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JUDGEMENT DAY FOR TITLE CHALLENGERS
SR1 PREVIEW
Spa Francorchamps plays host next weekend to the 6th round of the 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship. With both the SR1 and SR2 titles at a critical stage, champions could well be crowned in the Ardennes come next Sunday afternoon. Not only is the event at Spa sure to continue the tradition of world class Sportscar action in the two and a half hour race, but the weekend will also include the re-launch of the classic Spa 1000 kilometre event that will return to the famous 4.329 mile track for the 2003 season.
In 2002 however, it has been the Racing For Holland team that has proved to be the pace setters and now the Jan Lammers fronted outfit will be striving to score a fourth consecutive victory next weekend to seal the SR1 title. They currently have a 25-point advantage over Pescarolo Sport with just Spa and another, as yet to be confirmed race, to come. Lammers though, with twenty five years worth of experience behind him is not banking on anything coming easy to him. "We are very focused on just our own performance throughout the Spa weekend," said the Dutchman. " It has always been my philosophy to concentrate on your own strengths rather than those of your competitors because that way you have total focus on your goal. Sure we are close to it but at this level you have to make 100% sure."
Jan Lammers and the whole Racing For Holland team will also have the added comfort of a second Dome S101 chassis that will be raced once again by Italian Beppe Gabbiani and Bolivia's only International race driver - Felipe Ortiz. This pair scored a highly creditable second place at the last round in Dijon, in the process denying their sister cars closest rivals - Pescarolo Sport more points. "It is nice to have the second car so competitive straight away," enthused Jan,"and both Beppe and Felipe impressed me, especially after so little testing. But Spa is a lot different to Dijon and for sure it will be a lot more difficult for them here, but I am ready to be pleasantly surprised once more."
Pescarolo Sport come to Spa after a successful test at Le Mans Bugatti in the week after the last race at Dijon where they were pushed back in to 3rd place by the two Dome Judd's. The 3.2 litre turbo powered Courage C60 was put through it’s paces by Franck Lagorce and the test concentrated on developing a new 'ventilation system' to cool the brakes. The new cooling system will let the Le Mans based team reduce the size of the air intakes for the brakes, so improving the aerodynamics of the bodywork. Some engineers from the Alcon company who supply the team were present along with the car's creator Andre de Cortanze who was working flat out with Claude Galopin the team's chief engineer. Team Principal Henri Pescarolo was also present at the test, fresh from his appearance at the Goodwood Festival behind the wheel of an AC Cobra with former Ferrari F1 racer Patrick Tambay.
Jean Christophe Boullion, who has a small chance of taking the title, believes that the new developments will improve his chances of racing the two Dome's, which was something he was denied doing on his home turf at Dijon a month ago. "I hope that the modifications will gave us a little extra speed," said the former Sauber Grand Prix driver. "Spa is also quite a low downforce circuit so it could be that the Dome's are just as quick as they were in France, but I will fight until the end, until there is no chance of not winning this Championship."
JCB will be joined at Spa by Sebastien Bourdais who is sure to be in a fast frame of mind after finishing a close runner up to newly crowned F3000 champion Tomas Enge at Monza last weekend.
Both the Italian Durango Formula and R&M teams will be looking to join the above three pace setters so far this season and fight for podium places at Spa. Durango will continue to run the ever improving Alessandro Battaglin and the rapid European F3000 driver 'Gimmi' Bruni. This pair was on schedule for a fine third place finish at Magny Cours back in July before a gearbox problem intervened and the spectacular Bruni is sure to be at his spectacular and entertaining best next weekend. "I love the Spa circuit like everyone," said the 24 year old hotshoe, "I think I am going to like it just as much in a sportscar as I did in a F3000 car."
R&M, although having not raced at Dijon, did test after the event and set a time that would have put them second on the grid. Aerodynamic modifications undertaken by the teams new supremo - Massimo Chiapponi appear to have transformed the car since its last appearance at Magny Cours where they finished third. Both Mauro Baldi and Vincenzo Sospiri will once again be paired together in Belgium and the Italian duo could be serious darkhorses for a strong result, should the promise of the Dijon test translate to race pace at Spa. Baldi himself has a tremendous record at Spa having won the 1000kms three times, the first of which was in 1985 at the wheel of a Lancia LC2 with the late, great Bob Wollek and former Williams F1 racer Ricardo Patrese.
Lola will be well represented next weekend with a variety of the Huntingdon built chassis racing at the scenic Ardennes track. Two B98/10 cars will be entered, one each for Bob Berridge Racing and Eventus Motorsport. BBR return to the Championship after a brief break since Magny Cours which has seen the car taking part in filming for a Le Mans themed film being directed by Luc Besson. Berridge is set to announce a well known British driver to partner him in the Judd powered car for the weekend.
Eventus Motorsport, run by former Thoroughbred F1 regular Ralph Moog will also be in attendance and the German outfit that run the ex Konrad six litre Ford are looking to redress the disappointment of a non start at the last race due to engine problems. Moog will yet again be joined by Swiss racer George Paulin at Spa and after a couple of tests at the venue the team will be in a good position to score their first points of the year. Sportscar stalwart Franz Konrad is also hoping to confirm a deal to get his slightly newer Lola B2K/10 out for the first time this year.
Riley & Scott will be represented by the venerable Robin Smith and his Simpson Engineering team. Mated with a 5.1 Chevrolet engine, the sportscar veteran will be joined at Spa with fellow experienced sportscar enthusiast Richard Jones and the American born Dutch racer Dan Schrivers, who will be hoping for a strong race at what is effectively his home event.
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