Rapport 2003 / 02 Zolder

Rosina splits the Elan armada

Bo Warmenius (S) was the man to beat in the second run of the FIA Cup for Historic Grand Touring Cars in Zolder (B). With his Lotus Elan S1 (1963) he won both races of the season opener in Monza (I). On the ex-Formula 1 track (3,977 km) Super-Bo dominated the practice sessions. The pole-setter was 2,5 seconds faster than FIA Cup rookie Peter Kroeber (D) in another Lotus Elan (1965).

In the first race Peter Kroeber tried to overtake the leading Warmenius Elan in the Villeneuve chicane. „I already had passed him, but he obviously saw it different“, described Kroeber his optimistic attack. Both Elans touched and the German ends in the gravel. Bo Warmenius commentated on the incident in the sixth lap: „You cannot overtake there, it is absolutely impossible“.

Bo Warmenius stayed in front of the field with 29 GT cars. In his small mirror he then could see the gold glimpse of Sean Walkers Elan. The son of Ian Walker competes in an original Lotus Elan 26R that looks exactly like the famous „Gold Bugs“ of 1964/65 that were developed and set in by Walker senior. Their livery was gold metallic with a dark green stripe. Thanks to Walker „junior“ the beautiful „Gold Bug“ with the typical fixed headlights covered by Plexiglas is back on the track again.

„In practice we had misfire“ said Walker, who had to start out of the third row. But in the second part of the race „Gold Bug“ Walker was the only one who could reach the lap times of Super Bo. „I was as quick as Warmenius but it was impossible to come closer“.

Guy Francois (B) hold the third position in his Lotus Elan (1963) in front of Allen Tice (GB) in his Marcos 1800 GT (1964) and Barry Sewell (GB) in the Marcos GTP (1964). The second fastest of the plywood chassis party reported about problems with his rear brakes after the race.

Dr. Armin Zumtobel (A) only got the third position in the class up to 2500 ccm with his Porsche 911 (1965). The Monza class winner and two-times-champion in the national German championship GTM had no chance against the Marcos of Tice and Stuart Tizzard (GB). „Compared to the British lightweights our Porsche has too much kilos“, said Jens Staben, who prepares the successful Porsche for the Austrian.

Right in front of the fastest Porsche there was the exciting struggle for the win in the classement of the pre-‘62 cars. Ian Cox (GB) and Nicolas Reitz (F) showed an entertaining duel in their Austin Healey 3000 with the better end for the British driver. He won in a foto finish only 0,7 seconds ahead of the French.

Stefano Rosina (MC) had some difficulties with his interesting Elva GT 160 (1963) and saw the chequered flag with two laps less than the winner. „The main problem is the engine that has not enough power“, said Rosina about the Buick V8 middle engine. „And the all-aluminium-body is to heavy“. But for the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix Nürburgring in August he will have a more powerful V8 for his rare GT Prototype. „Only three have been built. My car was presented at the Earls Court Show. Then it was prepared for racing and sold to the United States“.

The second heat of the FIA Cup for Historic Grand Touring Cars on Sunday was only one part of Rosinas special long distance program. Before the GT race competed also in the race of the European SportPrototype Trophy over 12 laps (he finished 10th and won his class). Without a break he drove directly into the grid of the FIA GT race.

There he managed to march from the middle of the field to the second place. Even better was Peter Kroeber in his Elan, who had to start from the end of the grid. „It was very important to have a good start and to overtake as many cars as possible“, he said. „Otherwise it would have been too difficult“. After six laps he was in fourth position when he lost the exhaust pipe of the Lotus. He had to end the race as well as his team colleague Marc Koblitschek (D) and Sean Walker with his „Gold Bug“-Elan.

„We again had misfire like in practice“, reported Walker, who held the second position before he had to retire. „We thought that we had cured it“. But as fifth in his class Walker got FIA cup points because he covered more than half of the distance.

So it was easy for Rosina to enter the third position. Then the Elva passed Guy Francois in the yellow Elan to finish second overall. With a good finish in the race over 30 minutes Claus Damgaard (DK) crossed the line as fourth overall. Again there were three Lotus Elans in the top 4.

At the top Bo Warmenius performed in cool Skandinavian manner again. He won 7,1 seconds ahead of Rosina. The Swede now reigns the championship as superior as he competed in Zolder. Dr. Armin Zumtobel, the second best FIA GT racer after the opener in Monza, lost points as third in the first race. In the second race the Austrian had to retire with a broken gearbox. „It is the first mechanical fault after two years without problems“, said car preparer Jens Staben. „Now I have to repair the car within two days, because then I have to start from Hamburg to the race in Austria. I hope that I will get all spare parts in time“. Zumtobel now is runner-up, but 14 points behind Warmenius with maximum points.

Fastest car of period E (pre-’62) was the Big Healey of Ian Cox in front of Oliver Heschl-Gillespie (A) with his Jaguar E-Type (1961) who passed Michel Reitz in the last lap. The other pre’62-classes where won by Walter Antonacci (I) in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider (1961), missing class winner Peter Stöhrmann (D) in the Lotus Elite (1960), and Ad Vermeulen (NL) in the beautiful Alpine A108 Renault. Compatriot Theo van Bree (NL) won his class in the Alpine A110 1300 (1965) like Vermeulen as solo starter.

Dirk Johae