| photo | events | reports | media | info |

FIA GT1 Zolder

Zolder hosted the second round of the spectacular FIA GT1 championship featuring the

qualifying race on Saturday and the championship race on Sunday. Perfect weather conditions,

a vast crowd and some fierce battles were just some of the ingredients to make a race

weekend complete. Besides the FIA GT1 championship both the Belcar Endurance

Championship and Belgian Touring Car Series had their kick off races for the 2011 season.

Marc Basseng and Marcus Winkelhock scored their maiden victory during the qualifying race. Team mates

Nicky Pastorelli and Dominik Schwager drove their All Inkl. Com Lamborghini Murcielago to the pole position

but there the story ended. After a chaotic start both Pastorelli and Darren Turner collided what ended

their victory aspirations. Nick Catsburg took full advantage of the situation and claimed the lead starting

from 6th position on the grid. Besides Catsburg also the Ford GT of Frederic Makowiecki sprinted from

10th position to second, followed by a great battle between both drivers. GT1 rookie Catsburg

impressed with great driving skills keeping Makowiecki from claiming the lead. In the meantime the

‘Lambo’ of Basseng and Winkelhock closed in such as the Aston Martin of Müller and Enge. Just like in

Abu Dhabi the Hexis team performed an incredible pit stop giving the Aston Martin of Andrea Piccini

and Christian Hohenadel a second place. Some later the Aston Martin took the lead due to wheel

changing problems that occured on the Ford of Martin and Makowiecki. The second place was claimed

by the Corvette of Mike Hezemans who took over from Nick Catsburg. Marc Basseng closed in on

Hezemans and pushed very hard to claim the second spot in what he finally succeeded. With only four

minutes left Basseng slightly touched the leading Aston Martin causing suspension problems what took out

Piccini. Basseng and Winkelhock claimed their maiden victory in GT1. Only nine cars made in through the

finish.

After winning the qualifying race on Saturday Basseng and Winkelhock impressed again by winning the

championship race on Sunday. Once again the start was chaotic every way eliminating the DKR Corvette of

Michael Rossi, both Sumo Power Nissan GT-R’s and the Lamborghini of Nicky Pastorelli and Dominik

Schwager. Without any hesitation the Lambo of Marc Basseng and Marcus Winkelhock took the lead

followed closely by the Exim Bank Corvette of Mike Hezemans and Nick Catsburg. The safety car was

deployed following an action between the nr. 40 Marc VDS Ford and the Nissan of Peter Dumbreck in

which the nr. 9 Belgian Racing Ford couldn’t avoid the Nissan of the Scotsman. Once again Hexis

performed a record pits stop giving the Aston Martin of Picinni and Hohenadel the second place.

Catsburg who took over from Hezemans had to fight the quickly closing Swiss Racing Lamborghini of Karl

Wendlinger and Peter Kox. Just a few meters away from the flag the Lambo snatched the Corvette

and claimed the fourth spot. Christian Hohenadel and Andrea Piccini finished second with their Hexis

Aston Martin, Alex Müller and Tomas Enge claimed the third spot on the podium with their Young

driver Aston Martin.

Belcar Endurance Championship

Twenty one cars filled the grid for the first race of the 2011 season, prepared for no less than 180

minutes of racing. Bert Longin claimed the pole with the WRT Audi R8 and took the lead for the first

sixteen laps. He was followed closely by the Viage KRK Mercedes SLS of Anthony Kumpen, the Round Up

Porsche 997 of Marc Goossens and the fellow WRT Audi of Francois Verbist. Goossens snatched the lead in

lap seventeen, followed by Koen Wauters who took over from his team mate Anthony Kumpen. Xavier

Maassen switched seats with Bert Longin and followed third. For a short team Maassen was in the lead

but car had to make three mandatory pit stops and after his third stop Maxime Soulet claimed the lead

in front of Anthony Kumpen’s Mercedes. In the last hour of the race Kumpen and Wouters lost one of

their wheels and had to retire. Bert Longin and Xavier Maassen took 2nd in front of the Aston Martin of

Tim Verbergt and Jeffrey van Hooydonk. Marc Goossens and Marc Soulet took their first win of the new

season and finished no less than 26 seconds in front of Longin and Maassen.

Belgian Touring Car Championship

Two ninety minute races filled the action packed programme at Zolder, at the same time, the season

opener for the ever spectacular BTCS-championship. During both races it was the Kia Pro Ceed of Philippe

Stéveny and Didier de Radiguès who claimed both victories. On Saturday, Eric v.d. Poele took the lead but

only for a short while. Almost immediately Fred Bouvy claimed the lead and managed to pull away. Van de

Poele didn’t have much luck and had to retire after only 11 laps. Jerome Thiry had to cope with electrical

problems on his Jaguar. Christian Kelders switched seats with Fred Bouvy and led the race after the

mandatory pit stop. Didier de Radiguès followed second, Stéphane Lémeret was third. De Radigues

managed to close the gap with the Megane of Kelders and finally took the lead in lap nr. 39. Didier de

Radigues and Philippe Steveny claimed their first victory of the 2011 season, followed by the Megane

of Christian Kelders and Frédéric Bouvy. Steve Vanbellingen and Eric Qvick took full advantage of the

retirement of Lemeret and scored a third place overall, at the same time winning the T3 class.

Lequeux and Ueberecken took victory with their Touring Cup in S2. Xavier Stevens scored victory in T2

with his Renault Clio.

Christian Kelders made a poor start during the second race on Sunday. Vincent Radermecker took

full advantage of this situation in his Volvo and took the lead followed by Stéphane Lemeret, Didier de

Radigues and Werner Moonens in his Jaguar. A problem with the throttle forced him to retire the same lap.

After just 25 minutes Radermeckers race was also over, the second zero finish of his BTCS-weekend. After

the pit window Philippe Steveny took the lead in the Kia Pro Ceed, followed by BMW M3 WTCC of Steve

Vanbellingen and Eric Qvick. During the final stages Frédéric Bouvy closed in on Qvick fighting for the

second place. Finally Bouvy overtook the BMW and managed to score a seconde place behind the

winning Kia of de Radigues, scoring a second victory of the weekend.

Reports in Dutch can be found here:

Sportdome.nl : FIA GT1: Basseng en Winkelhock winnen kwalificatierace in Zolder

Sportdome.nl : FIA GT1: Basseng en Winkelhock domineren opnieuw in Zolder

Sportdome.nl : Belcar: Goossens en Soulet pakken winst in seizoensopener

More photographs of this event can be found here :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/speed-o-graphica/