Vantages prep for Spa 24Hr
Thursday, July 24, 2014
With the race preparation 'pleasantries' having already taken place yesterday in the town centre of Spa Francorchamps with the now customary GT car entries driving from the circuit and into town together with the driver briefing in the local theatre followed by the public presentation in the town square, the gloves have now come off as all attention now focuses on the race event itself.
With both practice and qualifying taking place over Thursday evening and into the night all five Aston Martin Customer Teams were jockeying for position, aiming for that top 20 shoot out that would ultimately decide pole position for the race. With MP Motorsport and Beechdean noting the quickest times in Free Practice and Pre Qualifying Practice respectively earlier today friendly rivalry was already being expressed between their fellow Pro and Am drivers before the evenings qualifying. Important grid positions and driver bragging rights were at stake in the Aston Martin garage.
Starting the whole qualification process in the early evening would be Pedro Lamy (Leonard Motorsport), Stefan Mucke (Beechdean), Onslow-Cole (PGF Kinfaun), Darren Turner (MP Motorsport) and Michael Caine (Oman Racing) but obviously all drivers would have to enter timed laps at some point during the day and again in the night proceedings. The twenty minute Super Pole shoot out will be held tomorrow (Friday).
With all drivers having completed their mandatory laps all that was to be determined was whether or not any would qualify in the top 20.
Driver line ups:-
#32 Leonard Motorsport Pro-Am
Stuart Leonard
Paul Wilson
Pedro Lamy
Michael Meadows
#107 Beechdean Motorsport Pro-Am
Andrew Howard
Jonny Adam
Daniel Lloyd
Stefan Mucke
John Gaw
Phil Dryburgh
Tom Onslow-Cole
Paul White
#38 MP Motorsport Pro-Am
Mark Poole
Richard Abra
Joe Osbourne
Darren Turner
#44 Oman Racing Team Pro
Ahmad Al Harthy
Michael Caine
Stephen Jelley
Live Race stream http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live
Live timing http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live#live-timing
Photo Credits - Leonard Motorsport / Aston Martin racing / Blancpain