SRT clinches well deserved victory in Magny-Cours 31.05.2009: The third FFSA GT meeting of the season held in the French region of Nevers saw the SRT team score its first victory of the season. In the first race of the weekend Jean-Philippe Dayraut and Wilfried Merafina finally came out as the winners

The third FFSA GT meeting of the season held in the French region of Nevers saw the SRT team score its first victory of the season. In the first race of the weekend Jean-Philippe Dayraut and Wilfried Merafina finally came out as the winners, after the French gentleman driver Wilfried Merafina had set pole in his series earlier on in the day.

On Sunday the Merchtem based team also scored valuable points, as notwithstanding the eighty kilos of ballast they inherited on Saturday evening, the duo still managed to take the chequered flag in fourth spot. Important points for SRT, who earlier in the season had experienced bad luck at the Nogaro and Dijon meetings, and have now had their just revenge.   

Qualifying once more emphasized the fact that this season SRT had been held back from good results due to bad luck. During the free practice on Friday Wilfried Merafina and Jean-Philippe Dayraut had found the perfect balance for the car and Merafina was unstoppable in his rush to pole position during his qualifying session. In the Corvette C6.R he left his closest rivals behind leading the way to gaining a pole position start.

“But we still need to wait to see what how my team mate Jean-Philippe Dayraut performs”, were the first words uttered after his performance. Shortly after the B-drivers, the A-drivers are let lose on the track to see who would be on pole for the Sunday race. And Dayraut had to just give in to his team mate, finishing a mere 56-hundredth from pole, but sharing the front row of the grid.

The first race at the Nevers circuit took place on Saturday afternoon, and the atmosphere within the SRT team was rather tense after the results of Nogaro and Dijon. “But I was pretty confidant”, a smiling Patrick Selleslagh remarked, wiping away the stress. “The car is perfect, the drivers perform well and matters must improve sooner or later, surely?”

Merafina took a perfect start and was able to hold off the closest rivals during his full stint. The compulsory driver change at the half-way point went smoothly and it appeared as though Dayraut was on the way to a well deserved victory, until a slower competitor blocked him twice.

Jean-Philippe Dayraut: “Highly frustrating. On top of that Ayari came past, but the team very quickly gave me the sign to slot in and definitely not take any risks trying to regain the lead. Ayari’s team mate Hernandez had in fact during the opening faze performed a brutal manoeuvre and would be receiving a sanction for this. Even though we crossed the line in second place we did in fact win our first race of the season, seeing Ayari and Hernandez were given a 25’ penalty.”

The victory meant that 80 kilos of ballast was to be added to the car and this played a few tricks on Wilfried Merafina: “During my stint I lost third place due to the fact that the car felt different, and there’s no possibility of carrying out a test run between the first and second race. 80 kilo is a fair amount of extra weight and alters the car’s handling. But OK, fourth place and a pile of points this weekend, that’s an enormous windfall and motivation to perform well once again in the beginning of July at Le Vigeant”. 



Prior to the fourth FFSA GT meeting, SRT is heading off on 20th and 21st June to Oschersleben for the following FIA GT race. “And before that we will be carrying out some test sessions at Magny-Cours with a view to the FIA GT”, Patrick Selleslagh concluded at the end of the French weekend.

Results, intermediate rankings and additional information on the new FFSA GT website: http://ffsagt.com/index.php 


FFSA GT 2009 – Calendar
12 April: Nogaro
10 May: Dijon
30 May: Magny Cours
5 July: Val de Vienne
6 September: Albi
4 October: HTTT Paul Ricard
18 October: Lédenon

FIA GT 2009 - Calendar

3 May: Silverstone (GB)
16 May Adria (Ita)
21 June: Oschersleben (D)
25-26 July: 24 Hours of Spa (Bel)
9 August: Bucharest (Rum)
20 September: Algarve (Por)
4 October: HTTT Paul Ricard (Fr)
25 October: Zolder (Bel)



- SRT -  also photos