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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">23/06/2001</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Spa-Francorchamps</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">FIA GT Test</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">René de Boer attended the Spa FIA GT Test today, and forwards these comments (with other details in brackets).<BR> <BR> Apparently, there were 13 cars running on Friday, but over half of them had left on Saturday. There were some bits and pieces from a Freisinger Porsche lying around - rear lamps and some bodywork, so one of their 911s might have been damaged. Judging by the colour, it was the Kaufmann / Ortelli car, but team and car had already left when I arrived. (Believed to be one of the Russians who had an 'off'. Wolfgang Kaufmann set a 2:27.)<BR> <BR> The Belgian Silver Team was present with their Viper, but they only did one lap today with Robert Dierick behind the wheel - their day was over when the gearbox went.<BR> <BR> Team Carsport Holland was present with two cars. The #3 car (Hezemans / J.Bleekemolen) is now completely white and bearing the logos of Belgian cigarette sponsor Route 66, which is the team's main backer for the Spa 24h race. The car will race like this in Budapest next week. Sebastiaan Bleekemolen drove the #4 car, which is still orange, on Friday. The team's other drivers for Spa, Belgians Thierry Tassin and Jean-Michel Martin, drove the car on Saturday, but Tassin had to leave early because he had to commentate on F1 qualifying at the Nürburgring for Belgian TV.<BR> <BR> Today, the team tested a new engine on the #3 car, but had a lot of problems. The car went out very late in the day.<BR> <BR> Prodrive was present with their Ferrari F550 Maranello and four drivers: Kox, Menu, Rydell and Freddy Dor, who initiated the project. Reportedly, Rydell did a 2:20 lap on Friday, although it was his first ever outing at Spa. On Saturday, the car suffered from a crankshaft problem, but according to Prodrive's George Howard-Chappell, the car will be racing at Budapest. Whether they will tackle the 24h at Spa, though, is still uncertain and possibly rather unlikely. (Prodrive may have damaged two engines over the two days, but Rydell reportedly set a 2:21).<BR> <BR> Belmondo driver Vincent Vosse took some Belgian journalists (and one Dutch, who is now writing these lines) around the track in his Viper. Quite a memorable experience for all the hacks, who probably had their fastest lap ever at Spa (how quick, René? Ed.). (Vosse is believed to have set a 2:19 - without journalists).<BR> <BR> On Saturday morning, Vanina Ickx had a couple of laps in one of the JMB Giesse Ferraris. The team was present with two cars and drivers Terrien, Garbagnati, Kuterman and Alexander. They intend to run three cars in the 24h race. (Ms. Ickx apparently set a best of 2:30 over the two days, David Terrien having set a 2:28).<BR> <BR> (The PSI Porsche 996 twin turbo ran many laps reliably, but its best was a 2:26).<BR> <BR> Spanish team De Almenara Motorsport was also present with a Marcos LM600 and two Belgian drivers, Damiens Coens and Tom Zurstrassen.<BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>