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.
