BELCAR SHORT NEWS 2006-06-16 - BSN16

The Spa BTCS 12 hours last week proved to be a perfect rehearsal for both the Spa and Zolder 24-hour races later on the year. All together about 25 Belcar drivers and cars regularly showing in the Belcar series took the start of the race. CEO-driver Fred Bouvy put his Renault Mégane Trophy on pole. Fred shared the car with Vincent Vosse and Kurt Mollekens. Further down the grid, we found the other Renault with JMT-driver Stéphane Lémeret, the First Motorsport Porsche, fastest in GT, with Van Delm-Verbist-Soulet behind the wheel and of course the GPR Porsche with Marc Goossens appearing as a guest driver.

Other Belcar teams and drivers were: KS-Motorsport with two cars (Wim Lumbeeck), the Supercup of CEO with regular drivers De Laet and Van Rossem joined by Ruben Maes, NGT entering their Porsche for Maton, Verhoeven and Colman, the Euroracing BMW of Pampel-Vandervalck-Steegmans, the Clio of Van Den Broeck en Voet and the Toyota Yaris of Tom Van De Plas.
The race started in very warm conditions and this meant that this the 3rd edition of the Spa 12 hours would prove to be a very tough one. Best Belcar representatives were GPR driver Marc Goossens in 3rd overall and winning in GT and First Motorsport finishing 4th overall and 2nd in GT.

KS Motorsport lived very difficult opening stages of the race, but recovered to 7th and 9th overall. NGT came home in 8th and Tom Van De Plas won in T2.

JMT Racing were very positive after the good result of Kurt Thiers/Stephane Lémeret in Zolder last race and went testing with both ex-PSI Porsche Biturbos in Spa last week. The aim was twofold: the team wanted to find a more appropriate set-up and to improve the front suspension. Meanwhile the team is also trying to make the Porsche lighter. PSI Experience and Bernard de Dryver provided some assistance and the result was an overall gain of 5 seconds per lap. This could mean another step forward for Thiers-Lémeret and Van Dyck-Van Sande in Zolder in ten days time.

G&A driver Michaël De Keersmaecker had another difficult rallycross weekend in Austria. The winner in Portugal and France was forced to retire last week in the Czech Republic and engine troubles meant the same in Austria this weekend. With problems too though for his closest rival Kalny, Michaël remains in a good position on the championship. He is now 2nd, 4 points behind the new leader Groblewski.

The Thiers brothers will stay in class-2 of the Belcar Original with their Porsche 996 GT3-RS. Even if the competition with Penders-Lamot, Bouvy-Van Rossem and the BMW V8 of GS Motorsport is tough, Hans and Frank continue their engagement. Right after the Euphony 24 hours, the team will decide if an upgrade of the car to RSR standards will be a wise investment.