12 december 2008New regulations 2009
2008 might not have come to an end as yet but SRO Belgium is already busy working on the third year of the Belgian GT Championship Mediagroup Van Dyck, edition 2009. At the beginning of this week the RACB (Royal Automobile Club of Belgium) agreed on different items and regulation amendments:
1) Provisional calendar 2009
25-26 April : Belgian Race Kick Off (Zolder)
9-10 May : 1000 km of Spa ***
5-6 June : 12 Hours of Spa **
10-11 July : 25H VW Fun Cup (Spa) **
22-23 August : 24 Hours of Zolder
19-20 September : Algarve (TBC)
10-11 October : Zolder FIA GT **
We have ensured that there is no clash with FIA GT, FIA GT3 or GT4 European Cup.
*After approval of 2/3rds of the teams
** Meeting with BTCS
***Race with British GT
2) Format of the meetings
All meetings, except the 24 Hours of Zolder will have two races of 60 minutes.
3) Pro-Am
For 2009 the Belgian GT Championship MVD will be introducing the Pro-Am system. All drivers will be divided –according to their record of achievement - into three main categories: namely Platinum, Gold and Silver. The definition of each category will be available shortly.
A platinum driver may not compete in the Championship with another driver of the same category, or in fact with a ‘gold’ ranked driver, and a team comprised out of two full gold-drivers would be allowed subject to a 50-kilogram ballast penalty allocated at the beginning of the year.
4) Success ballast
In order to achieve an even more balanced competition, avoiding a domination of one make or team, SRO Belgium has decided to introduce the Success Ballast system. This system is well known in the WTCC and FFSA GT. The top-3 of each race will be respectively given a 30 kg, 20 kg and 10 kg ballast, with a maximum of 60 kilos, per meeting. A team not scoring a single podium during a meeting, will loose its entire ballast, with the exception of the ballast linked to the Gold driver combinations allocated at the beginning of the year. Should a ‘double gold’ win both heats of a meeting the maximum ballast for that specific team’s following meeting would be 100 kg instead of 110 kg.
5) 24 Hours of Zolder
Once again the highlight of the season will be the 24 Hours of Zolder. In order to attract fuller starting grids, touring cars emanating from the BTCS, including the silhouettes, will be allowed, as also the Dunlop Sport Maxx Endurance Cup competitors who will no longer race as a curtain raiser to these 24 Hours of Zolder. It goes without saying that only the teams in the Belgian GT Championship may score points.
In order to maintain safety standards, a minimum qualifying will be reintroduced, as also a maximum of 59 cars on the starting grid.
As compared to 2008 the race will be worth the double amount of points as compared to a normal meeting, representing a maximum of 40 points.
A round of the GT4 European Cup will be held as a curtain raiser of the 24 Hours of Zolder meeting.
6) Belgian Cup
The overall winner of the 24 Hours of Zolder will receive the ‘Coupe de Belgique’ at the end of the season.
7) Divisions
Division 1: only for FIA homologated GT3 cars.
Division 2: GT4 and SuperSport (GT4 Light)
Division 3: Belcar Specials; cars allowed in the Belcar series in the the past. Neither platinum nor Gold drivers will be allowed in this division. There will only be a reference time during the races, and not for the qualifying sessions in this division.
8) Driving solo
Given the mandatory pitstop held between the 23rd and 37th minutes of a one hour race, it will be possible to race solo in Division 2 and 3, with only one driver scoring points.
