11/05/09
DOUBLE PODIUM JOY FOR LOLA AT SPA 1000kms
Lola sportscars scored more podium places at the Spa 1000kms over the weekend. Both LMP1 and LMP2 Lola entries finished in the top three and Lola now lead both classes in the series points tables. Speedy Racing Team Sebah were close runners up in the LMP2 class after a superb race where the Judd powered Lola B09/80 proved to be the only consistent threat to the Essex Porsche. Xavier Pompidou/Jonny Kane and Benjamin Leuenberger showed great fortitude to bounce back from a testing accident two weeks before Spa at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit.
After faultless stints from Pompidou and Kane, Swiss racer Leuenberger set about a charge for victory in the closing stages only to be denied by a late race safety car. With the track becoming green once again with five laps to run the Lola-Judd scythed through the traffic between it and the leading Essex Porsche Spyder but just failed to take the lead by a mere 0.6 seconds.
Racing Box celebrated a well-deserved podium finish but was cruelly denied the points when they were disqualified late last night. A late race puncture while Giacomo Piccini was driving displaced one of the rear legalising bodywork panels leading to a protest from a rival team. It was desperate luck for the Italians, whose other Lola Judd LMP2 Coupe retired early with accident damage.
In LMP1 the trio of Lola Aston Martins showed more speed and promise with the 007 Lola-Aston B09/60 fighting its way from the back of the grid to register another podium that keeps them at the head of the LMP1 points table. The 009 Lola Aston of Darren Turner/Miguel Ramos and Harold Primat qualified an excellent second but their race started in frustration after contact with the Pescarolo of Jean Christophe Boullion on the first lap of the race. However, despite problems with the lights of the car a fifth placed finish was a good reward for a tenacious race.
The Speedy Sebah LMP1 of Belicchi/Prost and Fassler lost time with gear change problems during the race. Despite this the Anglo/Swiss team fought back well and were classified in 8th place in LMP1, showing real pace with Belicchi and Fassler while Nicolas Prost continues to impress during his first year of endurance racing.
RML’s Lola-Mazda had another trying weekend with Mike Newton and Tommy Erdos being frustrated throughout the Spa event. An accident in one of the free practice sessions meant the famous red, white and blue LMP2 Lola started from the pit lane and further bad luck visited Erdos when the Brazilian went off on oil and damaged the B09/86. The car was retired after 47 laps with an engine related problem.
After a race full of promise for Kruse Schiller Motorsport at Barcelona the trio of Matthew Marsh/Hideki Noda and Francesco Sini started the weekend in solid fashion at Spa with their Mazda powered Lola B09/40. The team however were forced to start the race with a 10-place grid penalty after an engine change ahead of the Spa weekend. The race itself saw the orange and blue Lola classified in 5th position earning much needed points for the Siegburg based team.
Lola sportscars are next in action this weekend at the Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City for the fourth round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series.
RACE RESULTS
Pos Cl Drivers Car Time/gap
1. P1 Minassian/Pagenaud/Klien Peugeot 908 5h45m35.429s2. P1 Boullion/Tinseau Pescarolo Judd + 27.622s
3. P1 Charouz/Enge/Mucke Lola Aston Martin + 1 lap
4. P1 Panis/Lapierre Oreca AIM + 1 lap
5. P1 Primat/Ramos/Turner Lola Aston Martin + 1 lap
6. P1 Karthikeyan/Meyrick/Zwolsman Audi R10 TDI + 2 laps
7. P1 Albers/Bakkerud/Mondini Audi R10 TDI + 4 laps
8. P2 Elgaard/Collard/Poulsen Porsche RS Spyder + 4 laps
9. P2 Kane/Leuenberger/Pompidou Lola Judd + 4 laps
10. P1 Belicchi/Fassler/Prost Lola Aston Martin + 4 laps
11. P1 Ragues/Mailleux Oreca Judd + 5 laps
12. P2 Ceccato/Francioni/Piccini Lola Judd + 6 laps DSQ
13. P1 Gene/Wurz/Brabham Peugeot 908 + 7 laps
14. P2 Barazi/Rees Zytek + 9 laps DSQ
15. GT1 Alphand/Goueslard/Clairay Corvette C6.R + 11 laps
16. P2 Lahaye/Ajlani Pescarolo Mazda + 11 laps
17. GT1 Salaquarda/Kox/Janis Lamborghini + 12 laps
18. P1 Kerr/Smith/Tomlinson Ginetta Zytek + 13 laps
19. P1 Watts/Leventis/Hardman Ginetta Zytek + 14 laps
20. GT2 Lieb/Lietz/Felbermayr Porsche 997 + 14 laps
21. GT2 Garcia/Mansell/Melo Ferrari F430 + 14 laps
22. P2 Bruneau/Greaves/Coleman Radical AER + 14 laps DSQ
23. GT2 Bell/Bruni Ferrari F430 + 15 laps
24. GT2 Ehret/Farnbacher Ferrari F430 + 15 laps
25. GT2 Coronel/Dumbreck Spyker C8 + 15 laps
26. GT2 Pilet/Narac Porsche 997R + 16 laps
27. P2 Schell/Thirion Courage AER + 16 laps
28. GT2 Cocker/Drayson Aston Martin + 17 laps
29. GT2 Mcinerney/Mcinerney/Vergers Ferrari F430 + 18 laps
30. GT2 Griffin/Bamford Ferrari F430 + 19 laps
31. GT2 Palttala/Daniels Porsche 997R + 19 laps
32. P2 Noda/Sini/Marsh Lola Mazda + 28 laps
33. GT1 Lichtner-Hoyer/Gruber/Muller Aston Martin DBR9 + 30 laps
34. GT2 Ried/Felbermayr/Martins Porsche 997R + 31 laps
35. P2 Salini/Salini/Gommendy WR Zytek + 33 laps
36. P2 Amaral/Pla Ginetta Zytek + 42 laps. P2
Retirements:
Comblot/Cortes/Montserrat Lucchini Judd 88 laps P1Lavaggi/Kaufmann Lavaggi AER 49 laps P1
Ortelli/Senna Oreca AIM 129 laps P2
Ojjeh/Gosselin/Peter Zytek 80 laps P1
Jouanny/Barbosa Pescarolo Judd 53 laps P2
Erdos/Newton Lola Mazda 47 laps P2
Ibanez/Da Rocha/Cavailhes Courage AER 41 laps P2
Randaccio/Solieri Lucchini McLaren 35 laps P2
Biagi/Bobbi/Piccini Lola Judd 7 laps
All pictures Lola Heritage.

The Lola Aston Martin took an excellent third place overall and in LMP1 despite starting from the back of the grid.

The Speedy Sebah car was a close second in LMP2...

...whilst their LMP1 car was quick but a gearchange problem hampered their chances.

A good race for the KSM B09/86 Mazda.

The Racing Box B08/80 was out of luck this week.

The Lola Aston Martin makes a pitstop.

The Lola Aston Martin drivers celebrate on the podium.