Lessons Learned As Penders/Lamot Run To Steady Finish In Monza
Belgium’s leading endurance racing team and reigning Belcar Champions, ProSpeed Competition, have had a successful debut in the International FIA GT Championship in Monza, yesterday.
The race at the spiritual home of Italian motorsports was the first of five races on ProSpeed Competition’s international schedule this year. Despite being slightly overwhelmed by the level of competition, both Rudi Penders and Franz Lamot where happy with the experience and the valuable lessons learned.
“The first practice sessions really put everything in perspective for us,” Rudi Penders said. “We were last in class and almost last on the provisional grid, not exactly the kind of view forward we are used to having. Nevertheless, we quickly pinpointed the trouble spots for us, namely too short gearing, which meant our top speed was some 15kph off of the class leaders’ speed. That, combined with rock-hard tyres, which only heat up after ten or more laps, meant we easily lost some two seconds. Between the practice and qualifying sessions we gained a second by putting better gearing in the ‘box, but the tyres, of course, stayed as hard as they ever were. One off the disadvantages of being the new kids on the block.”
In the race, everything went according to textbook, albeit a bit slow at times. “It was a perfect race,” Penders said. “It was as smooth as could be including the pitstops which the team executed to perfection. The only problem was our lack of speed. While in practice we ran the last 250 metres of the straights on the rev limiter, we still had to do so for 100 metres in the race. I think that just the gearing alone still cost us over a second a lap, and in combination with the hard tyres, which also cost us a second or so, being three seconds off Emmanuel Collard’s pace certainly isn’t bad for a first outing in the FIA GT. So despite running near the back of the field I can say our “life-size” test was successful in every way, with only problems for which we’ll have a solution by Spa.”
“All in all it has been a successful weekend for us,” Franz Lamot concurred. “Our first purpose was to get to know the car and the championship, and this we did. That’s also the whole purpose of all our international outings this year, to learn and prepare team, car and drivers for a full season of international racing in 2008. Although I must say we’ll attack the Spa 24 Hours with more ambition than just watching and learning. It’s our home track, and both Rudi and I have scored class wins here in the past, as does Luc Goris, our technical director. Our Ardennes experience at every level means we should have an honest shot at a class podium finish.”
2007 PROSPEED COMPETITION – INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE & RESULTS
June 24th Monza (I), FIA GT Rd.4 Penders/Lamot, 23rd overall, 8th GT2
July 28th-29th Spa 24 Hours (B), FIA GT Rd. 6August 19th Spa 1000Kms (B), LMS Rd. 4October 6th Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta (USA), ALMS Rd. 11October 21st Zolder (B), FIA GT Rd. 10 (To be confirmed)
