ProSpeed Competition wins great 31st edition of the 24 Hours of Zolder

The 31st edition of the 24 Hours of Zolder was won by the Rudi Penders, Franz Lamot, David Loix and Louis Machiels in a record distance. In their ProSpeed Competition Porsche 996 GT3 RS they saw off the First Motorsport Porsche of Bert Longin, François Verbist, Henk Haane and Ruben Maes, also the winners in the GT3 class, and the Kuismanen Chrysler Viper manned by Pertti Kuismanen, Duncan Huisman, Erik Behrens and Karl Hasenbichler. The 2009 24 Hours of Zolder was a thrilling and open edition, with in addition a new record distance of no less than 844 laps as the cherry on the cake.

The battle up front was between six cars. The two Chrysler Viper muscle cars started up front, but soon fell back in the rankings as the result of various problems. The Kuismanen Competition Finns fought back brilliantly into third place, whilst the American AD Sport power beast following a true war of attrition just missed out on the top-10. Also the three Dodge Vipers, the GT3-brother of the Chrysler, was not spared from bad luck and only the KRK model with Kris and Koen Wauters, Raf Vanthoor, who was able to celebrate his son's F3 title and Jeff van Hooydonk reached the finish in fifth - and third GT3. Koen Wauters and Jeff van Hooydonk also remain as leaders in the Belgian GT Championship.

Following the problems encountered by the various Vipers it was up to Delahaye Racing Team to put ProSpeed and First Motorsport under pressure. The Renault Mégane of the Dream Team Kumpen, Goossens, Soulet and Sougnez led until the early hours of the morning, "but the engine then gave up the ghost and it was over and out for us", Ludovic Sougnez told us. The Ferrari of Kelders, Bouvy, Mollekens and Coens also experienced the same lot around the midday hour.

As such it was exit the Vipers and Delahaye Racing, and during the remaining four hours ProSpeed Competition had little difficulty in holding off the Porsche of First Motorsport. The quartet in the GT3-Porsche were fast, "but our Porsche 997 was struggling with the brakes and we couldn't make up the backlog", Bert Longin commented jut before the finish. A first victory for ProSpeed and the Rudi Penders, Franz Lamot, David Loix and Louis Machiels quartet, that apart from a small problem with the front splitter and a loosened bonnet never remained still in the pitlane for more than the regular visits.

The Speedlover Porsche with amongst others Hemroulle and Verbergt with their fourth place overall - and second in GT3 - completed the Porsche success story, whilst the First Motorsport Porsche 997 GT4 took 6th place overall and with it the first in GT4. Beliën, Derdaele Jr, Wauters and Van Rompuy performed brilliantly with the 'small' Porsche of First Motorsport. The MRT Porsche of Voets-Bouillon-Tavernier-Cox finished tenth overall, whereby Porsche made up half of the cars in the top-10.

Fourth place in GT3 went to the JD by KS Lamborghini, and ninth overall. The two remaining top-10 places were for BMW, with victory in the Silhouette class and a seventh place for the KS Motorsport BMW with amongst others Vanbellingen, one place higher than the British Moore BMW, the first Touring car.

We must also mention the fifth place in GT3 of the VDS Mustang, the twelfth place of the BMW 120d and the fact that both Renault Clio cars made the finish, as did the second KS Motorsport BMW and the Ford Mustang GT4.

More than 20.000 spectators found their way down to Circuit Zolder and they were able to enjoy a thrilling first edition under the management of Speedworld Promotion. But the numerous peripheral attractions, ranging from live performances through to the fairground and the Bikini Car Wash were tastefully enjoyed by the general public also.

The following rendezvous is on 19th and 20th September for the next Speedworld Promotion event, namely Francorchampagne.

Result:

1. Penders - Lamot - Loix - Machiels (Porsche 911 GT3 RS) 844
2. Verbist - Longin - Maes - Haane (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S) + 4 laps
3. Kuismanen-Huisman-Behrens-Hasenbichler (Chrysler Viper GTS-R) + 37 laps
4. Hemroulle-Verbergt-Raus- Van Hover (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) + 38 laps
5. Wauters - Van Hooydonk - Wauters - Vanthoor (Dodge Viper Comp. Coupé) + 65 laps
6. Derdaele Jr-Wouters-Beliën-Van Rompuy (Porsche 997 GT4) + 77 laps
7. Vanbellingen - Vandermaesen - Schrauwen - Renard (BMW M3 Silhouette) + 90 laps
8. Muytjens-De Costers-Moore-'Brody' (BMW M3 GTR) + 96 laps
9. De Laet - Vollebergh - van der Zwaan - van der Zwaan (Lamborghini Gallardo) + 98 laps
10. Cox-Bouillon-Voets-Tavernier (Porsche 996 GT3 RS) + 104 laps
....

GM/SW press

VZW 24u.be - Gordon McKay on Sunday 23 August 2009 at 23:30.