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Compte rendu 2005/ 06 Spa-Francorchamps


FIA-GTC’65: The race before the race


Leo Voyazides, Ford GT 40

Leo Voyazides, Ford GT 40
Stefano Rosina, Elva GT160-Buick

Stefano Rosina, Elva GT160-Buick
Sean Walker, Gold Bug-Lotus Elan

Sean Walker, Gold Bug-Lotus Elan

The weekend in Spa-Francorchamps would have been nearly over already during the training for Hans-Jürgen Malsbenden (D), who has so far been in the leading position.

 

In the Eau Rouge, he had to avoid the Marcos 1800 GT of Phillip Nelson and landed with a great bang in the tyres with his Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray. Then a fight against the time began for the team of Total Performance, Torsten Schwarz and Christoph Atzenroth. The front of the steelblue Corvette was badly damaged. “Many had written me off,” Malsbenden said. But in the spirit of a rallye-team, which only gives up when there is no other way, the Total Performance team at least repaired Malsbenden’s Corvette so far as to let it continue in the race. In a 13-hour-marathon-shift lasting from Friday evening to Saturday in a race before the race, the worst damages were repaired. Just before the start at 11 o’clockm the well-taped Corvette rolled onto the starting position.

 

But Leo Voyazides (GB) started from the pole position of a strong grid of 40 cars in a Ford GT 40, which was the former Scuderia Filipinetti car of 1965 in which Herbert Müller and Ronnie Bucknum had driven the 24-Hours-Race of Le Mans. Next to him, Stefano Rosina took up position in a Elva GT 160 Buick. Behind that, the car that had already caused for a lot of discussion since Mizano, Sean Walker’s “Gold Bug” Lotus Elan rolled onto its position. Ian, his father had built the Racing Elan more than 40 years ago with which drivers like Jim Clark, John Whitmore or Mike Spense had been successful with.

 

The golden GT with the green middle stripe is blessed with all the “facilities” of a Racing Elan out of that period. In Spa a protest was lodged against the historic GT after the first race about the diameter of brake calipers and this was granted. “If the participation of a car with the original specifications is not possible, then something is very wrong with the historic motor sports,” Walker criticised and lodged an objection. In the provisional results, Walker stays the class winner before Bo Warmenius (S) with his Lotus Elan.

 

 

 

Leo Voyazides (GB) in a Ford GT 40 secured the overall win against Stefano Rosina (I) in a Elva GT 160 Buick. Voyazides had to defend himself from several attacks by Rosina to secure the starting-to-finishing line win. “The GT 40 is just faster than the Elva on several sections of the track,” Voyazides said. He had marked up the fastest lap time in the second-last round.

 

Hans-Jürgen Malsbenden in his Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray crossed the finishing line as the best GTS driver before Jamie Boot (GB) with his TVR Griffith. Wolfgang Schachinger (A) came in third of the class.

 

Behind him, the thrilling fight for the class win of cars up to 2500 ccm took place. Charles Allison (GB) crossed the finishing line tenth-seconds before Allen Tice (GB) – both driving a Marcos 1800 GT. Dr Armin Zumtobel (A) in a Porsche 911 did not stand a chance against the light British GT with the Volvo engine-powered car and only attained the fourth position behind Richard Styles (GB) in another Marcos 1800 GT.

 

It was thrilling as well in the smaller classes of cars up to 1961. Walter Antonacci (A) secured the class win in his Alfa Romeo before the Championship favourite Reimer Stöhrmann (D) in his Lotus Elite S2. Ian Cox (GB) was the fastest driver in the period E with his Austin Healey 3000.

 

In the second race, Voyazides repeated his starting-to-finishing-line victory. Since Rosina had to cancel his Elva due to a defect, Hans-Jürgen Malsbenden “inherited” the second position. Behind him, Ludovic Caron (F) in a AC Cobra Daytona and Bo Warmenius in a Lotus Elan fought for the last place on the podium. With an attack in the last round, Warmenius secured the third position and therefore the class win.