News Archive
Triple victory for RS Spyder in Monza
Le Mans Series, round 2 in Monza, Italy, Race Report: Triple victory for Porsche RS Spyder
Stuttgart. Porsche customer teams triumphed in Monza, Italy. With the Porsche RS Spyder they claimed a triple victory in the LMP2 class at the second round of the Le Mans Series (LMS). The race over five hours on the traditional 5.793 kilometre Italian circuit was hard to surpass in excitement and turbulence. Danes John Nielsen and Casper Elgaard (Essex team) celebrated the second win of the season for the RS Spyder ahead of Jos Verstappen and Peter van Merksteijn (both Netherlands), who had won the season-opening round for their Van Merksteijn Motorsport team. Competing for the Swiss Horag team, Jan Lammers (Netherlands), Fredy Lienhard (Switzerland) and Didier Theys (Belgium) climbed the podium in third. In the near-standard GT2 class, Richard Westbrook (Great Britain), Allan Simonsen (Australia) and Lars Erik Nielsen (Denmark) rounded off Porsche’s success by securing the first victory of the 911 GT3 RSR in the 2008 LMS season.
“Crazy, what a race,” said John Nielsen. “The whole team is ecstatic. To be able to win at just our second sports car race is unbelievable. To now we’ve only ever run touring cars. This race was tough but we fought over the entire distance and gave everything we had – and it was nerve wracking to the end.”
The LMP2 class pole-sitter, Jos Verstappen, had held a clear lead in the class until the rear of his RS Spyder was nudged by a competitor whilst outbraking in heavy traffic. It cost Verstappen three laps to swap the parts, including the rear underbody, and relegated him and Peter van Merksteijn back to tenth place. With a breathtaking chase through the field the pair secured second to defend their points’ lead in the LMP2 class. “The race was great fun. Towards the end we were picking up speed from lap to lap,” said ex-Formula 1 driver Verstappen. “The car handled beautifully and I believe the excellent balance of the Spyder is the key to our success.”
The Horag Racing team from Switzerland was also satisfied with their first podium result of the season, secured by the trio Jan Lammers, Fredy Lienhard and Didier Theys. Lienhard was running second when he had handed the red-white Spyder over to Theys, who then missed the braking point and slid into the gravel. “Unfortunately, the recovery cost us almost two laps,” said Theys. “The car wasn’t damaged, so afterwards I could continue without any problems.” During the final stint, Jan Lammers also put in a spirited drive which was rewarded with third at the flag.
The original GT2 class result was revised three hours after the race. The victory of the Porsche fielded by the IMSA Matmut Performance team with drivers Richard Lietz (Austria) and Raymond Narac (France) was revoked because the cable of the organisers’ data recording device had come loose. As a result, the second-placed Farnbacher Racing team moved up to first position. Winners of the GT2 class in Monza are therefore Porsche works driver Richard Westbrook, Allan Simonsen and Lars Erik Nielsen.
Bad luck plagued Porsche works driver Marc Lieb (Germany) and Alex Davison (Australia), who had posted second in qualifying and secured second at the Barcelona round. Competing for the Felbermayr-Proton team, the duo lost seven laps right at the start through repairs to a control arm. From the back they fought their way through the field to finish seventh in their class. After the disqualification of Lietz/Narac, they rank sixth, which is rewarded with three points.
Statistics: Round two of five races in the 2008 Le Mans Series in Monza, Italy
Result LMP2 class
1. Elgaard/Nielsen (DK/DK), Porsche RS Spyder, 165 laps; 2. Verstappen/Van Merksteijn (NL/NL), Porsche RS Spyder, 165; 3. Theys/Lienhard/Lammers (B/CH/NL), Porsche RS Spyder, 164; 4. Newton/Erdos (GB/BR), MG Lola EX 265 - MG, 164; 5. Lahaye/Ragues (F/F), Pescarolo - Judd, 163; 6. Noda/de Pourtales (J/F), Lola - Mazda, 162; 7. Amaral/Pla (P/F), Lola B05/40 - AER, 161; 8. Haberfeld/Hughes (BR/GB), WF01 - Zytek, 155; 9. Belicchi/Zacchia/Pompidou (I/CH/F), Lola B08/80 Coupé - Judd, 151.
Result GT2 class
1. Simonsen/Nielsen/Westbrook (AUS/DK/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 151; 2. Ehret/Kaffer/Beltoise (D/D/F), Ferrari F430 GT, 151; 3. Aucott/Daoudi (GB/F), Ferrari F430 GT, 150; 4. Chiesa/Leuenberger (CH/CH), Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R, 147.
Points’ standings drivers LMP2
1. Verstappen, Porsche, 18
Van Merksteijn, Porsche, 18
3. Elgaard, Porsche, 16
Nielsen, Porsche, 16
5. Newton, Lola, 10
Erdos, Lola, 10
7. Theys, Porsche, 9
Lienhard, Porsche, 9
Lammers, Porsche, 9
Manufacturers LMP2
1. Porsche 34
2. Lola 21
Round 3 of the Le Mans Series takes place on 11 May in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
Facts and Figures
This is the Le Mans Series
Contested for the first time in 2004, the Le Mans Series (LMS) offers fans exciting sportscar racing. The regulations are based on the rules of the Le Mans 24 hour race. Five championship rounds will be contested this season on traditional circuits throughout Europe as well as an invitation race in Shanghai/China. The races run over a distance of 1,000 kilometres. The LMS is the European counterpart to the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in the USA and Canada.
The starting field consists of two different sports vehicle categories: Sports prototypes and standard sports cars. They are divided into four classes:
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 750 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms (in the ALMS: 750 hp/925 kilograms). Power to weight ratio: approx. 1.2 kg/hp.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with around 475 hp (with normally-aspirated engine) and an 825 kilogram minimum weight (in the ALMS: 475 hp/800 kg). Power to weight ratio: approx 1.7 kg/hp. The Porsche RS Spyder competes in this class.
GT1 class: Heavily modified standard sportscars with up to 650 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (in the ALMS: 650 hp/1,125 – 1,325 kilograms)
GT2 class: Slightly modified standard sportscars with between 450 hp to 470 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 hp kilograms (in the ALMS: 450 to 470 hp/1,125 – 1,325 kilograms). The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR competes in this class.
All race cars start together but are classified separately according to the class. This system ensures diverse and gripping racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only allocated for placings in each class. Championship titles are awarded for drivers, manufacturers and teams in all four classes. Porsche works driver Marc Lieb won the driver title in the GT2 class in 2005 and 2006.
For the RS Spyder, 2008 marks the first season in the Le Mans Series.
Er is geen fotoboek gevonden!