SECOND CONSECUTIVE WIN FOR PROSPEED COMPETITION

Penders And Lamot Move Up To Second In Class Standings

It was a near-perfect day for ProSpeed Competition at the Zolder race track, where round three of the 2006 Belcar Championship took place yesterday. After a faultless performance by team co-boss, Rudi Penders and Franz Lamot, the reigning Class 2 Champions scored a second consecutive class win, while a fourth place overall further demonstrated the team’s technical superiority. The team’s second car, rebuilt after a testing accident earlier in the season, had a less fortunate day at the races when driver Pascal Nelissen Grade was forced against the wall by another competitor.

“It could hardly have been a better Thursday,” Rudi Penders said. “We set the fastest time in qualifying, and controlled the race from start to finish. Franz took the start and immediately gained a place. He tucked in behind the class-leading BMW, always keeping the car in sight.

After the drivers’ change we were of course helped by the fact that the BMW guys had a pit fire when they made their stop, so from then on all we had to do was control our class and finish. However, I knew it was possible to finish fourth overall, so I started chasing the Class 1 Viper of the Wauters brothers. I managed to pass without too much of a hassle, but five laps from the end I ran out of fuel and the reserve didn’t come on immediately. The time I lost there was enough for the Viper to overtake me again and for Fred Bouvy’s Porsche to unlap himself.”

However, experience counts for a lot in GT racing, even in the shorter races. “I gave it all I had,” Penders continued. “I put Fred a lap down again and started chasing the Viper, which was not as easy to pass this time. But I squeezed by, obviously upsetting the Viper driver who then hit me a few times from behind, trying to take fourth place again. There was no way he was going to pass me just like that! Finally, at the start-finish chicane on the last lap, he hit me again at the beginning of the braking zone, and then basically ran out of track to make the turn himself, finishing in the gravel trap. If you want to bump someone under braking, you definitely don’t do it like that!” Net result of these last lap antics: the ProSpeed Porsche in fourth overall, the Viper in 31st and last car classified.

Pascal Nelissen Grade, who took the start of the #22 ProSpeed Porsche 996 GT3 RS, had an equally eventful race, but unfortunately not with a happy ending. “A car had spun coming out of Canal Turn and sat sideways on the kerb. Just when I passed him he shot back on the track, hit me on the rear left and launched me into the wall. End of story.”

The next round of the 2006 Belcar Championship takes place on July 23rd at the Lausitzring in Germany, but before that two cars will be prepped for the Spa 24 Hours Test Day on July 5th, an event which will mark the debut of Belgian WRC start, François Duval with team car and event.

MVD BELCAR ROUND 3 – ZOLDER – RESULTS

1. Longin/Kumpen Chevrolet Corvette C5-R 77 laps2. Hart/Bleekemolen Chevrolet Corvette C5-R + 18s0663. Goossens/Van Dongen Marcos 600LM + 2 laps4. Penders/Lamot Porsche 996 GTR RS + 3 laps (1st Class 2)5. Van Rossem/Bouvy Porsche 996 GT3 RS + 4 laps (2nd Class 2)7. Grouwels/Grouwels Dodge Viper RT/10 + 6 laps (3rd Class 2)DNF Nelissen Grade/Kelders Porsche 996 GT3 RS Accident (9 laps)

2006 PROSPEED COMPETITION SCHEDULE & RESULTS

April 9th MVD Belcar Round 1: Spa#21 Penders/Lamot DNF (gearbox)#22 Nelissen Grade/Kelders 17th O/A, 6th Class 2Winner O/A Longin/Kumpen Chevrolet Corvette C5-RWinner Cl. 2 Severich/Josten BMW M3 GTR V8May 21st MVD Belcar Round 2: Zolder#21 Penders/Lamot 5th O/A, 1st Class 2#22 Nelissen Grade/Van Hoof 22nd O/A, 11th Class 2Winner O/A Longin/Kumpen Chevrolet Corvette C5-RWinner Cl. 2 Penders/Lamot Porsche 911 GTR RSRJune 29th MVD Belcar Round 3: ZolderJuly 23rd MVD Belcar Round 4: Eurospeedway LausitzJuly 29th-30th FIA GT Round 4: Spa 24 HoursAugust 26th-27th MVD Belcar Round 5: Zolder 24 HoursOctober 8th MVD Belcar Round 6: SpaOctober 22nd MVD Belcar Round 7: Zolder