As every year I go to Ledenon, in the South of France for the penultimate race of the GT-Tour on 2013.
I shall begin this 'report' to pay tribute to Vincent Prouteau, race director to the circuit of VAL de Vienne, and to Patrice Madelaine driver of the Ferrari 458 Italia number 50 of the JMB Racing second of the ranking of the French cup, who left the caravan of the GT-Tour in a dramatic way. RIP Vincent, RIP Patrice.
Entry overview
The GT-Tour (French GT Championship) is one of the most beautiful championships by running the GT3 (yes I'm a bit chauvinistic). At each meeting there is a thirty competitors. Many manufacturers are represented Audi, Aston Martin, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, McLaren.
The public comes forward at each meeting more or less 15 to 20.000 spectators.
Solid overall leaders, Fabien Barthez (Goalkeeper of the French football team in 1998) and Morgan Moullin-Traffort (141 pts) the crew of the No. 16 Ferrari is threatened by McLaren N°. 8 of Sébastien Loeb Racing driven by Anthony Beltoise and Laurent Pasquali (103 pts). Two races of one hour will be for the program in Ledenon one Saturday and one Sunday, with every time drivers compulsory change between 28th and 35th minutes. The weather was variable with a fresh wind on Fridays and rainy passages on Saturday. On Sundays the weather was more clement.
Qualifying 1
In this first round of qualification reserved to the gentlemen drivers, the BMW Z4 of TDS Racing N° 5 thought of obtaining its first pole of the season. Unfortunately for Pierre Thiriet, Philippe Giauque it is awarded the best time of the qualification in its last lap aboard the Porsche N° 1 of Pro GT by Alméras. Laurent Pasquali on his McLaren of Sebastien Loeb Racing or young (18 years) Vincent Abril on his Audi R8 LMS Ultra of Team Speed Car shall find at the top of the timesheet. The second row of the grid is composed by Jean-Luc Beaubelique with Ferrari No. 20 of Sofrev-ASP Team and Gilles Vannelet with McLaren N° 11 of ART Grand Prix. Grégoire Demoustier finished the top five. The top ten is completed by Vincent Abril, Laurent Pasquali, Fabien Barthez, Eric Debart on McLaren of the regional of the stage the Hexis Racing (The team is domiciled on the circuit of Ledenon) and finally Eric Cayrolle aboard the Ferrari 458 Sport Garage.
In Cup, Jerôme Demay 11th overall takes place in first position on Ferrari 458 of the JMB Racing. Follow two Porsche, ASP Competition of JP Buffin and the one of Graff Racing piloted by Frank Gauvin.
The session was interrupted by a red flag further to the crash of Audi R8 N ° 42 of Saintéloc piloted by David Smet. The car was forfeit for the races.
Qualifying 2
The second session of qualification was so undecided as the previous one. The BMW of the TDS Racing N ° 5 drove by Ludovic Badey and the McLaren of the Sébastien Loeb Racing N ° 8 piloted by Anthony Beltoise were in confrontation for a long time. Both men were exchanged several times the top of the timesheets, Ludovic Badey taking the advantage before the appearance of the red flag in seven minutes of the term. After the resumption and two minutes before the end, Enzo Guibbert wearing his Porsche/Pro GT by Alméras N° 2 in head, never to be dislodged from the top of the timesheets. The hierarchy would then evolve during the last few minutes. The top 5 is Enzo Guibbert followed by Arno Santamato on Ferrari 458 N° 27 of the Sport Garage, the third place is for Mathieu Jaminet on Audi R5 LMS of the Santéloc Racing N° 82, fourth Frank Perera on Porsche /Pro GT by Alméras N ° 1 and to end this top 5 Antoine Leclerc on the McLaren N° 11 of the Art Grand Prix. Leading Morgan Moullin Traffort of the Championship is only 14th result at a leave the track.
JMB Racing offers doubled in Cup, this time with Nicolas Misslin driving.
The time of N ° 4 – 5 - 10 - 27 - 82 and 83 were cancelled, improvement under yellow flag in the sector 3
Gerard Tremblay and Pierre Martinet on the Porsche 997 Cup S N°4 Pro GT by Alméras not take the start (not qualified)
Race 1
Starting from pole position, Philippe Giauque (Porsche / Pro GT N° 1) remains at the helm, followed by Pierre Thiriet (BMW / TDS Racing N° 5) and Gregory Demouistier (McLaren / ART N° 12). After a good departure, Gilles Vannelet (McLaren / ART n°11) leaves for spin further to a contact in the pack. Jean-Luc Beaubelique (Ferrari / Sofrev-ASP n°20) inherits from the fourth rank in front of Vincent Abril (Audi / Speedcar N ° 36) and Eric Cayrolle (Ferrari / sport Garage n°27). The first few laps are intense at all levels. In the fifth lap, Jérôme Demay (Ferrari / JMB N ° 50) is pushed by another pilot may collide hard by Marc Sourd (Audi / Saintéloc N ° 82) who cannot avoid him. The safety car made its entry. An intervention of ten minutes is necessary to clear the track. In the green flag, Gilles Vannelet, left at the rear of the pack is already back in 11th position. Philippe Giauque is always leading, Grégoire Demoustier overtook Pierre Thiriet for the second rank. Jean-Luc Beaubelique threatens him. Follow Eric Cayrolle and Laurent Pasquali. The pit stop window opens, the first seven, who stand in three seconds, go into the pit lane! The Ferrari 458 of Sofrev-ASP N° 20 now driven by Soheil Ayari leaves again just before Antoine Leclerc (McLaren/ART N° 11). Franck Perera (Porsche/Pro GT by Alméras N° 1) takes the pursuers followed Anthony Beltoise (McLaren/Sébastien Loeb Racing N° 8), Arno Santamato (Ferrari N° 27 Sport Garage) and Morgan Moullin-Traffort (Ferrari 458 N° 16/Sofrev-ASP). The overtakings multiply. Morgan Moullin-Traffort takes the advantage on Anthony Beltoise, his big rival for the title. Morgan Moullin-Traffort overtakes Franck Perera, so integrating the temporary Top 3. It does not stay more than fifteen minutes of race. Five minutes from the checkered flag, Moullin-Traffort (Ferrari N° 16/ Team Sofrev-ASP) tries his luck, but collided with his opponent. He will be the object of a penalty. After one hour of race, Soheil Ayari and Jean-Luc Beaubelique (Ferrari N° 20/ Team Sofrev-ASP) win the battle 15 seconds before Eric Cayrolle/ Arno Santamato (Ferrari N° 27/Sport Garage) et 16 seconds before Anthony Beltoise/Laurent Pasquali (McLaren N° 8/Sébastien Loeb Racing).
In the French GT Cup Franck Morel and Erwin France kill two birds with one stone: race victory and Cup championship with the Porsche N° 3/PRO GT by Almeras.
Race 2
The Audi N° 009 (Team Speed Car) Pascal Destembert and Jimmy Antunes abandon when gridding.
Enzo Guilbert (Porsche N° 2/Pro GT by Alméras), poleman, realize the perfect departure. He precedes Arno Santamato (Ferrari N° 27 / Sport Garage) who overtook Mathieu Jaminet (Audi R8 LMS N° 82 / Saintéloc). Franck Perera (Porsche N° 1/ Pro GT by Alméras), Antoine Leclerc (McLaren N° 11/ ART Grand Prix) and Anthony Beltoise (McLaren N° 8/Sébastien Loeb Racing) follow. Mathieu Jaminet (Audi R8 LMS N° 82/Saintéloc Racing) leaves for spin in the second lap, Anthony Beltoise (McLaren N° 8/Sébastien Loeb Racing) wins a rank occupying now the fourth position. At the heart of the package, Morgan Moullin-Traffort (Ferrari 458 N° 16/ Sofrev ASP), in great shape, exceed his opponents, 16th party (further to the penalty of the race of Saturday), it is already 10th after five laps! Still leading, Enzo Guibbert(Porsche N° 2/Pro GT by Alméras) precedes Arno Santamato (Ferrari N° 27 / Sport Garage) who sees return to his rear-view mirrors a group composed of Franck Perera (Porsche N° 1/ Pro GT by Alméras), Anthony Beltoise (McLaren N° 8/ Sébastien Loeb Racing) and Soheil Ayari (Ferrari N° 20/ Team Sofrev-ASP). For his part, Morgan Moullin Traffort (Ferrari 458 N° 16/Sofrev ASP), continues to catch up until the seventh position after 15 minutes. The main protagonists go into pitlane after 30 minutes of race and it’s Eric Dermont (Porsche n°2/Pro GT by Alméras), who takes the lead. He is pursued by Philippe Giauque (Porsche n°1/Pro GT by Alméras) and Laurent Pasquali (McLaren n°8/ Sébastien Loeb Racing), followed himself by Fabien Barthez (Ferrari n°16/ Team Sofrev-ASP). Philippe Giauque (Porsche n°1/ Pro GT by Alméras) is passed by Laurent Pasquali (McLaren n°8/ Sébastien Loeb Racing) who seized the leadership after overtaking Eric Dermont (Porsche n°2/ Pro GT by Alméras). After an animated race, Laurent Pasquali and Anthony Beltoise (McLaren N°8/ Sébastien Loeb Racing) offers to the Sébastien Loeb Racing the third success in French GT championship. They outdistance, two Porsche Pro GT by Alméras, the No. 1 Philippe Giauque / Frank Perera and # 2 Enzo Guibbert / Eric Dermont. The top 5 is complemented by Morgan Moullin-Traffort/Fabien Barthez (Ferrari 458 N° 16/Sofrev ASP) and Arno Santamato /Eric Cayrolle (Ferrari N° 27 / Sport Garage).
In the race for the title the pair Laurent Pasquali /Anthony Beltoise (McLaren N°8/ Sébastien Loeb Racing) finds itself in 10 points of the leaders Morgan Moullin-Traffort/Fabien Barthez (Ferrari 458 N° 16/Sofrev ASP)
In the French Cup, Frank Morel / Erwin France (Porsche N° 3/PRO GT by Almeras) won another success.
The meeting was also composed of F4 Championship, Porshe Carrera Cup France, Renault Clio Cup France, Peugeot RCZ Cup, Mitjet 1300 and Supertourisme 2.0.
