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Zolder

Eurosport Super Racing Weekends

20/05/2001

Qualifying

Report

As reported in the 'News' section of the site yesterday, the #63 JMB Ferrari is out of the meeting after two engine failures, while Laurence Pearce will be relieved that the #59 Porsche is also out, after accident damage yesterday.

First Qualifying and the battle to get into the Superpole - although Larbre and their Viper seem to win from wherever, thanks to their current weight penalty which sees then consistently unable to shine on Saturday. They ended up ninth, 1.3 seconds away from the best lap - by Didier Defourny in the #11 Belmondo Viper. The first seven were all within half a second, with the top four in N-GT split by three tenths.

Deforny set his time fairly early on, his major challenge coming from Sebastiaan Bleekemolen in the #4 Carsport Viper. The Dutchman was full of confidence after Silverstone, and knows this circuit well. Hezemans and Sebastiaan's brother were in slight fuel pressure problems, but still finished the session in fifth, so a very good day so far for the orange cars.

Tom Coronel set the time in the #1 Lister, third quickest, with Julian Bailey one place outside the top six in #2. Coronel will go out and play this afternoon. "I did just two timed laps, and then scrubbed a set of tyres for the Superpole," said the Dutchman. He last drove here in a Formula Ford single seater.

Emmanuele Naspetti was a very competitive fourth in the #5 Rafanelli Ferrari, and Vincent Vosse rounded out the top six - four of them are Vipers.

Luca Riccitelli was very happy to have Andrea Boldrini with him for this race, while Dieter Quester recovers from a routine operation. Riccitelli and Boldrini have known each other since they were eight years old - when they raced against each other. The regular driver set the quickest time in N-GT, despite a 50 kg handicap.

Christian Pescatori was second fastest, not completing many laps to do it, despite running in a new engine. He suggested that passing here would be difficult. Tim Sugden was third fastest, but less than two tenths away from Riccitelli's best. He's into theSuperpole for the first time. The top six was completed by the returning #69 Porsche, the #50 Larbre car and the Moccia / Babini 911 that went so well at Silverstone.

The Superpole saw the Ferrari GT resurgence continue - Emmanuele Naspetti took a maiden FIA GT pole for Gabriele Rafanelli's team, while the surviving JMB Ferrari 360 took the seventh best time and therefore pole in N-GT.

Riccitelli did everything possible to beat Pescatori's best, but he failed by just under three tenths. "The difference between the Ferraris and the Porsches is very small at this track," announced Riccitelli. "I was rather late braking into the first corner, and then could not beat Christian's time." Apparently he had all four wheels off the track trying to go fastest.

Sebastien Dumez was a tenth quicker than Tim Sugden, who has slipped from first on the first day to third and then fourth today. His drive in the first and last hours tomorrow - maybe more - ought to be something special.

A Ferrari 550 on pole is something else rather special. "I managed a clear lap without any mistakes - I could have pushed more," explained Emmanuele Naspetti. He was looking towards a podium rather than a win at this stage of the car's development.

Mike Hezemans was happy to beat Tom Coronel into second place on the grid, by all of 12 thousandths of a second. Coronel explained the pleasure to be derived from the Superpole: "When I crossed the line, I could not remember anything, where the braking points were or anything. I heard my heartbeat again for the first time since Formula Nippon.I was really anxious as I wanted to do a good time."

Didier Defourny dropped to fifth, after being fastest in the morning, but the #11 Belmondo Viper could be a useful bet for the win. And then there's the Larbre Viper. Not in the Superpole again, but that meant a little more track time afterwards (the 'Superpolers' can join in this short session now), when #7 was third quickest, right behind JC-W and Kumpen / Defourny.