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Adenau, 21-23 September, 2012

For enthusiasts of modern GT racing, the place to be over the weekend of 21 – 23 September was Germany’s Nurburgring for the Blancpain Race Weekend. The event provided races for the FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship, The Blancpain Endurance Series, plus the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo one make series.

Apart from the races themselves, there were lengthy practice and qualifying sessions, providing plenty of track action throughout the weekend. A bonus was the weather, given the vagaries that exist in the Eiffel region. Although each day started misty and chilly, the sun usually made an appearance around lunchtime through broken cloud, and although some looked threatening, the conditions stayed dry. A further attraction of the weekend, was the second appearance in the Blancpain Endurance Series of nine time World Champion motorcyclist, Valentino Rossi, in one of the Kessel Racing Ferrari 458 GT3s, carrying his hallmark race number 46. Although the team’s pit garages were fenced off, he happily came out to sign autographs for the adoring fans who lined the barriers.

Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo
The Lamborghini version of the Ferrari Challenge series, with competitors in a colourful array of identical Lamborghini Gallardos. The 34 drivers in 20 cars, at the Nurburgring represented nine different countries in a truly international grid, and provided attendees with some close and exciting racing.

Podium Race 1
1st # 69, Enjalbert/Delhez, Touring Auto 2000 S.R.L.
2nd ?
3rd ?

Podium Race 2
1st # 63, Leimer/Piquet, Autovitesse Garage R. Affolter
2nd # 3, A. Zaugg, Bonaldi Motorsport
3rd # 54 A. Amici, Autocarrozzeria Imperiale S.R.L.

FIA GT1 World Championship & FIA GT3 European Championship
Due to the relatively low number of starters and the time constraints of a busy programme, the FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship contenders ran on the track at the same time, but with separate results for each group. In the GT1 group, only two cars made it onto the podium in each race, the qualifying race winning # 25 Lamborghini of Kox/Rosina, and the # 38 Mercedes-Benz of Basseng/Winkelhock. In the GT3 category it was a double win for the # 101 Mercedes-Benz of Buhk/Baumann

FIA GT1 World Championship Podium, Qualifying Race 1
1st # 25, Kox/Rosina, Reiter Engineering, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
2nd # 32, Vanthoot/Ortelli, Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, Audi R8 LMS
3rd # 38, Basseng/Winkelhock, All-inkl.com Munich Motorsport, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

FIA GT1 World Championship Podium, Championship Race 2
1st # 3, Vilander/Salaquarda, AF Corse, Ferrari 458 GT3
2nd # 38, Basseng/Winkelhock, All-inkl.com Munich Motorsport, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
3rd # 25, Kox/ Rosina, Reiter Engineering, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

FIA GT3 European Championship Podium Race 1
1st # 101, Buhk/Baumann, Heico-Gravity Charouz Team, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
2nd # 151, Lyons/Gai, AF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3
3rd # 102, Nilsson/Vahamaki, Heico-Gravity Charouz Team, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

FIA GT3 European Championship Podium Race 2

1st # 101, Buhk/Baumann, Heico-Gravity Charouz Team, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
2nd # 111, Mengesdorf/Proczyk, Rhino’s Leipert Motorsport, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
3rd # 114, Amorim/Campanico, Team Novadriver, Audi R8 LMS

Blancpain Endurance Series
With a 50 car entry list and 45 starters, spanning seven different manufacturers in three classes, the action on the track promised to be fast and furious for the 3 hour race, and it certainly was! The Pro Cup championship leading # 3 Marc VDS Racing BMW Z4 was the victim of an assault by the # 40 Sainteloc Racing Audi R8, which put it into the barriers and out of the race, meaning that the championship will be decided in the final round at Navarra in Spain in October. With the BMW hors de combat, for the most part of the race it was a duel between the # 75 Prospeed Porsche of Goossens/Maassen/Henerici, and the Black Falcon Mercedes- Benz of Cheng/Parisi/Bleekemolen, with the former taking victory by a scant 0.521sec, the closest finish in the history of the series. The team also took the win in the Pro-Am class with the similar # 19 car, driven by Morley/Jans/Edwards, so the Black Falcon team had plenty to celebrate on Sunday evening.

Pro Cup Podium
1st # 75, Goossens/Maassen/Henerici, Prospeed Competition, Porsche 997 GT3 R
2nd # 18, Cheng/Parisi/Bleekemolen, Black Falcon, Mercedes- Benz SLS AMG GT3
3rd # 66, Franchi/Lauda/Kechele, Vita4one Racing Team, BMW Z4

Pro-Am Cup Podium
1st # 19, Morley/Jans/Edwards, Black Falcon, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
2nd # 34, Hassid/Beltoise, Pro GT by Almeras, Porsche 997 GT3 R
3rd # 12, Demoustier/Tappy, ART Grand Prix, McLaren MP4-12C

Gentlemen Trophy Podium
1st # 58, Desbrueres/Kelders, Exagon Engineering, Porsche 997 GT3 R
2nd # 31, Cabannes/Michal/Thuner, Ruffier Racing, Lamborghini LP520+
3rd # 98, Brunsted/Bender/Roos, JB Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS

Keith Bluemel
09/2012



FIA GT1 Championship - Nurburgring (DE), 23 September 2012

R # Model Chassis # Team Colour Drivers Position        QR CR
3 458 GT3 3414 AF Corse Red T. Vilander/  F. Salaquarda 8th 1st
4 458 GT3 3412 AF Corse Red E. Ide/  F. Castellacchi 10th 10th


FIA GT3 European Championship - Nurburgring (DE), 23 September 2012


R # Model Chassis # Team Colour Drivers Position        R1 R2
151 458 GT3 3298 AF Corse Red S. Gai/ M. Lyons 2nd 4th
105 458 GT3 3408 Russian Bears Motorsport White-Blue-Red V. Maleev/  K. Ladygin 4th 6th
104 458 GT3 3410 Russian Bears Motorsport White-Blue-Red M. Toril/ S. Ryabov 9th 7th
150 458 GT3 3226 AF Corse Red G. Ardagna Perez/  G. Ciro DNF DNS

Blancpain Endurance Series - Nurburgring (DE), 23 September 2012

R # Model Chassis # Team Colour Drivers Position        O/A Cl.
20 458 GT3 3216 SOFREV ASP/ J-L. Beaubelique Red-Grey J-L. Beaubelique/ P. Goueslard/  L. Bady/ 12th 4th
21 458 GT3 3212 MTech Orange-White D. Cameron/  M. Griffin/ M.Edmonds 18th 8th
46 458 GT3 3280 Kessel Racing Black-Multi V. Rossi/  A. Salucci/  A. Ceccato 19th 9th
17 458 GT3 3284 Insight Racing White-Black D. Andersen/  M. Jensen 21st 11th
42 458 GT3 3296 Sport Garage/ K. Despinasse Red-White K. Despinasse/  E. O’Brien/  A. Santamato 24th 14th
51 458 GT3 3406 AF Corse Red D. Brown/  G. Ciro/  G. Ardagna Perez 25th 15th
72 458 GT3 3248 Kessel Racing Red-White P.Bruneau/ C-Y. Gosselin/ M. Rostan 26th 16th
49 458 GT3 3228 AF Corse White-Red-Blue H. Blank/  J-M. Bachelier/  Y. Mallegol 29th 19th
71 458 GT3 3244 Kessel Racing Red-White S. Gattuso/  D. Rigon/  D. Zampieri 33rd 12th
10 458 GT3 3218 SOFREV ASP/ J. Policand Red-Silver M. Ricci/  G. Balthazard/  J. Policand 37th 23rd
50 458 GT3 3222 AF Corse Red-White- Green-Blue J. Gerber/ E. Ide/ M. Cioci 38th 24th
52 458 GT3 3254 AF Corse Black-RWG St’s. N. Hommerson/ L. Machiels/ A. Bertolini/ DNF DNF
57 458 GT3 3402 Vita4one Team Italy Red-Black E. Amos/  G. Petrobelli/  A. Bonacini DNF DNF

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