2005 Spa 24 Hours

[cmk]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

If I'm not mistaken Cirtek will run both the 550 and the Aston Martin. With Bouchut/Russian#1/tba in the Aston and Turner/Russian#2/tba in the 550. I remember reading it somewhere, but it can also be a rumour. Maybe someone else knows more about it?

We know that Turner won't be involved (he's in a factory Aston) so that kind of casts uncertainty over the rest of the rumour.

As for the desires of the customers to not have the works team at the 24h, what do they expect? It was always clear that this is a development year for the car. They will no doubt want to be buying a well-sorted car, and yet they want it 5 minutes ago. If you want your car to be developed, you should expect the factory to be racing it. To then argue about them racing it in the same races as you is to look a gift horse in the mouth, from a long-term perspective.

[Bramzel]

Point taken regarding Turner cmk, you're right there. Makes me doubt it as well now.

I find the customers thing very weird actually. Or maybe unfair to say it that way. What gives them the right to stop AM from entering? I find this a very weird attitude, especially taken into consideration that (afaik) they won't be eligible for points.

[mikmx]

Weird reaction indeed also because its probably mailnly a test for AM (a win could be likely) and thus making their customer cars they recieve of a higher standard.. So Cirtek being irritated ok but the other two...

[Marcel ten Caat]

Why would you buy an expensive car and race it with drivers that aren't familiar with the car if you know the factory team is entering the same (or even more up-to-date) spec car with drivers that know the car by heart.

They're probably afraid that if AM would enter 2 works cars their investments in the DBR9 will be worth nothing and they'll be 2nd to them any time.

[SALEEN S7R]

Yeah but Stranger Aston Martin wont be racing in every round of the FIA GT championship. Really it is a understandable though that the customer teams will be a little upset but at the end of the day the cars need developing and who better to do that than the works team? The car needs mileage, race mileage, and the Spa 24hrs provides exactly that.

[Marcel ten Caat]

I know they won't enter all rounds...but still.
The 24 hours of Spa is the most important round in the championship, several teams look forward to it the whole year.
A bit of a slap in the face when you're participating the whole year, spend big bucks on a championship winning car and then the big manufacturer races the most important event of the series and wins it. The typical story of the icing on the cake

[SALEEN S7R]

Yeah but then id rather have the works Aston Martin's there than not have them. And one thing you forget, the Spa 24hrs is not primarliy a FIA GT event, the FIA GT series is just a championship that happens to run within the race. The Spa 24hrs is also one of the biggest endurance races in the world so why should people like Aston Martin be barred from racing? Sure they are the likely favourites but if it wasnt them it would be somebody else, and would it be the Cirtek DBR9? Doubtful, first race with a new car against some very good oppostion. IMO.

[Marcel ten Caat]

Ok, to end the discussion. I agree that AM shouldn't be barred from racing there, but can understand what other teams are feeling.

I'm barred from going to Spa though because i've got something else planned (unlucky planning).

[19dodge]

getting back to the entry list. mark off the Konrad Saleens and the RAM Saleen. They wont be at Spa. RAM announced that back in January, and Konrad will be racing Porsche Supercup that weekend, and wont have the new aero parts homologated by then.

[BSchneiderFan]

When will Konrad be back in GTs? It's been a pretty abject season for them, with one thing and another.

[19dodge]

they hope to be back at Oschersleben with the new Aero work thats homologated. They will then run the rest of the season

[Bramzel]

No hard sources for this one, but it was mentioned on a belgian forum that the Larbre 550 (official 24h car) was going to be entered with Gardel, Vosse, Mollekens and Verstappen as drivers. Especially that last name is a very very surprising one, curious if it's true or not.

[chunterer]

What about the Reiter Lambo? I know it spammed at Brno but surely entering the Spa event would give them a good shop window and chance to give the car a good long test run under pressure conditions?

[rdjones]

I have just seen on DSC that Porsche Factory driver Sascha Maassen will join Neil Cunningham and Ben Collins in the Embassy Racing Porsche 911. Wow that is mega news for my local team, i wish well.

[lj79]

Big scoop for Embassy, but leads to the question of who will therefore complete the driver line up for Gruppe M?

[cmk]

Originally Posted by lj79

Big scoop for Embassy, but leads to the question of who will therefore complete the driver line up for Gruppe M?

I remember hearing Ortelli's name in connection with one of the seats earlier in the summer, but given the impression that he severed his Porsche factory ties to take up the Aston and Audi offers, that may have been speculation.

Lucas Luhr is free, I believe. Perhaps Johnny Cocker, given his continued involvement with the team in the LMES?

[SALEEN S7R]

I wonder if these 2 drivers could make a appearnce also? http://www.fiagt.com/newsitem.php?key=682

[cmk]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

I wonder if these 2 drivers could make a appearnce also? http://www.fiagt.com/newsitem.php?key=682

Hmm...definitely possible, but they made it clear that their schedule included the 4 remaining LMES rounds and hopefully the FIA-GT race in China. One supposes new developments could change that, of course, but there is the feeling that many of GruppeM's decisions for the 24h will be influenced by the management folks at Porsche. Without knowing what, if any, stance Porsche has on the Hong Kong deal, it's hard to say whether they'd be keen to have Marsh and O'Young in the car.

[FIRE]

Dutch Belcar driver Jos Menten will drive for SRT (Corvette). Other drivers are TBA. Source: www.autosport.nl

[BSchneiderFan]

Goossens usually drives the SRT Corvette, right? But is with AM for the Spa 24 Hours.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

Goossens usually drives the SRT Corvette, right? But is with AM for the Spa 24 Hours.

Correct
Normally Jos Menten drives a Porsche of PSI team in Belcar, which is the biggest rival of....SRT.

[cmk]

It seems that the first two drivers I mentioned in my jabbering earlier were the correct ones. If only I'd left off the rest of the speculative prattle, I would've seemed very prescient!

[Marcel ten Caat]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Dutch Belcar driver Jos Menten will drive for SRT (Corvette). Other drivers are TBA. Source: www.autosport.nl

Apparently the other drivers are Marc Duez and Bruno Hernandez. Fourth seat TBA (won't be Soheil Ayari or David Hart).

[Marcel ten Caat]

Originally Posted by cmk

I remember hearing Ortelli's name in connection with one of the seats earlier in the summer, but given the impression that he severed his Porsche factory ties to take up the Aston and Audi offers, that may have been speculation.

Lucas Luhr is free, I believe. Perhaps Johnny Cocker, given his continued involvement with the team in the LMES?

According to Belgian websites/forums Lucas Luhr will join Lieb & Rockenfeller in the #66 GruppeM car with Ortelli joining Collard & Sugden in the #88 car.

[BSchneiderFan]

If that's true, Gruppe M have an awesome line-up.