Total Spa 24 Hours - 2 hour and 6 hour updates
Posted 2nd August 2008 by Simon Melluish
2 Hour update - Phoenix Carsport in control
Marcel Fassler (Phoenix Carsport - Corvette C6R) has taken control of the Total 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps after a pulsating opening two hours of racing.
The race got off to an exciting start when Xavier Maassen (SRT - Corvette C6R) sliced past the front row and into the lead before the 41 car field reached La Source for the first time. Maassen's dream start didn't last long however, as an early problem forced him to pit handing the lead back to Phoenix Carsport after only three laps. Karl Wendlinger moved into second in the Race Alliance Aston Martin DBR9 whilst behind him, a gripping battle between the two Vitaphone Maserati and the Gigawave Aston Martin burst into life with the #2 Maserati leading his teammate and Darren Tuner (Gigawave - Aston Martin DBR9) respectively.
Those positions remained almost gridlocked for the remainder of the first hour although Fassler was gradually extending his lead as each lap passed. At the first of the scheduled stops, Phoenix kept Fassler in the car whilst their competitors all changed drivers. The quicker stop for the Corvette squad allowed them to secure a near 30 second lead after 90 minutes. Alex Muller now occupies the #33 Race Alliance Aston and he has also kept his position from Sergio Ramos in the #2 Vitaphone Maserati. There has been a change for fourth however, as Phillip Peter (Gigawave) sneaked by Michael Bartels (~#1 Vitaphone) although the gap between third, fourth and fifth remains close.
In GT2 the #77 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari F430 has lead for almost the duration of the race so far. The battle has been intense and as the race reached the conclusion of its second hour, Richard Lietz moved ahead to take the lead for the IMSA Porsche. Jamie Melo holds third for AF Corse after the car started the race in the pits but as rain now begins to fall at Spa, we await the second of the scheduled stops and a potential change in several positions.
6 hour update: Vitaphone 1-2 as Phoenix hit trouble
As the six hour mark passes by the Total 24 Hours of Spa has been turned on its head in the last 30 minutes as a Phoenix Carsport 1-2 has been transformed into a Vitaphone Maserati 1-2 after a series of incidents.
In hours four and five the battle between Corvette and Maserati had been compelling with the lead changing hands several times. At one stage the gap between the top three was less than ten seconds as the #6 Phoenix Carsport Corvette finally handed over the lead after making the wrong tyre choice during a brief shower. Along with Deletraz in the #1 Maserati, both cars were on wets but the track began to try after a little more than 10 minutes so both came back in for the extra stop and the switch back to slicks.
Uwe Alzen held the lead briefly in the #5 Phoenix Carsport Corvette but shortly after handing over the car to Alex Margaritis it hit problems and a fire has put the car out of the race. The full details of this incident are not yet known but the first safety car period of the race was called.
At the restart there were spins for the #2 Maserati being driven by Alex Negrao but he was able to hold on to second as shortly after the Race Alliance Aston Martin and the #6 Corvette had a coming together. These incidents have now handed Vitaphone a 1-2 with Darren Turner in the Gigawave Aston Martin being the only other car in sight.
Whilst the lead in GT2 has also changed hands several times, the leader at the six hour mark remains the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari. Ruberti is currently behind the wheel of the #77 Ferrari but he is currently being chased down by AF Corse, Prospeed and IMSA Performance.
