Title battle heats up in Belgium with the European Finale ...

And so the twelfth season of the FIA GT Championship reaches its penultimate round, and the last European race of 2008. Heading north to Zolder, where the 2007 season finished, there is still much to play for, especially in GT1, where the points standings have been growing steadily closer over recent rounds.

The 4 km track has seen some thrilling FIA GT races in the past, and 2008 should be no different. Those drivers still in the title fight have everything to play for, with six points separating current leaders Bartels and Bertolini from their nearest rivals Gollin and Hezemans, and a total of 20 points available between Zolder and San Luis.

The battle rages on between the Vitaphone and Phoenix Carsport teams; not only are they still both in contention for the Teams crown, but all four crews are still fighting for the 2008 Drivers Championship. Moreover, both the nr 1 Vitaphone Maserati MC 12 and the nr 6 Phoenix Carsport Corvette C6R have scored points at every possible occasion this season – a remarkable record of consistency.

The eighth round in Nogaro saw the first win of the season for the nr 2 Vitaphone Maserati of Miguel Ramos and Alexandre Negrão, moving them to within half a point of second-placed Gollin and Hezemans. They were followed by the two Phoenix Carsport teams, with Gigawave Motorsport taking fourth in their Aston Martin DBR9. But weight could play a significant role in Zolder, with the two leading Corvettes having accumulated the kilos over the recent rounds, while the nr 1 Maserati has reduced its excess to just 20 kg. It should be interesting …

But apart from the main title contenders, there will plenty of other cars keen to put on a good performance in Zolder, including Belgian teams SRT and PK Carsport, and the all-Belgian crew of the Larbre Competition Saleen S7R, who will be looking for the best possible result on home ground. Last year Zolder saw victory go to the Jetalliance Aston Martin DBR9 of Wendinger and Sharp; could another Aston victory be on the cards, either for Jetalliance or for the Gigawave Aston Martin ?

If the situation is wide open in GT1, GT2 saw the titles decided in Nogaro, with AF Corse confirming their supremacy in the class they have reigned for the last three years. Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander secured the Drivers titles, with the team also moving out of reach in the Teams classification.

But this does not mean that the battle will stop ! Quite to the contrary, there are close fights for the runner-up position in both classifications, especially between the Italian team BMS Scuderia Italia and new British team CR Scuderia. Furthermore, Prospeed Competition, victorious for the second time this year in Nogaro, will be looking for another good performance on home ground when they head for Zolder.

Two major Belgian Championships will hold their final races of the season at Zolder during the meeting. The Belgian GT Championship Mediagroep Van Dyck promises to see a nail-biting finale, with the GT Drivers Championship still to be decided during the final two races of the season. With six rounds completed, and a total of 9 races which included the Menzo 24 Hours of Zolder, the championship has seen no less than six different winners, and three different makes.

The duo of Frederic Bouvy and Damien Coens (Ferrari F430 GT3), thanks to their consistency throughout the season, lead the points ahead of Maxime Soulet-Greg Franchi and with Bart Couwberghs and Ruben Maes third, promising some exciting racing in the final round.

As for the Belgian Touring Car Series, their titles are still wide open in all the classes, with Frédéric Bouvy leading the points heading into the final rounds. His Renault Megane is chased by Kevin Morel’s Solution-F-built Silhouette, and by British duo Nigel Greensall and Iain Dockerill, in a Peugeot 407. The final event of the season includes two one-hour races, putting speed at a premium, after events this year have included a 12-hour race to test their endurance, and two 90-minute races, where strategy and performance must be blended for success.

As well as a full schedule of racing, the weekend will feature the second round of the FIA GT Championship’s ‘Run for the Earth’ initiative. After Gianmaria Bruni won the foot race in Nogaro completing one lap of the track ahead of Bert Longin and Xavier Maassen, feet will be exchanged for wheels in Zolder.

A one-hour endurance race, with as many people riding each bike as wished, will take place on the Friday evening, to raise money to offset the carbon emissions from the meeting. We hope that many people will take part to make it a great, green weekend !

- Jacquie Groom, FIA -  photos SRO

photos from Zolder will be on automobilsport.com under PHOTOS - FIAGT