Kuppens and Bas Leinders. The latter lost a fair amount of time during their pitstop finishing 47” down...
The Mosler of Kenis-De Keersmaeker finished fourth, staying ahead of the Ferrari Challenge of Bouvy-Coens. Thanks to a perfect strategy this blue 430 climbed up from an 18th place to finish in fifth spot.
In Division 2 and Division 3 Van Oost-Sougnez (Porsche 996 Supercup D2) and Coekelbergs-Kuus (Porsche 996 GT2-R D3) took their respective categories.
The result: 1. Kumpen-Longin (Mosler MT900) 34 laps in 1u01.17.289 ; 2. Haane-Van Hool (P-B-Bel/Lamborghini Gallardo) at 36.621 ; 3. Leinders-Kuppens (Gillet Vertigo) at 47.362 (1st Guest); 4. Kenis-De Keersmaecker (Mosler MT900) at 1.24.439; 5. Coens-Bouvy (Ferrari 430) at 1.36.401; 6. Radermecker-Marchal (Mosler MT900) at 1.40.191; 7. Penders-Lamot (Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S) at 1lap; 8. Van Hooydonk-Dierick (Dodge Viper); 9. Koen Wauters-Schreurs (Dodge Viper); 10. Derdaele-Menten (Dodge Viper);… 17. Van Oost-Sougnez (Porsche 996 GT3 Cup) at 2laps (1st D2) ; 20. Coekelbergs-Kuus (Porsche 996 GT2-R) at 2laps (1st D3)
Race 2 :
Another heavy bout of rain came to upset the start of the second race of the Belgian GT Championship MVD. Vincent Radermecker set off from pole and managed to build up a lead ahead of team mate Anthony Kumpen. Behind them three Lamborghini Gallardos went off track, whilst Bart Couwberghs (Porsche), Guino Kenis (Mosler) and Greg Franchi (Porsche) had Renaud Kuppens (Gillet) in great form breathing down their necks. Just before the compulsory pitstop we lost Greg Franchi up front, whose Porsche had to be pushed into the pit box with a damaged engine. Undoubtedly a sad weekend for the GPR boys who were defending their title.
The leaders were now up for their pitstops and thanks to a quick tyre change the Longin-Kumpen duo were able to convert their arrear of a handful of seconds into being ahead of team-mates Marchal and Radermecker when leaving the pits.
Some twenty minutes from the end of the race both Moslers of Gravity International had a fifteen seconds lead on the Vertigo of Bas Leinders. It looked as though the podium places were worked out, but then just before the end Marchal and the Viper of Koen Wauters came into contact and the Belgo-Dutchman had to retire with a flat tyre. The Porsche of Couwberghs-Maes in the meantime had also left the battle front with a holed radiator due to an accident. Suddenly known faces appeared in third place, because Van Hool-Haane, previously second and once again the fastest Lambo, were able to take advantage of the various retirements. In addition the Vertigo does not score any points, as it competed in the Guest Class, and as such the JD Competition Gallardo was able to enjoy a perfect season opener.
Behind the top three we had the unleashed Van Hooydonk who clocked up one fastest lap after another. Kris Wauters managed to clinch a fifth place on the line ahead of his brother Koen, giving us three Dodge Vipers in the top-6. Behind them we had the Ferrari of Vosse, the Mosler with De Keersmaeker and the Viper of Jos Menten. Rudi Penders finished off the top-10 as first Porsche-driver.
Ludovic Sougnez, in his Porsche 996 competing in Division 2, drove a fantastic relay on a wet track and together with his team mate Olivier Van Oost once again won the race in D2. The Fin Markus Palttala and Christian Kelders won their battle in Division 3 with the Porsche 997 of GPR.
Result race 2 : 1. Kumpen-Longin ; 2. Leinders-Kuppens at 18.805; 3. Van Hool-Haane at 53.296; 4. Van Hooydonk-Dierick at 1 lap; 5. Kris Wauters-Vanthoor (Dodge Viper); 6. Koen Wauters-Schreurs; 7. Vosse-Renard (Ferrari 430); 8. De Keersmaeker-Kenis; 9. Menten-Derdaele (NL/B Dodge Viper); 10. Penders-Lamot;… 13. Kelders-Palttala (Bel-Fin/Porsche 997) (1st D3); 17. Sougnez-Van Oost (1st D2)
