PROSPEED’S PINK PORSCHE GOES BETTER THAN HISTORIC ICON
But Transmission And Radio Gremlins Keep “Bertha Sau” From Deserved Win
ZOLDER, 27 August 2006 – ProSpeed Competition lived a race in two parts at this weekend’s Zolder 24 Hours, round 5 of the 2006 Belcar Championship. While the first twelve hours were a textbook affair with the pink “Truffle Pig” solidly in the lead, the second half of the race had a certain yoyo effect to it. Each time the pink Porsche climbed back onto the podium another problem would throw it back. Ultimately, stellar drives by all four drivers clinched a third place in Class 2 and sixth overall,… until one lap before the finish. Despite finishing in fourth, team boss Rudy Penders was understandably disappointed.
“The halfshafts are the weak point of this generation GT3 RS,” he said. “The gearbox is based on that of the road car but the race car obviously sits lower than the road version, so the half shafts must angle upwards thus creating a potential weak spot. But I have the solution to the problem: buy a 997.”The race had started well, though, with Penders immediately settling in a predetermined race pace, dropping back and letting the hares do their thing. By the time the first championship points were up for grabs, after six hours, the Pink Pig was back up to fourth overall and first in class.
After seven hours the car hit another competitor, tearing the front right corner off the nose section thus exposing the radiator and leaving it unprotected. The team took the risk of continuing like this until the 12-hour mark, when the second batch of points would be distributed. The plan worked, and just five minutes after mid-race, Class 2 leader Kurt Dujardyn came in to have the nose section changed, as well as new brake pads fitted. After all, 35 years ago, the original 917/20 Pink Pig crashed after 12 hours with worn brake pads!
Apart from a heavy rain shower at sunrise, there was little to report during the night. But at 7.00am the most photographed car of the race was back in the garage with transmission problems. A halfshaft had to be changed, dropping the car back to tenth overall and fifth in class. A little later the same problem reoccurred but the crew turned the car around in just ten minutes and the chase for the Class 2 podium was back on.Rudi Penders, Franz Lamot, Karl Jacobs and Kurt Dujardyn held on to that podium spot until the very last lap. “We had lost our radio,” said finishing driver Penders.
“so I didn’t quite know how close a gamble it was going to be. We thought we might make it, but then the lead car crossed the finishing line just 30 seconds before the 24 hours were over. That meant the whole field had to do an extra lap, at which time my lead on the Mosler had been reduced to less that four seconds by virtue of going slow on the last fumes. It was the lap too far…”
ProSpeed’s second Porsche had an even sadder race when Christian Kelders got shunted into the wall by another competitor on only the fourth lap. With the car irreparably damaged the team’s 24 Hours were over before the race was even ten minutes old.
ProSpeed’s next Belcar outing is on 8th October in Spa.
MVD BELCAR ROUND 5 – ZOLDER 24 HOURS – RACE RESULTS
1. Hart/Duez/Soulet/Cloet Chevrolet Corvette C5-R 828 laps
2. Goossens/Van Dongen/Euser Marcos LM600 +7 laps
3. Longin/Kumpen/Hezemans/Mollekens Chevrolet Corvette C5-R +13 laps
4. Severich/Josten/Moore/Muytjens BMW M3 V8 GTR +48 laps (1st Class 2)
5. Van Bellingen/Essers/Vandermaesen/Coens BMW M3 Silhouette +51 laps (2nd Class 2)
6. Kenis/Verheyen/Schuybroeck Mosler MT 900 R +58 laps (3rd Class 2)
7. Penders/Lamot/Jacobs/Dujardyn Porsche 911 GT3 RS +58 laps (4th Class 2)
8. Leyssens/Lumbeeck/Monens/Redant BMW M3 Silhouette +62 laps (5th Class 2)
9. Haane/Van Delm/Meert/Werckx Porsche 911 Supercup +65 laps (1st Class 3)
10. Van Loo/Thomas/Broodcoren/De Coster Porsche 911 Supercup +66 laps (2nd Class 3)
DNF Nelissen Grade/Kelders/Roij/Poncelet Porsche 911 Supercup Accident (4 laps)
(27 finishers)
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 2
Winners O/A Longin/Kumpen Chevrolet Corvette C5-RWinners Cl. 2 Severich/Josten BMW M3 GTR V8
May 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 2
Winners O/A Longin/Kumpen Chevrolet Corvette C5-RWinners Cl. 2 Penders/Lamot Porsche 911 GT3 RS
June 29th MVD Belcar Round 3: Zolder
#21 Penders/Lamot 4th O/A, 1st Class 2#22 Nelissen Grade/Kelders DNF (Accident)
Winners O/A Longin/Kumpen Chevrolet Corvette C5-RWinners Cl. 2 Penders/Lamot Porsche 911 GT3 RS
July 23rd MVD Belcar Round 4: Eurospeedway Lausitz
#21 Penders/Lamot 4th O/A, 2nd Class 2#22 Nelissen Grade/Kelders 14th O/A, 7th Class 2
Winners O/A Longin/Kumpen Chevrolet Corvette C5-RWinners Cl. 2 Josten/Mutsch BMW M3 GTR V8
July 29th-30th FIA GT Round 4: Spa 24 Hours
#194 Penders/Lamot/Hemroulle 26th O/A, 5th Class G2#195 Nlssn Grd/Kldrs/Duval/Krkhv 20th O/A, 2nd Class G3
Winners O/A van de Poele/Bartels/Bertolini Masearti MC12Winners Cl. G2 Luhr/Maassen/Tiemann Porsche 997 GT3 RSRWinners Cl. G3 Chaillet/Nef/Demanb/Geoffroy Dodge Viper RT/10
August 26th-27th MVD Belcar Round 5: Zolder 24 Hours
October 8th MVD Belcar Round 6: SpaOctober 22nd MVD Belcar Round 7: Zolder
