The Simpson Motorsport Ginetta G57 (#3, Rik Breukers/Andreas Laskaratos/Ben Tuck) has won the first of the two races of the Hankook 2x5H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS. With exactly 100 laps on the 7.004 kilometre Grand Prix circuit in the books, Greek Andreas Laskaratos took the chequered flag after a demanding race with many weather changes. Thanks to their victory, Simpson Motorsport will start tomorrow’s second encounter, the season finale of the 24H PROTO SERIES powered by Hankook, from pole position.
Drama stroke early when the Team LNT Ginetta G57 (#5, Charlie Robertson/Jordan Sanders) went off into the barriers at Raidillon on the first lap already. Jordan Sanders, who had started from second on the grid, could climb out of the wreck unharmed. The car’s heavy damage still puts a question mark behind the Team LNT’s campaign for tomorrow’s second race.
From pole position, the Simpson Motorsport Ginetta stormed into the race lead. Despite multiple weather changes, from bright and sunny skies to intense downpours, the British team never got caught again.
With a three lap margin, the Prime Racing Ginetta G57 (#4, Jean-Pierre Lequeux/Jean-Marc Ueberecken/Christophe Capelli) finished second overall. In the final stint, Christophe Capelli managed to stay ahead of the field’s only P3 car. The monza garage Ligier JS P3 (#8, John Corbett/James Winslow/Neale Muston) had to settle for third after a long battle, only 17.9 seconds behind the Prime Racing Ginetta.
Fourth place overall and third spot in the P2 class went to the second Simpson Motorsport car, the Simpson Motorsport Ginetta G57 (#2, Mike Simpson/Steve Tandy/Simon Murray).
The two SPX cars, the Speed Lover Porsche 991 Cup (#78, Carlos Rivas/Bob Wilwert/Pierre-Yves Paque) and the Speed Lover Porsche 991 Cup (#79, Dominique Bastien/Pieter Vanneste/Vincent Despriet), came home in fifth and sixth.
The second race is scheduled on Saturday from 9.10 hrs to 14.10 hrs. The starting grid will be based on the result of race one. Live timing is available on the series’ website. Further information can be found at www.24hprotoseries.com.