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Le Mans Series 2007
Round 4. Spa 1000 Kilometers. August 17th - 19th 2007
Saturday
Report

Third Session

Photo: David Lord / DSCWith the Radical World Cup qualifying session completed on time at half-nine, it was all-set for an hour of final free practice for the Le Mans Series cars. It proved to be an exciting session for the LMP2 runners, with some significant improvements by most of the squads, and some surprises too.

Those came later, as there was nothing unexpected in Michael Verger's opening lap of 2:11.555, which initially topped the P2 charts. De Castro was also quickly into his stride, although 2:14.043 was a pale reflection on yesterday's oh-seven. Tommy's first flyer was a 2:12.217, and slotted the MG neatly in between the two, for the time being anyway.

De Castro ended his opening run with a 2:10.217, moving ahead of both Vergers and Erdos, who completed another three laps (without posting an improvement) before handing over to Mike Newton. Mike had missed Friday's second session, so appreciated the chance to get back aboard. Just before this happened, however, Darren Manning drew a few gasps from the assembled watchers in the press room by clocking a lap of 2:08.157 in the Embassy Radical. That moved the black car through to third overall, and was by far the best run from the Embassy SR9 all weekend.

Various pitstops were being completed at this stage in the session - Barazi swapping with Vergers in the #32 Zytek, Amaral getting into the #40 Lola and Bill Binnie in the #31. Mike Newton picked up where he'd left off in Friday's first session, posting consistent times in the mid to low fourteens, but then pulling a quick one out of the bag with a 2:12.9. "I was particularly pleased with that!" he said later. "I didn't get a single clean lap, and setting that twelve-nine included a GT2 car through Blanchimont, so I feel very satisfied."

Mike pitted once for a few adjustments at 10:15, but stayed in the car, while Warren Hughes took over the Embassy Radical from Manning. This was followed, coincidentally, by a spurt of new and improved times throughout the LMP2 field. A stunning 2:06.816 from Michael Vergers, back in the Barazi Zytek once again, finally shaded Manning's best from the Radical, and would stand as the best of the day from LMP2, assuring the Gulf-sponsored car of top honours at this stage in the weekend's proceedings.

Photo: David Lord / DSC

Van de Poele was also making progress in the #27 Horag Lola; 2:11.734 being enough to move the red and white car up a few places. Similarly, improvements from Stuart Moseley (a best of 2:10.127) had the Bruichladdich SR9 into fourth, followed moments later by a 2:12.793 from Jouanny in the Saulnier Courage.

This left the MG looking a little out of place in seventh, but at 10:35 Tommy was strapped back into the cockpit and headed out onto the new La Source tarmac to have another stab. An improved 2:09.965 came from Burgueno before the Brazilian was back into his stride, and when he did, a 2:09.557 was the result. That closed the session from the RML MG Lola, with fourth in class being "more than good enough" as far as Erdos was concerned. "Our individual sector times are looking very encouraging," he added, by way of explanation. "Once again, I never managed to find a clean lap, but I think we're looking strong for this afternoon."

Top LMP2 Times - Session 3

Pos No. Overall Team Driver Car
Time
1
32
8 Barazi Epsilon Vergers/Ojeh/Barazi Zytek 07S
2:06.816
2
45
12 Embassy Racing Hughes/Manning Radical SR9 AER
2:08.157
3
40
13 Quifel ASM Amaral/de Castro/Burgueno Lola B05/40 AER
2:09.081
4
25
14 RML AD Group Erdos/Newton MG Lola EX264
2:09.557
5
21
15 Bruichladdich Moseley/Greaves Radical SR9 AER
2:10.127
6
31
19 Binnie Motorsports Binnie/Timpany/Buncombe Lola B05/40 Zytek
2:10.756
7
27
17 Horag Racing Lienhard/Theys/Van de Poele Lola B05/40 Judd
2:11.680
8
35
19 Saulnier Racing Nicolet/Filhol/Jouanny Courage LC75 AER
2:12.168
9
44
20 Kruse Motorsport de Pourtales/Siedler Pescarolo C60 Judd
2:13.265
10
20
21 Pierre Bruneau Rostan/Bruneau/Pullan Pillbeam MP93 Judd
2:13.453
11
26
32 Ranieri Randaccio Randaccio/Collini Lucchini McLaren
2:22.952

Qualifying

At dot on 14:40, the crescendo of noise from the end of the Spa pitlane announced the beginning of the official 20-minute prototypes-only qualifying session. For the first time, the twenty-two LMP1 and LMP2 cars would have the entire seven-kilometre circuit to themselves, and the prospect of clear track brought with it the promise of even faster times. The bet was on . . . would the Peugeots duck under that magical two-minute barrier for the first time, and could Thomas Erdos beat the pundits and claim his second LMP2 pole of the year?

The first of those tantalising questions was answered very promptly - by the Brazilian's opening flyer. A weekend best of 2:06.795 was a full second quicker than the MG had ever gone before, and the best yet from anyone in the class.

Photo: Peter May / DSC

Stuart Moseley was the first to react, setting 2:08.568 to place the Bruichladdich Radical second, with Warren Hughes third in the similar Embassy car and Chris Buncombe fourth for Binnie Motorsports. "Sector two looks very good Tommy," came Phil Barker's voice over the team radio. Sector three was better still, and the MG swept across the line to record an even better time of 2:06.660. It was the Brazilian's third flying lap, and while he was happy enough to have raised the bar yet higher, he wasn't best pleased with Michael Vergers in the Barazi Epsilon Zytek.

The Dutchman had just posted his own best lap, and at 2:07.137, it was within half a second of the one Erdos had recently completed, but the Brazilian had hoped that his second, sandwiched between the two, might have been faster still. "Vergers been going so slowly that the marshals were even waving white flags," said Tommy, but as Erdos came round the corner at Stavelot the Zytek suddenly eased out into the middle of the track and started pulling away, but nowhere near as quickly as the up-to-speed MG. "He could easily have got out of the way, but he didn't," bemoaned the Brazilian, who had been forced to brake, and thereby abort what could have been his quickest lap. "He's a really nice guy," added Tommy later. "Were friends, I think - not socially, but good enough, and I was sure he wouldn't do something like that deliberately."

With a warning light for low fuel now showing on the dashboard, Tommy headed for the pitlane, where the car was pulled back into the garage and refuelled before he sat out the remaining eight minutes, watching the times, and ever-prepared to go out again should the need arise. It didn't. With just under three minutes to go, Vergers also pitted, just as Joao Barbosa in the LMP1 Rollcentre Pescarolo split the two LMP2 leaders. "I think we're OK now," said Phil Barker from the pit wall. "We'll be on the front row, and I'm happy with that."

The chequered flag ended the session; the MG on class pole, half a second clear of Vergers, and with Warren Hughes third in the much-improved Embassy Radical, and the Quifel ASM Lola fourth. Out at the very sharp end, there had been the predicted intra-team battle between Minassian in the #7 Peugeot and his team-mate Stephane Sarrazin in the #8. The duel concluded with Minassian a full half-second ahead of Sarrazin, but a mere one-tenth off the elusive sub-two-minute lap. His time; 2:00.105.

A press release about RML's qualifying can be found here

LMP2 Qualifying Results

Pos No. Overall Team Driver Car
Time
1
25
10 RML AD Group Erdos/Newton MG Lola EX264
2:06.660
2
32
12 Barazi Epsilon Vergers/Ojeh/Barazi Zytek 07S
2:07.137
3
45
13 Embassy Racing Hughes/Manning Radical SR9 AER
2:08.154
4
40
14 Quifel ASM Amaral/de Castro/Burgueno Lola B05/40 AER
2:08.262
5
31
15 Binnie Motorsports Binnie/Timpany/Buncombe Lola B05/40 Zytek
2:08.331
6
21
16 Bruichladdich Moseley/Greaves Radical SR9 AER
2:08.568
7
27
18 Horag Racing Lienhard/Theys/Van de Poele Lola B05/40 Judd
2:09.451
8
35
19 Saulnier Racing Nicolet/Filhol/Jouanny Courage LC75 AER
2:10.146
9
44
20 Kruse Motorsport Burgess/de Pourtales/Siedler Pescarolo C60 Judd
2:10.354
10
20
21 Pierre Bruneau Rostan/Bruneau/Pullan Pillbeam MP93 Judd
2:13.618
11
26
29 Ranieri Randaccio Randaccio/Collini Lucchini McLaren
2:18.095

For full results of all races and events being staged at the Spa this weekend, please visit this link, where it is possible to download PDF files for all sessions

There are high resolution images posted in the Spa Gallery.

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