29 mei 2008One long sprint of two hours during the 45th Anniversary Races
The third meeting of the Belgian GT Championship MVD will be held this weekend in Zolder. After the very intense races in Dijon, where both Gravity International Mosler MT900 struggled throughout the weekend, the championship is wide open again. Porsche and Ferrari showed to be able to fight for victory and will certainly do so again in Zolder. Due to the cancelling of the Champ Car earlier this season, Circuit Zolder decided to put on a 45th Anniversary Race weekend, to celebrate of course the 45th anniversary of the Belgian track. Other than the Belgian GT Championship Mediagroep Van Dyck we’ll see historical competitions, the second meeting of the European Formula BMW, with the winner of the first weekend Adrien Tambay, and the very spectacular EuroBoss Series with F1 cars from the eighties and nineties.
For this third meeting, we’ll return to the classic endurance format, the series used to race in the past. The race will start at 13h35 on Sunday and will last for 2 hours, exactly like the FIA GT races. And the BGT teams will also have to do a pit stop twice and each driver will have to race for 35 consecutive minutes at least, just like it is the case in FIA GT. On Saturday, there are two qualifying sessions of 45 minutes.
Who will win on Sunday is a very open question… With 17 GT3 in the Division 1 and 10 of them capable of winning, we’ll get good racing on Sunday; that’s one thing that’s for sure.
Both Mosler of Gravity International with championship leaders Bert Longin - Anthony Kumpen and their team mates Vincent Radermecker - Ron Marchal are without any doubt still the cars to beat, but both Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S of Franchi - Soulet (GPR) and Couwberghs - Maes (NGT) and the Dodge Viper A+ of the flying Jeffrey Van Hooydonk won’t be off the pace. Looking for revenge, the three Lamborghini Gallardo of JD Competition by Astyromega - so unhappy in France - will be at front as well. Tim Verbergt will be trying to put his car on pole on Saturday already. Other contenders? British squad Chad Racing, with Greensall-Dockerill – also in a Gallardo – and the very fast duo Fred Bouvy and Damien Coens in the Ferrari 430 of Francorchamps Motors / Delahaye Racing Team.
Mikke Van Hool will replace still injured Patrick Ceusters – driving with Henk Haane – while Chris Mattheus will replace Michael De Keersmaeker (on duty in rally cross) in the G&A Mosler together with Guino Kenis.
In Division 2, Wim Jeuris takes the wheel of the Aston Martin Vantage N24 of Speedlover, where he has to beat Lotus, Ginetta G50 and Porsche 996 Cup.
Last but not least there is the debut in Division 3 of the Porsche 997 of Westend Racing for Jarmo Vanhanen and Niko Nurminen, all the way from Finland.
The 27 bolides of the BGT are ready for good racing this weekend and a great anniversary party afterwards…
