Delahaye checkmate following problem with the Mégane? - Favourable lead for ProSpeed Delahaye Racing Team was definitely the favourite of this 31 edition of the 24 Hours of Zolder, but it wasn't to be for the outgoing Belgian GT-champions. Halfway through the race the Renault Mégane experienced a blown tyre. Following that the car was parked on the grass as the result of a technical fault. A breakdown truck towed the Renault back to the pits, where the engineers tried to localise the problem with a computer. In the meantime Kumpen, Goossens, Soulet and Sougnez have lost 17 laps on the leading Porsche 996 GT3 RSR of ProSpeed Competition. The Liege based Porsche team has a lead of 7 laps over its nearest rival, the First Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S.
With the Ferrari F430 GT3 Delahaye Francorchamps Motors Racing tem still has a second iron in the fire... but the Ferrari is stringing a series of Stop & Go-penalties together. The prancing horse now and again refuses to perform in the pitlane, resulting in the mechanics having to push start the Ferrari. Push-starting a race car is penalised with a Stop & Go. The Ferrari bearing number 3 has already visited the pitlane 18 times, whereas the competition has only called in a mere ten times. It looks as though it might be checkmate for Delahaye and that the battle for victory might be played out between the Porsches of ProSpeed and First. The Kuismanen Viper is trying to find way back, but the question remains whether Huisman and cohorts can reduce a gap of 23 laps.
Foto: Bert Keersmaeker
 VZW 24u.be - Gordon McKay on Sunday 23 August 2009 at 06:33. | 
