Surprises, chaos and a big fat anti-climax dominated the last race weekend in a series whose future is still uncertain. But at least were worthy champions will be crowned.
Even before the first race of the weekend the air was out of the way really exciting battle for the drivers' title. Because already in training on Friday put Stefan Mucke Aston Martin DBR9 hard enough into the walls of the demanding track at Potrero de los Funes, that the car could not be made fit for the rest of the weekend. And then Lukas Luhr took pole at the first visit to the track and despite 35kg success ballast, it was clear that he and Michael Krumm would not let the title company. This is perhaps not the worst development, because a title for Stefan Mücke was, after the messy revenge action at Silverstone, for which he would have deserved a lock that had a nasty aftertaste.
However, the surprise of the weekend made his behind the driven to the pole Nissan Duo, and in the form of the red Team China Corvette, the Dutch team manager Patrick Selleslagh two young, GT inexperienced countrymen continued: Yelmer Buurman, the last Formula occurred mainly in the Super League in appearance, and Francesco Pastorelli, previously unknown internationally little brother of the Lamborghini drivers Nicky. Fresh blood and a thriving Corvette united to a first unbeatable combination.
At the start of the qualifying race Buurman could come around the first turn even before the Nissan. And since Krumm and Luhr could take any unnecessary risks, Pastorelli won the race after the driver change home and secured the pole position for the main race on Sunday. The victory was a sensation, and went something under because with a strong focus on intelligent performance, Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr secured the championship.
As with Mücke and Turner had to watch the closest pursuer, presented the six points for second place, to make the already small mathematical chance of Winkelhock / Basseng Hohenadel / Piccini and Enge / Müller naught. While Michael Krumm turned the lap of honor, great emotions were observed at Lucas Luhr. The 32-year-old German has indeed been countless important sports car races (including two class victory at Le Mans) and some items (such as ALMS) won, but an FIA World Championship title again but has a special value. Also for the 41-year-old two-time SuperGT champion Krumm it would be the biggest success of his career.
Earned the two and their team all this success: four wins and five podiums in a series with success ballast is not easy to achieve and demonstrate the consistently good performance throughout the season. Especially in San Luis to drive with extra weight on poles and rank 2, underscores the strength of the duo. Also, the Nissan GT-R has proven to be a good all-rounder, who may well go on all road types.
In the second race of the weekend, the championship race, wanted the two run from second on the grid of an attack on the win and the team title, after all, JR Motorsports was not far away with six points on Saturday, even here the Young Driver Team wangle the title, that was decimated on a cart.
But the attack was stopped early when namely at the start of the main race chaos broke out: While the red Corvette once again drove vornweg, behind it was the place for Luhr, Enrique Bernoldi (Sumo Power Nissan) and Dominik Schwager (All-Inkl.com Lamborghini ) too tight - Bernoldi was caught in the middle in order to turn the other Young Driver-Aston Martin turned to Luhr innocent. De turned twice around its own axis and was able to continue, while two other Lamborghini were involved in the crash.
And the confusion continued: After the double spin to the back of the field like was found moments later at the head of Tomas Enge in the Young Driver DBR9. While the majority of the pilots apparently ran out of a Safety Car period, he moved past all competitors - for the championship team a crucial situation!
The safety car period came really - but only a few moments later. It lasted until just before the pit stop window. And shortly afterwards finally unleashed a decision of the Race Direction: Tight and Alex Müller, who had now taken over the cockpit, got a drive through penalty. While no safety car signs had yet been shown, but a yellow flag indicated the overtaking.
For a moment, the second title of the JR Motorsport Nissan team seemed swinging shut, but also Peter Dumbreck had to serve a penalty because mate Richard Westbrook had made the same mistake as Tomas Enge, albeit on a smaller scale. And so the remaining sequential JRM Nissan and the Young Driver-Aston Martin found two points in a battle to the final again.
Was in the lead after the penalties and an overtaking maneuver against the last Lamborghini in the DKR team - surprise! - Again the red Corvette Buurman / Pastorelli. And finally, should that be the deciding factor in the championship: because for much of the season DKR and the Team China only one Corvette had used before there were some shifts, they are not eligible to earn points for the team title.
Therefore fell to the 25 points for winning the third place Hexis Aston Martin, the second Hexis car in 5th collected another 15 (instead of actually only 10) meters. So was the French team from nowhere Champion - three points in front of JR Motorsports and more from the brand colleagues of Young Driver AMR.
In this form, the title decision had probably imagined few people and also the commentators and team members were the specific circumstances clearly with the two non-evaluation legitimate leaders shortly before the race - overwhelmed accordingly was Hexis chef Phillipe Dumas after crossing the finish line. Hexis has also earned the title of all, they were there but that overpowered early season competition as spectators with superior pit stops, which shows the great performance of the whole team.
Also the season of MarcVDS was once succinctly summarized in a situation as close to the end clashed both cars and ended up in the tire stacks. Else was out of the four Ford GTs not much to see throughout the weekend, they did not seem to cope with the characteristics of the track. As for the old Aston Martins and Corvettes could be the last race for the Ford GT1 - because MarcVDS rises from well known and a buyer will probably be hard to find ....
And so to the next topic: the future of GT (1) World Cup, meanwhile, is still uncertain. The anticipated announcement of Stephane Ratel did not exist, but Marcel ten Caat of planetlemans.com tweeted some information about the current state of things still had not been decided whether the World Cup next year will be contested with GT3 cars or at least replenished. The SRO still stuck in difficult negotiations and would not disappoint by premature announcements potential partner.
Disappointing, one could evaluate the other hand, Ratel that the future of the series outside of Europe provides: only 3-4 races to be held in the future in the "old world", they should be connected with other events, such as this year, with the ADAC GT Masters at the Sachsenring. Confirmed was the season opener in 2012 in the southern French Nogaro, where even the old FIA GT took a few times.
Meanwhile, time is running out, because the private teams who need Ratel, eventually need to make decisions and find sponsors them traveling around the world finance. The current deadline ends , according to FIA documents of the last meeting of the World Motor Sports Council on 30.11.2011, ie, in about three weeks.
So it is once again waiting until early December hopefully finally clarity can be created ...
(Source: GT1)
