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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">22/02/2001</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Ascari</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Good And Bad</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"> <BR> Team Ascari set the pace at Barcelona on Monday and Tuesday, but their running was interrupted by a very nasty refuelling fire late on Monday afternoon. <BR> <BR> In a mock pit stop, fuel spilt on to the engine cover and then ignited, New Zealander Don Flemming being the one to be caught in the conflagration. The flames were quickly extinguished, and Flemming was treated for superficial burns. Werner Lupberger was sitting in the car at the time. “It was really scary. My arm and helmet were well alight but I must say that these nomex racing suits really do the job well and I wasn't hurt at all. I feel for Don, but after he was treated he flew home with us and I'm sure he'll recover okay.” <BR> <BR> The car was back on the track on Tuesday, Lupberger setting a best of 1:32.200, a second or more inside the lap record – using carbon brakes for the first time, of course. <BR> <BR> “The carbon brakes don't feel that different to the steel ones, maybe a bit more consistent but we're pretty happy with the way the potential of the car is being unlocked,” said the fast man from South Africa. <BR> <BR> Ben Collins drove on Tuesday afternoon: “It is one superb car. It feels a lot like a single seater and after playing myself in, I got to know it really quickly and despite being on old tyres I was regularly in the low 1m 36s and that was with a lot of oil on the track, which of course didn't help my cause. But the whole package greatly impressed me and the Judd guys are really pushing that V10.” <BR> <BR> Collins is looking as though he could be Lupberger’s 2001 partner; they’d make a strong combination. Ian Dawson is Ascari’s new team manager.<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>