Mixed feelings for ProSpeed Competition in Spa 11.07.2010: BELCAR ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP Unfortunately the third Belcar race of the season did not bring the third consecutive victory with it for ProSpeed Competition. An early race incident put an end to the race for Richard Westbrook and Maxime Soulet, who lea

BELCAR ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP




Unfortunately the third Belcar race of the season did not bring the third consecutive victory with it for ProSpeed Competition. An early race incident put an end to the race for Richard Westbrook and Maxime Soulet, who leave the Ardennes without any points.

On the other hand Ruben Maes and Enzo Ide in their ProSpeed Porsche 911 GT3-R drove a brilliant and faultless race and finished in second place. Following the race in Spa Marc Goossens and Maxime Soulet are now second in the championship, one point from the new leaders, whilst Enzo Ide and Ruben Maes have moved up into fourth place in the championship.


Qualifying


The two ProSpeed Competititon Porsche 911 GT3-R of Richard Westbrook and Maxime Soulet (#60) on the one hand and Enzo Ide and Ruben Maes (#61) on the other, respectively drove to a fourth and sixth place in the qualifying sessions for the 180 minutes race at Spa-Francorchamps.


Race


Ruben Maes and Enzo Ide beamed with joy on the podium after the third Belcar race of the season at Spa. This duo based in the West Flanders drove a rigid and faultless race and following their third place one month earlier in Spa moved up one place in this weekend’s results. “Three, two and how about one later on?” a laughing Ruben Maes remarked several minutes after the podium ceremony.




 “I’m absolutely delighted, all the more so that we have done a good deal in the championship rankings. We’re now halfway through the championship with less than 10 points from the leaders, something which hadn’t even crossed our minds at the beginning of the season. We’re exceptionally well-tuned to one another and that has now borne its fruits. Enzo is a brilliant team mate.”

At the start Ruben Maes moved up from sixth into second spot and Enzo Ide retained that position with great verve. He kept Kumpen in the leading Audi in his sights, hardly gave way and faultlessly worked off his two stints. “We only experienced some problems with the tyres near the end of our stints, but for the rest everything ran smoothly. The car was great as was the strategy and the result is excellent. We might perhaps have had some better luck with the last safety car intervention and then victory might eventually have still been possible”, the young Ide commented.

“The heat... that was also enormous”, the two ProSpeed Competition drivers were fully in agreement on that point. “I’ve seldom experienced such conditions, but it’s all part of racing.”

Unfortunately for the Porsche 911 GT3-R of Richard Westbrook and Maxime Soulet the race was over far too soon. “A race-incident...”, was the explanation the Brit Richard Westbrook, who replaced Marc Goossens for the occasion, told us. “Cutting in at the bus stop chicane a Lamborghini braked exceptionally hard and I was unable to avoid the car. The outcome was a collision and for me it was over and out. I’m extremely disappointed, for the team, for Maxime and for Marc, whom I was replacing. Truly a major set-back...”

ProSpeed Competition is now heading off from Spa down to the Algarve in Portugal where next weekend the third round of the Le Mans Series is on the programme. On Saturday evening Richard Westbrook and Marco Holzer will be doing battle in the LM GT2 class with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of the Belgian team.





Results

1. Kumpen – Franchi WRT Audi R8 LMS
2. Ide – Maes ProSpeed Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R
3. Dockerill –Kane Ferrari 430 GT3


Intermediate rankings

1. Longin – Verbist WRT Audi R8 LMS 41
2. Goossens – Soulet ProSpeed Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R 40
3. Kumpen – Franchi WRT Audi R8 LMS 37
4. Ide – Maes ProSpeed Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R 32

- JF Van Laere -  photos PROSPEED