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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 SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">18/09/2000</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Nurburgring Round Up </FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Round Up</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><img border="1" src="Storage/%20Up%20d%20UpSPO.jpg"></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">With most of the comments and photographs provided by Harald Gallinnis. Not this one though. Brooksie captured the action at the first corner, with Kelleners just ahead of Formato. That's how it stayed until...the end of the first lap, when Formato spun off. His recovery drive was a highlight, but then the gearbox gave up. Kremer Racing had the joy of leading - and were proven totally right in putting the quick German pair in the car - but it was more disappointment when a wheel nut came off. <BR> <BR> Lupberger in the Ascari was the man on a mission, showing his determination every time with wild slides through the Castrol-S. Very entertaining for the public! In fact he was leading after the pit-stops of Kremer & Brums when his engine "... suddenly cut off."<BR> <BR> Gary Formato could have been the only challenger to the JMB Team, but threw it away by trapping the R&M R&S in the gravel on the final corner of the first lap. His efforts to wipe out the error by overtaking car by car (here the 2nd BMS) were finally halted by a transmission failure.<BR> <BR> Geoff Lees in the BMW LM, finally dismissed by a rare engine failure. Great to see this car again, although Thomas Bscher considered it not competitive in fuel-races like the SRWC. Michael Cane looks on - surprised. <BR> <BR> Geoff Lees' last race. A disappointing end to a great career. The elusive Le Mans win could have happened in the Toyota in '98, but didn't. He had 14 tries at it, with Nimrod, Dome, Tom's, Toyota and Lister. Plus the Bscher BMW this year of course. A multiple Champion in Japan, European F2 Champion, FF Festival winner as long ago as 1975, he even started a handful of GPs. His last wins were with the Bscher BMW F1 GTR at Monza and Jarama in 1998. Remember the GTR Euroseries? <BR> <BR> Was it the BMW's last race too?<BR> <BR> Sascha Maassen in the Lola, a fine and trouble free drive earned the team a third place. Relief for Franz Konrad and his crew and a great prospect for the rest of the ALMS. In the older car? Not quite Freddy Lienhard's weekend. The rain didn't suit the tyres and it wasn't able to match the privateer 333s, let alone the leaders. 11th place meant last 'Ferrari' in the field at the end. Better weather needed at Magny Cours. <BR> <BR> A third title for JB / JMB. Is that Brooks right in the bloody way? <BR> HEY, BROOKS. GET OUT OF THE WAY.</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>