(Shot by Chris Pearce at Dimension Studios, with much help and brylcreem from Stephen Broholm.)
lundi 5 novembre 2012
SEMA 2012: MOTORSPORTS MACHINES
While it’s already been over forty-eight hours since I left the Las Vegas Convention Center, I can still feel the effects of the SEMA show, both mentally and physically. It’s that one-week jam-packed full of cars, parts, people and parties that those of us who work in the tuning industry will spend the next 362 days planning for until the fall comes around again. In today’s post I’d like to highlight a few of the monster race cars I found at the show.
In the north hall I came across this radical looking S2000 from the famous Arizona-based shop Science of Speed, known particularly for their work on the NSX platform. I can’t be certain what the plans are for this wild S2K but from the NASA numberplate I’d assume this will likely be used in TT events, NASA’s equivalent of Time Attack.
This is the first time I can recall seeing the J’s Racing Type GT widebody kit outside of Japan and I was surprised that something this extreme was sitting by itself in the North Hall rather than in a exhibitor’s booth! The futuristic Rays 57Xtreme wheels were some of my favorites at TAS last January and I love the way the spoke shape compliments the aero on this car.
At Honda’s booth Acura announced an ILX body-in-white endurance racer that will compete at the 25hours of Thunderhill with a roster of Honda employees behind the wheel. While project is mostly a team-building activity for the Honda Research West group, the boys have built up quite the reputation at the event and are expected to be front-runners in their class.
I’ve never really followed GRAND-AM too closely, aside from the Rolex 24, so ironically SEMA was the first time I had ever seen the Corvette prototype in person. It certainly isn’t the most beautiful racing car I’ve captured, but the Chevy is leaps and bounds better than the other Daytona Prototype designs.
We certainly couldn’t talk about motorsport without mentioning the pinnacle of racing technologies – Formula One. Sadly this beautiful Lotus was roped off so tightly that it was all but impossible to get a decent shot of the car. Hopefully in 2013 I’ll have an opportunity to spend an afternoon with one of these beauties cut loose in its natural environment.
Over in the Hankook booth I was surprised to see a familiar car in a new guise. After spending a few weekends as a VIP guest of Audi in the paddocks of the Nürburgring and Spa I have become quite familiar with the R8 LMS, yet seeing one sans livery, in all its carbon fiber glory, was enough to stop me in my tracks.
As you might have gathered from the decals, this particular car is a customer racing vehicle that belongs to the SoCal-based tuners GMG. They’ve been expanding their racing operations and have fielded an R8 in World Challenge this year and I would presume this is either a backup or former competition car.
Speaking of GMG and Audi, here’s another badass World Challenge car built and fielded by the shop – a 2002 Audi S4.
I’d argue that the K-Pax Volvos are the best looking cars in the WC field, and with a guy as nice as Randy Pobst behind the wheel it’s hard not to like these guys. The amount of work that has gone into these cars to make them competitive in the GT class against factory efforts from the likes of Cadillac is astonishing.
I had the chance to look around this car for a few minutes back at Mid-Ohio and it was pretty staggering stuff. The more I learn about World Challenge the more intrigued I am by it, particularly the way the rules work to level the field. I think that a full feature on one of these cars is in order for next year!
One last car I wanted to talk about before we move on from World Challenge is this Camaro driven by Andy Lee, which was this year’s runner up in the hotly-contested GTS class. There’s no doubt this is one badass machine, but seeing how the wheel wells dwarf a reasonable sized wheel and tire package demonstrates just how monstrous the wheel arches are on the new Camaro!
Just across the way I made a b-line for this car, an Audi R8 LMS Ultra that I was lucky enough to witness take the overall win at the N24 back in May. I’m not entirely certain if this is the actual car that waged war on the Green Hell or simply a show-car stand in, but I’m not sure I care either way.
Initially I wasn’t a huge fan of the R8 in its racing form, but the car has definitely grown on me over the last few years. There’s something about the iconic and simple Bilstein livery that suits the car very nicely.
While it certainly isn’t known to be a motorsports museum, the SEMA show does have a surprisingly wide range of racing vehicles to oogle. For example Mazda was proudly displaying a 787B, a car I would presume needs no introduction to this audience.
Then, on what is about the polar opposite of the motorsport spectrum, you can find cars like our very own Frederic Aasbo’s Formula D weapon. It’s a very eclectic mix indeed!
I decided to take a brisk walk through the Truck Hall, you know just to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and I was surprised to see the car that gave Cooper MacNeil and Leh Keen the driver’s title in the ALMS GTC class. It was sitting in the WeatherTech booth, still all marbled up from the last place I saw it – Petit Le Mans.
Moving on, I went downstairs in the South Hall to find a gorgeous 458 GT sitting in the Continental booth. It would appear that this particular car likely competes in the GRAND-AM sanctioned Ferrari Challenge series.
Just across the way I stumbled upon a horse of a different color, if you can excuse my pun. Seeing a prancing pony that’s been relegated to life on the salt was a great reminder that there are endless ways to enjoy pushing a car to its limits!
Since SEMA takes place in the states there are plenty of other home-brewed racers to be seen, which obviously includes America’s favorite form of motorsport – NASCAR.
If you can put personal bias aside, no matter how you slice it, these machines are works of art. I only understand a fraction of what goes into building and developing one of these cars, let alone making them competitive, but even from the scraps of information I’ve accumulated I know it’s no easy feat.
The rulebook by which the cars are scrutinized requires them to limit a number of designs and technologies and what I find the most interesting about NASCAR is how parts have evolved leaps and bounds while much of the underlying structure remains the same as those from twenty-five years ago.
Back at Monterey Motorsport Reunion I was able to get a good look around a handful of NASCARs from varying vintages, but this is another area that I am quite fascinating in learning more about. Jeez it looks like 2013 is already shaping up to be a very busy year of Speedhunting!
NASCAR might be the largest motorsport in terms of viewership in the US, but I think that drag racing is probably equal in the hearts of fans, not to mention significantly higher in terms of participation. Therefore I wasn’t shocked to see a large number of drag cars at SEMA, like this iconic Plymouth Duster II driven by Tom McEwen aka “The Mongoose.”
Like NASCAR, the Funny Car has clearly evolved over the years but the same basic premise remains: take some tubes, a body that loosely resembles a production vehicle and an unreal engine and run it as hard as possible.
And when it comes to unreal engines, they don’t get much further from comprehension than this. Equipped with a massive but simple roots supercharger, the 8.1L OHV engines produce around 8,000hp and burns nearly fifteen gallons of fuel while propelling the car down the thirteen-twenty in just under five seconds… nuts!
Yet as incredible as Funny Cars are, I found something else lurking in a sea of transmissions that was even more exciting… at least to me. While it’s fine and dandy to watch multimillion dollar teams running impressive times with state of the art dragsters, I find that the guys with “street” cars are on another plane of cool.
When I laid eyes on this first generation Camaro a wicked drool session ensued. I must have walked around the car five times gawking and gasping while frantically snapping away. I mean look at the way that the tire sinks into the bodywork! Have you ever seen something so beautiful?
Inside it’s pretty much the same story, with fabrication of a standard you’ll rarely see. The build quality on this car was impressive to say the least, with immaculate metalwork and carbon fiber in the cockpit I felt the need to live inside this car.
From what I’m told this particular car has only been out for one inaugural run, clocking an ET in the seven-second range due to an electronic malfunction. Apparently the twin-turbo engine setup should be good for a mid-six-second pass, which is something I hope to see in two weeks when I return to Vegas for the Street Car Super Nationals.
Renault and Caterham Group announce a partnership to design and build sports vehicles
- Renault and Caterham Group today announced their decision to join forces in pursuit of a common project: to design develop and build future sports vehicles. This agreement reflects a similar passion and expertise in sports and motorsports vehicles.
- The future vehicles will be distinctive, differentiated, and carry the respective DNA of Alpine and Caterham Cars, the automotive division of Caterham Group. They will be built at the Alpine plant in Dieppe, Normandy, in France.
- The Caterham Group will own 50% stake in the Automobiles Alpine Renault company, currently 100 % held by Renault SAS. The Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, which will be resulting from this partnership, shall be created in January 2013. It will be managed by Bernard Ollivier
- This project, which ensures the Dieppe Plant a sustainable future, was made possible thanks to the incentive and to the substantial support and commitment provided by the French State and the Région Haute Normandie which also involved the contribution of Dieppe Maritime.
- The future vehicles will be distinctive, differentiated, and carry the respective DNA of Alpine and Caterham Cars, the automotive division of Caterham Group. They will be built at the Alpine plant in Dieppe, Normandy, in France.
- The Caterham Group will own 50% stake in the Automobiles Alpine Renault company, currently 100 % held by Renault SAS. The Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, which will be resulting from this partnership, shall be created in January 2013. It will be managed by Bernard Ollivier
- This project, which ensures the Dieppe Plant a sustainable future, was made possible thanks to the incentive and to the substantial support and commitment provided by the French State and the Région Haute Normandie which also involved the contribution of Dieppe Maritime.
Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault: "This innovative partnership with Caterham embodies a longstanding ambition: the creation of a sports car with the Alpine DNA. It carries both opportunities for the Dieppe plant and the development of its historic know-how."
Tony Fernandes, Caterham Group Chairman: "I have not felt as excited about a new venture since I launched AirAsia in 2001 and I want to thank Carlos Ghosn and Carlos Tavares and everyone in our new Renault family for having the belief in Caterham Group to create this partnership. Many people doubted us 11 years ago when we launched our airline and I am sure that there will be doubters again this time, but we will not fail your trust. We know the markets we are going into and, particularly in my playground in Asia, there is a huge opportunity to replicate the AirAsia model and give consumers access to exciting, affordable products that marry our interests in F1 and technology and help make their dreams come true."
Carlos Tavares, COO of Renault: "Our ambitions of reviving Alpine depended on our ability to find a partner in order to ensure the economic profitability of such an adventure. Right from the start, we wanted to place the Dieppe plant at the heart of the project. Today, through our partnership with Caterham Group, we can enter a new phase: the design of a vehicle that will embody the very essence of Alpine, a vehicle that will rekindle sporting passion once more. It could become a reality within the next three or four years."
Kamarudin Meranun, Caterham Group Deputy Chairman: "Formula 1 was always our entry point into the car business. Our original plans to develop a partnership with Lotus were put aside in spectacular and well documented style, but now we have a far better chance to develop Caterham Cars in partnership with Renault, working with Caterham Technology who are also integrally involved in this new venture. Our F1 team has already been working successfully with Renault Sport F1 since the start of the 2011 F1 season and I am thrilled that now we are adding to our track partnership by joining forces with Renault on the road. Together with Renault we have now created an opportunity for Caterham Cars to grow into the next stage of its development from a very well respected niche brand into a serious player on the global motoring map."
Bernard Ollivier, CEO of Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham: "I'm very proud of the trust placed in me by both shareholders. The road map for each car is clear and simple: respect the DNA of both Alpine and Caterham Cars. With the passion and expertise of the staff dedicated to this project, we are sure of meeting this aim."
Development ambitions targeting the sports vehicle market
Following a feasibility study on the joint development of a sports car conducted by Renault Sport Technologies and Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI - the engineering and technology business of Caterham Group), Renault and Caterham Group will combine their skills to build models in large and small series, in order to widen their positioning on the sports vehicle market. The objective for each company is to launch its own vehicle in this market within the next three to four years.
An innovative and complementary partnership as part of a joint company
- Renault and Caterham Group will each bring their respective technical skills to the development of the future products through a newly-created joint Engineering Department. They will split the required engineering and industrial investments on a 50-50 basis in the spirit of a true partnership.
- Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham will be able to draw upon the expertise of Renault, Renault Sport Technologies and CTI in the development of its future products.
- Renault and Caterham Group will each bring their respective technical skills to the development of the future products through a newly-created joint Engineering Department. They will split the required engineering and industrial investments on a 50-50 basis in the spirit of a true partnership.
- Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham will be able to draw upon the expertise of Renault, Renault Sport Technologies and CTI in the development of its future products.
Shared values based on a passion for motorsports
Alpine: Jean Rédélé, pilot, businessman and automotive pioneer, founded Alpine in 1955. Alpine's manufacturing and racing adventure started with the A106 coach based on the platform and engine of the Renault 4 CV. The Alpine DNA is based on nimble, lightweight, high-performance vehicles with flowing lines: a formula that works well for both road and racing cars. The ever-young A110 - celebrating its 50th birthday - is probably the most iconic of Alpine's road cars. During its existence, Alpine sold 30,000 road sports cars. For several decades, it also carried high Renault's sporting colours. Among other victories, Alpine was World rally champion in 1973, winner of the Monte Carlo Rally in 1973 and 1974 and of the Le Mans 24-hour event in 1978. Its sporting record includes many prestigious victories. Alpine ranks among the sporting legends.
Caterham Cars: The DNA that runs through every Caterham can be traced back to the 1950s, when its first vehicle, the Seven, was designed. Caterham Cars has inspired passion and emotion ever since. It embodies the essence of what a sports car should be. Today, that philosophy continues to guide Caterham Cars, making 'accessible fun' a reality for sports car buyers across the globe.
Every weekend, over a thousand competitors race Caterham vehicles on tracks around the world, from Silverstone and Brands Hatch to Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. Today, building on its racing heritage and 40 years of experience in road cars, Caterham Cars is able to combine its engineering excellence with the manufacturing and production capabilities of Renault to create a Caterham vehicle of even greater potential. This new vehicle will still possess the fundamental DNA of the Seven, which remains in production in Dartford, UK.
Every weekend, over a thousand competitors race Caterham vehicles on tracks around the world, from Silverstone and Brands Hatch to Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. Today, building on its racing heritage and 40 years of experience in road cars, Caterham Cars is able to combine its engineering excellence with the manufacturing and production capabilities of Renault to create a Caterham vehicle of even greater potential. This new vehicle will still possess the fundamental DNA of the Seven, which remains in production in Dartford, UK.
At the heart of the project: the Alpine plant in Dieppe, France
The Dieppe plant will play a central role in the partnership between Renault and Caterham Group, at the heart of the sporting passion shared by the two partners. This is where the future sports vehicles of Renault and Caterham will be built. The project is a development opportunity for the Dieppe site, from the standpoint not only of production, but also the acquisition of a prized and unique expertise. The Alpine plant in Dieppe is currently dedicated to building the vehicles developed by Renault Sport Technologies, both production (Clio R.S.) and racing models.
The Dieppe plant will play a central role in the partnership between Renault and Caterham Group, at the heart of the sporting passion shared by the two partners. This is where the future sports vehicles of Renault and Caterham will be built. The project is a development opportunity for the Dieppe site, from the standpoint not only of production, but also the acquisition of a prized and unique expertise. The Alpine plant in Dieppe is currently dedicated to building the vehicles developed by Renault Sport Technologies, both production (Clio R.S.) and racing models.
The Dieppe plant, built in 1969, is the historical home of the Alpine brand which gave birth to such legendary models as the Berlinette. Its core business is the assembly of sport vehicles, the assembly and sale of motorsports cars, and the sale of spare parts for motorsports vehicles, including at sports events. Its flexibility and ability to adapt are just two of the specific characteristics that enable it to produce vehicles in small runs. With a workforce of over 300 and a surface area of 76,000 m² of which 36,900 m² is built up, the plant has produced more than 400 000 vehicles since 1969.
For more information, see futurecaterham.com
OLDIES BUT GOODIES Le business du vintage : Renault relance son Alpine
AUTOMOBILE - Un autre constructeur français a succombé à la tentation de faire du neuf avec du vieux, en ressuscitant un modèle de son panthéon. Cette fois il s'agit de Renault, qui a annoncé lundi 5 novembre la renaissance de son modèle sportif Alpine. La célèbre "berlinette", connue pour ses exploits dans les rallyes des années 1970, devrait être disponible d'ici quatre ans, a indiqué le PDG de la marque au losange, Carlos Ghosn.
Mais Renault n'est pas le premier à s'engouffrer dans cette vague du néo-rétro. Avant lui, Citroën en France avec la ligne DS, mais aussi Ford, Volskwagen, Mini ou Fiat s'étaient emparés de ce marché très florissant.
"Le phénomène a fait son apparition en 1994, avec la sortie de la Ford Mustang SN95", indique au HuffPost Bertrand Rakoto, consultant automobile chez RL Polk. "Les lignes de la carrosserie reprenaient déjà quelques éléments des premiers modèles des années 1960", rappelle-t-il.
"Un ancrage fort dans l'inconscient collectif"
D'autres constructeurs ont ensuite repris le flambeau à la fin des années 1990, comme l'Allemand Volkswagen et sa New Beetle, qui s'inspire fortement de la Coccinelle. Vient aussi Chrysler et son PT Cruiser, qui reprend des éléments des anciens modèles de la marque, tout en concevant un nouveau véhicule.
"Le point commun de toutes ces voitures se cristallise autour d'un ancrage fort dans l'inconscient collectif", note Bertrand Rakoto. Qui n'a pas en tête la série de films sur la Coccinelle, débutée en 1968 par Un amour de Coccinelle et popularisée par Walt Disney ? La Ford Mustang a de son côté gagné ses lettres de noblesse en apparaissant aux côtés de Steve McQueen dans le mythique Bullitt (1968).
"On a eu l'habitude de revoir régulièrement ces véhicules, ce qui les a donc empêchés de disparaître", précise le spécialiste. "Si ça avait été le cas, les marques n'auraient eu aucun intérêt à les faire renaître". Il y a donc une notion d'image importante, en contribuant à rappeler le passé d'un constructeur.
Redonner un coup de fouet après des années d'errements
Et avoir recours à la renaissance d'un modèle peut également redorer l'image d'une marque qui se serait un peu perdue au fil des ans. C'est le cas de Fiat, qui par l'intermédiaire de sa 500 s'est donné un coup de fouet après des errements stylistiques(la Multipla notamment). "Dans certains cas, le niveau des ventes n'est pas l'argument principal", indique Bertrand Rakoto, "elle peut en revanche s'avérer très utile pour redonner des lettres de noblesse".
Dans la plupart des cas, cela se traduit tout de même lors du passage en caisse. Car le vintage a un prix. "Pour l'Alpine, Renault en profite pour proposer un modèle un peu plus haut de gamme que son segment habituel", explique Betrand Rakoto, qui note toutefois que les prétentions de prix ne sont pas aberrantes. En effet, Renault devrait proposer son Alpine entre 35.000 et 40.000 euros, "ce qui est bien moins qu'une Porsche", située sur le même segment des "berlinettes", a indiqué le constructeur.
Les modèles véhiculant cet esprit néo-rétro sont avant tout destinés à "des gens qui se font plaisir", analyse le cabinet RL Polk. "Mais même s'il faut investir une somme conséquente, de nombreuses catégories socio-professionnelles apparaissent dans le coeur de cible des constructeurs."
Et dans le plaisir, il y a aussi la personnalisation du modèle, poussé à son paroxysme chez ce type de voitures. Ça va de la couleur des rétroviseurs, aux stickers du toit, en passant par la forme des jantes... "Sur un modèle comme la Mini, on atteint rapidement les 10.000 euros déboursés dans des options supplémentaires", note Bertrand Rakoto. On comprend mieux le pari de Renault, qui pourrait également sortir une nouvelle version de sa célèbre R5...
Libellés :
Actualit,
Alpine,
Automobile,
Carlos Ghosn,
Citroën DS,
Économie,
Ford Mustang,
Mini,
Renault,
Renault Alpine,
VIDEO,
vintage,
Voiture
dimanche 4 novembre 2012
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Singapore...TOP!
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is an event for Cafe Racers, Bobber, Flat Tracker, Retro, Classic, Quirky Motorcycles and their owners. It is a worldwide event taking place on the same day in each respective time zone. It is a day where no matter what your work/social/life status may be everyone is equally distinguished. The link that brings the world together on this day are these two/three words ‘Distinguished’ & ‘Cafe Racers’.
On September 30th, distinguished gentlemen across the world gathered together to ride their motorcycles. 108 bike turned up for the Singapore’s ride.
gentlemansride.com
Organiser | Custom Burner customburner.com
Official Media | Plussixfive plussixfive.com
Official Media | Plussixfive plussixfive.com
Cinematographer | Juffrie
Cam Operators | Elliot Sng | Muhd Fadhli | Juffrie
Cam Assist | N.Ziqq
Producer | Paul Ong
Editor | Juffrie
Motion Graphic | Marcus Chong
Music | The Black Keys
Cam Operators | Elliot Sng | Muhd Fadhli | Juffrie
Cam Assist | N.Ziqq
Producer | Paul Ong
Editor | Juffrie
Motion Graphic | Marcus Chong
Music | The Black Keys
International GT Open :BARCELONE : LA COURSE À MANTHEY, LE TITRE À AF CORSE.
C'est un final un peu confus que nous ont offert les prétendants au titre International GT Open, titre remporté finalement par Gianmaria Bruni et Federico Leo sur la Ferrari F458 Italia/AF Corse. Avant l'ultime course International GT Open de l'année, ils étaient encore trois à pouvoir espérer décrocher la timballe. Vainqueurs hier, Malucelli/Barba (Aston Martin Vantage/Villois Racing) pouvaient espérer l'emporter en partant de la pole, même si Bruni/Leo (Ferrari F458 Italia/AF Corse) pointaient aux commandes du championnat avec 8 longueurs d'avance sur le tandem Villois Racing. Après un abandon samedi, Holzer/Tandy (Porsche 911 GT3-R/Manthey Racing) étaient en retrait, mais la couronne restait toujours possible, Marco Holzer nous confiant hier soir que ce serait dur, mais faisable. Au moment de partir pour le tour de formation, il manquait deux des prétendants avec Alvaro Barba et Federico Leo bloqués à la sortie de la voie des stands, les deux pilotes étant hors du timing pour partir en piste, ce qui n'était pas spécialement du goût des deux équipes. Le timing espagnol a semblé différent du timing italien, les deux teams étant certains de leur bon droit. Marco Holzer et Nick Tandy avaient alors une voie royale pour chiper le titre à leurs adversaires, surtout que l'Allemand s'élançait finalement en pole. Il a fallu faire chauffer la calculette durant les 50 minutes de course pour faire le décompte de points. Le Villois Racing s'est vite retrouvé hors du coup, le titre 2012 allant se jouer entre Porsche (Manthey Racing) et Ferrari (AF Corse). Si Federico Leo a eu plus de mal à remonter dans la hiérarchie durant le relais de départ, Gimmi Bruni a fait parler l'expérience, mais l'Italien a tout de même buté en fin de course sur la Corvette C6.R/V8 Racing de Miguel Ramos. Alors troisième dans l'ultime tour, la Ferrari F458 Italia/Kessel Racing de Philipp Peter a subitement perdu quelques places pour se retrouver derrière la Corvette et la Ferrari/AF Corse. Quelques minutes plus tôt, c'est la Ferrari 458 Italia/AF Corse de Bizzarri/Rizzoli, qui dominait la catégorie GTS (dans le tiercé de tête au scratch), qui perdait des positions pour pointer finalement en 6ème position. Avant ces deux faits de course importants, Manthey Racing et AF Corse se retrouvaient à égalité de points, Holzer/Tandy étant titrés pour une victoire de plus que Bruni/Leo. Mais ça c'était avant les changements de positions des derniers instants.
La confusion générale régnait à l'arrivée, Bruni/Leo remportant le titre pour le compte d'AF Corse avec 195 points, contre 192 à Holzer/Tandy (Manthey Racing). En GTS, il y avait neuf points d'écart avant le départ entre Zampieri/Dalle Stelle (Kessel Racing) et Stefano Bizzarri (AF Corse), la couronne 2012 revenant à Daniel Zampieri et Michael Dalle Stelle. Ferrari rafle donc les deux titres aux dépens de Porsche.
On en aurait presque oublié que la course a été remportée par Nick Tandy et Marco Holzer avec 722 millièmes d'avance sur la Porsche 911 GT3-RSR/IMSA Performance Matmut de Patrick Pilet et Raymond Narac. L'équipe rouennaise termine donc la saison en trombe. Dès le début de course, Patrick Pilet a fait parler la poudre en prenant rapidement la poudre d'escampette pour compter plus de 7 secondes d'avance après seulement cinq tours. Une neutralisation pour dégager une Ferrari arrêtée au milieu de la piste a mis à mal ce pécule, mais dès le restart, bis repetita avec la #16 qui gardait les commandes sans la moindre contestation. Raymond Narac a ensuite tenu bon durant deux tours face aux assauts de Nick Tandy, avant que le Britannique ne trouve l'ouverture. La Corvette C6.R/V8 Racing de Giammaria/Ramos s'est elle aussi invitée sur le podium, la #17 accusant tout de même un retard de 18 secondes sur la Porsche/Manthey à l'arrivée. Derrière la Ferrari F458 Italia de Bruni/Leo, Philipp Peter a roulé en solitaire puisque Michal Broniszewski, indisponible, n'a pas pris part à la course. Après avoir dominé les premières minutes, la Ferrari F458 Italia/MTECH de Griffin/Cameron a vite chuté dans la hiérarchie pour rallier l'arrivée en queue de peloton.
Du côté des GTS, Bizzarri/Rizzoli ont donc imposé la Ferrari 458 Italia/AF Corse, devant l'Aston Martin V12 Vantage/GPR de Baguette/Martin et la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3/Seyffarth Racing de Wendlinger/Baumann. Venue pour s'étalonner face à la concurrence, l'écurie belge GPR de Pino Sperlinga peut être satisfaite de son meeting espagnol avec deux pole et deux podiums, dont une victoire. Cela aurait même pu faire deux victoires, la V12 Vantage devant s'arrêter 30 secondes lors du ravitaillement. En guise de cerise sur le gâteau, Maxime Martin aura bouclé le tour plus rapide en course (1.49.899), Super GT et GTS confondus.
Les Porsche 911 GT3-R/Pro GT by Alméras ont elles aussi brillé avec un Nicolas Armindo qui parvenait à suivre le rythme des Porsche Manthey et IMSA en début de course. Une pénalité aura mis à mal les espoirs de bon résultat, le tandem Armindo/Beltoise échouant finalement au 8ème rang (GTS). La voiture sœur de Leclerc/Tuchbant a terminé l'épreuve deux places derrière, Antoine Leclerc terminant son relais dans la première partie de tableau après être parti de la 10ème ligne. Quant à la troisième Porsche de l'équipe montpelliéraine, elle a pris la 17ème place aux mains de Perrera/Dermont. Manque de chance pour la Porsche 911 GT3-R/Attempto Racing de Estre/Samon, rapidement contrainte à l'abandon.
BY Laurent Mercier(Endurance-Info.com)
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