ABRUPT ENDING TO A WEEKEND THAT HAD STARTED WELL
Rudi Penders out in high-speed crash; Nelissen Grade and Kelders 6th in Class 2
Things had started well for the ProSpeed Competition team, with Penders and Lamot’s Porsche right were it should be: at the front of the Class 2 battle. But the weekend ended with a badly damaged car and a driver in hospital with a broken collar bone. For the challengers in Class 2 it was of little comfort that the team’s other car ran a textbook race and finished in 6th in class.
The typical Ardennes weather played a major role in the qualifying sessions. On Friday, one had to be on the track from the word go, as dark clouds were gathering. “We only got our new tyres right before the sessions started, so we didn’t have the time to try them first. So it was a matter of getting into the groove immediately and set a time as soon as possible. On my third flying lap I set a time good enough for fifth, and then the rain set in,” Penders explained. “Those who had gone out later were done, and the rain on Saturday made any qualifying attempts unnecessary. A shame, really, as I really fancied chasing the Mosler’s fourth place on the grid…”
Franz Lamot took the start in his customary effective way, lapping the track in fifth position. “I ran in the BMW’s rhythm and could keep the Mosler in sight, so that bode well for the second part of the race.”
The Porsche 996 GT3 RS was one of the first cars to pit for a driver change as soon as the safety car entered the track for the first time. “I got blocked some twenty seconds because the pit exit light stayed red for no reason, but when I finally could join I was still right with the BMW, which still had to pit. Idem for the Mosler,” Penders said. “Things looked rosy, until it all went pear-shaped...”
When Penders attacked the notorious Blanchimont left-hander for the 24th time, he felt a snap in the steering wheel and found himself spinning on oil. “The car just got away from me,” he said. “Josten was right behind me in the BMW but could do nothing to avoid me and drove almost through the door. The lights went out and when I woke up again the marshals were shoving me into an ambulance to hospital. Diagnosis: a broken collar bone and a car of which we don’t know yet whether it’s repairable.”
It is obviously still too early to talk about the next race – the Belcar finale in two weeks’ time. “First I’m going to rest a few days and see what we can do with the car. Quite frankly I’m not thinking about the race yet. I’m obviously disappointed about the fact that a perfect race ended in the way it did, on the other hand I’m pleased that I got away with just a broken collar bone. It could have been a lot worse.”
Driving the second Porsche 996 GT3 RS of the ProSpeed Competition team, Pascal Nelissen Grade and Christian Kelders had a less eventful day. The former took the start and quickly drove towards a top 20 place before handing over to his co-driver, who finished the job and brought the car home in sixth in class.
MVD BELCAR ROUND 6 – SPA – RESULTS1. Bouchut/Heylen Chevrolet Corvette C5-R 43 laps in 2h06m33s3662. Menten/Soulet Chevrolet Corvette C5-R + 0m39s7633. Kenis/De Keersmaeker Mosler MT900R + 2m29s805 (1st Class 2)4. Van Moerkerke/Hillebrand Stealth B6 + 1 lap5. Wauters/Schreurs Porsche 911 Bi-turbo + 1 lap7. Grauwels/Grauwels Dodger Viper RT/10 + 2 laps (2nd Class 2)9. Thiers/Thiers Porsche 997 GT3 + 2 laps (3rd Class 2)19. Nelissen Grade/Kelders Porsche 996 GT3 RS + 3 laps (6th Class 2)DNF Penders/Lamot Porsche 996 GT3 RS Accident
