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Spa 24 Hours 2011 |
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Audi claimed their first victory in the 63rd edition of the Spa 24 Hours, the 3rd race of the |
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Blancpain Endurance Series. Audi dominated the race after several opponents had to |
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retire. On Saturday evening the brand dominated the top three, but in the end it was the |
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WRT Audi R8 LMS of Matthias Ekström, Greg Franchi and Timo Scheider claiming Audi’s first |
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ever victory in the Spa 24 Hours. |
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Blancpain Endurance Series/Spa 24 Hours |
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The start of the race commenced without a single incident buts even minutes after the lights went green |
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the safetycar had to be deployed for the first time. Andrew Kirkaldy hit the concrete wall coming out of the |
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La Source hairpin, crashing his McLaren. Kirkaldy was brought to a local hospital for a medical check. Forty |
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five minutes lasted this first safety car period. Marc Goossens took the lead right from the start of the race |
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but entering the Bus Stop he was hit by his team mate Ludovic Sougnez. Goossens was forced to meet his |
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team in the pits, Sougnez came in the following lap suffering from a puncture. Due to this Peter Kox took |
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the lead in the Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo. Nicolaus Mayr-Melnhof made a capital mistake entering the pit |
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entry with to much speed, crashing his Gallardo in the armco. His Gallardo ended sideways, damaging the |
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car permanently. Soon it turned out that this race wouldn’t become much of a success for Reiter |
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Engineering. Marc A. Hayek switched seats with Peter Kox but suffered from an engine blow up and had |
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to retire. After six hours it was the nr. 99 Phoenix Audi R8 of Marc Basseng, Christopher Haase and Frank |
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Stippler in front of the WRT Audi R8 of Matthias Ekström, Greg Franchi and Timo Scheider, followed by the |
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KRK Racing/Team Holland Mercedes SLS AMG of Anthony Kumpen, Mike Hezemans and Koen Wauters. |
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Hezemans crashed sadly breaking his front suspension and had to retire. After nine hours it was the nr. 33 |
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WRT Audi R8 of Matthias Ekström, Timo Scheider and Greg Franchi leading the Spa 24 hours, followed by |
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the nr. 99 Phoenix Audi of Christopher Haase. The leading car could create a gap during the night, |
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followed by the Need for Speed Team Schubert BMW Z4 of Edward Sandström, Dirk Werner and Claudia |
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Hürtgen. Remarkable was the return of the Hexis Aston Martin DBRS9 of Frederic Makowiecki, Henri Moser |
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and Stef Dusseldorp in the top three. Christopher Haase crashed the nr. 99 Phoenix Audi during the night |
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heavily on the Raidillon. After twenty four long hours it was the nr. 33 WRT Audi of Matthias Ekström, |
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Greg Franchi and Timo Scheider claiming Audi’s first victory in the Spa 24 Hours. Edward Sandström, Dirk |
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Werner and Claudia Hürtgen finished second in front of the Black Falcon Mercedes SLS AMG of Kenneth |
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Heyer, Thomas Jäger and Stéphane Lemeret. The Gentlemen’s Trophy was won by the Level Racing |
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Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S of Brody, Christoff Corten, Mathijs Harkema and Kurt Dujardin. ProSpeed |
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Competition, AutOrlando Sport and Haribo Manthey were beaten by the small team based in Eupen, led by |
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owner and team manager Olivier Muytjens. Nissan claimed victory in the GT4 class with the RJN Motorsport |
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Nissan 370Z driven by Buncombe, Tresson and Ward. RMS won the small Cup class with Faggionato, |
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Stepec, Prignaud and Racinet. |
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Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series/FIA Formula 3 International Trophy |
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No one had an answer on Roberto Mehri’s commanding win during the first race at Spa. William Buller |
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couldn’t follow Mehri’s pace but settled for a second place during the first race. Jazeman Jaafar performed a |
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rocket start, coming from ninth place and ploughed through the field to a third lap on the opening lap |
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crossing the finish line third. Kevin Magnussen crossed the finish line first during the reverse grid twenty |
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minute sprint race. The Dane finished first in front of Rupert Svendsen-Cook and Daniel Juncadella. Roberti |
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Mehri claimed victory during the third race of the weekend and led the race from the start until the |
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chequered flag. Mehri created a gap of no less than 23 seconds. Marco Wittmann finished second, |
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William Buller crossed the finish line third. |
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Lamborghini Super Trofeo |
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Matteo Zucchi and Fabio Babini took victory during the first race, followed by Gerard Tweraser and Filip |
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Sladecka. Riccardo Ragazzi and Gianluca Carboni claimed the third and final spot on the podium. Gravity- |
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Charouz Racing drivers Jakub Knoll and Erik Janis clinched victory in the second race, climbing from 8th place |
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to first. Gerard Tweraser and Filip Sladecka finished second after the retirement of Luigi Ferrara. Gianluca |
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Carboni and Riccardo Ragazzi clinched third place. Knoll and Janis continued their success in Spa winning |
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also the third race on Saturday. Both Garvity-Charouz Racing drivers claimed a lights to flag victory in |
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typical Ardennes weather conditions. The duo finished ahead of Luigi Ferrara and Fabio Fassitelli. Third |
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place went to Riccardo Ragazzi and Gianluca Carboni. |
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Articles in Dutch can be found here: |
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24 uren Spa: Ekström, Franchi en Scheider zegevieren in de Ardennen |
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