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Spa Francorchamps

Proximus

05/08/2001

The 24 Hours

Part 10

© Janos Wimpffen

Hour 21-22

The 21st hour saw two official retirements, the long suffering Ferrari and Renault. The Spider has had a myriad of problems, not the least of which is the lack of a roof in these condition. The Carsport Viper was now back on the proper pace as the tire situation was sorted out, but they could still not make any particular headway against the Larbre car. N-GT has long since passed back to the RWS car when the Freisinger had its own cooling problems and needed a new radiator. The no. 94 Porsche continues to pull slightly away from the Lamborghini in Category 3.

After another round of stops the Carsport Viper remains slightly less than a lap behind the Larbre Viper. Once more rain arrives, this time in deluge form, but it would prove very short and sporadic in typical local style. The leading Larbre car nearly spun before coming in for wet wets. This occurs just into the 22nd hour, the full length of a normal FIA GT is still ahead.

The rain intensifies and once more the pace car is brought out, and once more it clears slightly a few laps later. The caution period allows the Carsport Viper to bunch up but there are still several faster cars between it and the leader. When the green is shown Bouchut easily stretches the lead a bit, but Bleekemolen is giving it his all in going around the slower traffic.

The other Larbre car, no. 17. continues to languish, but for no discernible reason other than driving strength. The Silver Racing Viper is not largely resigned to fourth place. The no. 12 Belmondo car is fighting a windscreen fogging problem.

Jeroen Bleekemolen does not seem to up to the charge or his mount is giving him problems as Bouchut continues to pull away. Then at 13:40, at the entrance to the Bus Stop, it’s all over. Bleekemolen pulls off. The car is stopped and he steps out. It appears to be an electrical fault. The car pulls off near the Cirtek Porsche that had stopped during the night.

Carsport Holland’s race is run and this hands the championship to Larbre, presuming that they score here. The presumptive driving champions become Bouchut and Belloc. It also tentatively elevates the Silver Racing Viper to a podium spot, well-deserved for a such steady run—but all this is presumption when there are still over two hours to go.

Meanwhile a comedy ensues at the Bus Stop. A mechanic from the Carsport Holland team arrives and tries to get Bleekemolen to return with him to the pits, presumably to transport necessary parts. A marshal intervenes to avoid contact between the two but perhaps to allow the mechanic to advise. Bleekemolen begins to sprint back toward the pits when another marshal intercepts the driver, explaining in a tri-lingual show of gestures that he needs to return to the car and don his balaclava and helmet and then sprint to the pits. The young driver does just this, setting some sort of a 100-meter pit entrance dash record. He arrives at precisely the line demarcating the start of the pit lane where the mechanic hands him a new battery. Bleekemolen now heads back to the car but is once more intercepted, this time by a more senior official, who advises him that he received illegal assistance and the car is summarily disqualified. The arguing and gestures don’t stop, but it is all moot. The Viper joins the still reasonably small dead car park with 25 of the original 38 starters still running.