Double podium for Nicholas Mee Racing at Spa Francorchamps
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07-13-2011 | 10:39 AM
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Double podium for Nicholas Mee Racing at Spa Francorchamps
Double podium for Nicholas Mee Racing at Spa Francorchamps
Nicholas Mee Racing enjoyed a double vitory at Spa Francorchamps last weekend in what was the 5th round of the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge partnered by QuickSilver Exhausts.
Just 9 cars made the journey across to Belgium in a combined grid with the British GT Championship & European GT4 Championship. In qualifying it was
Alan Bonner who set the early pace, in the Vantage Racing number 024 car, he managed to take the pole position with Dan de Zille second and Olivier Bouche third.
But it was the 2nd half of qualifying when Alan Bonners team-mate Tom Black ran wide at Radilion hitting the barriers hard and heavily damaging the car.
In Saturdays 1st race, it was looking like the No24 car of Alan Bonner was not going to make its pole position, but the Vantage Racing team worked through the night to rebuild the car and get it back on the grid for the 9.40am start.
This was a one hour race with just one mandatory two minute pit stop for all teams. It was a fraught first few laps led by Alan Bonner, Olivier Bouche in car 022 in second with Dan de Zille in car 012 third, and Phil Dryburgh in fourth.
On lap 3 Dan de Zille managed to pass Olivier Bouche going down the inside into the final chicane, then Alan Bonner spun coming out of the final chicane handing the lead to Dan de Zille in car number 012 and second place to Olivier Bouche in car 022. The safety car was then brought out for an accident involving a GT4 Ginetta and most of the cars pitted under the safety car period.
After the pit stops it was a fight to the end with John Gaw leading, with Nicholas Mee 012 car with Karsten le Blanc now driving 2nd, third was Tom Black in the Vantage Racing 024 entry. Karsten le Blanc passed the struggling 001 car of John Gaw to take the lead, Jethro Bovington then managed to catch and pass John Gaw for second position. The final result was as follows:
1. 012 Karsten le Blanc/Dan de Zille - Nick Mee Racing – 20 Laps
2. 077 Anja Wassertheurer/Jethro Bovington - Aston Martin Lagonda - 20 Laps
3. 001 Phil Dryburgh/John Gaw - Aston Martin Racing - 20 Laps INVITATIONAL
4. 047 Stuart Patterson/Paul Bartley - EQ8 Racing – 20 Laps
5. 307 Mike Brown - MB Racing – 20 Laps
Race 2
The pole position 091 car of Chris Kemp and Stuart Hall could not make the starting grid due to engine issues in the first race; this left Olivier Bouche in car 022 to lead at the start from Karsten le Blanc in car 012 with Jethro Bovington in 077 third, Phil Dryburgh in 001 fourth and Tom Black in 024 fifth.
A coming together between Jethro Bovington and Karsten going into the final chicane meant 077 car ended up with a nearside rear puncture and unfortunately for Jethro, had to a complete a whole lap to get back to the pits. Meanwhile Olivier Bouche started to pull out a good lead; Phil Dryburgh was now in second with Karsten le Blanc third. With the pit window now open it was the 012 car of Karsten le Blanc being the first to pit to hand over to Dan de Zille.
After all of the mandatory stops had been completed it was the Stratton Motorsport number 022 entry of Pierre Mantello leading with Dan de Zille chasing hard in second and John Gaw catching both of them in third, this was going to be a very close finish.
With only minutes left on the clock Dan got past Pierre to take the lead and John Gaw also found a way passed Pierre, John now set about catching Dan but with only three minutes remaining he couldn’t quite catch him meaning that Dan de Zille and Karsten le Blanc in the Nicholas Mee number 024 car completed their double Spa victory.
Special mention has to go to Black and Alan Bonner who came in third which was a fantastic result for everyone at Vantage Racing after Fridays incident and the teams amazing work to rebuild the car through Friday night.
Race Result Round 6
1. 012 Karsten le Blanc/Dan de Zille - Nick Mee Racing – 22 Laps
2. 001 Phil Dryburgh/John Gaw - Aston Martin Racing - 22 Laps INVITATIONAL
3. 022 Olivier Bouche/Denis Tribel/Pierre Mantello – Stratton Motorsport – 21 Laps
4. 024 Tom Black/Alan Bonner - Vantage racing – 21 Laps
5. 047 Stuart Patterson/Paul Bartley - EQ8 Racing – 20 Laps
Nicholas Mee Racing enjoyed a double vitory at Spa Francorchamps last weekend in what was the 5th round of the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge partnered by QuickSilver Exhausts.
Just 9 cars made the journey across to Belgium in a combined grid with the British GT Championship & European GT4 Championship. In qualifying it was
Alan Bonner who set the early pace, in the Vantage Racing number 024 car, he managed to take the pole position with Dan de Zille second and Olivier Bouche third.
But it was the 2nd half of qualifying when Alan Bonners team-mate Tom Black ran wide at Radilion hitting the barriers hard and heavily damaging the car.
In Saturdays 1st race, it was looking like the No24 car of Alan Bonner was not going to make its pole position, but the Vantage Racing team worked through the night to rebuild the car and get it back on the grid for the 9.40am start.
This was a one hour race with just one mandatory two minute pit stop for all teams. It was a fraught first few laps led by Alan Bonner, Olivier Bouche in car 022 in second with Dan de Zille in car 012 third, and Phil Dryburgh in fourth.
On lap 3 Dan de Zille managed to pass Olivier Bouche going down the inside into the final chicane, then Alan Bonner spun coming out of the final chicane handing the lead to Dan de Zille in car number 012 and second place to Olivier Bouche in car 022. The safety car was then brought out for an accident involving a GT4 Ginetta and most of the cars pitted under the safety car period.
After the pit stops it was a fight to the end with John Gaw leading, with Nicholas Mee 012 car with Karsten le Blanc now driving 2nd, third was Tom Black in the Vantage Racing 024 entry. Karsten le Blanc passed the struggling 001 car of John Gaw to take the lead, Jethro Bovington then managed to catch and pass John Gaw for second position. The final result was as follows:
1. 012 Karsten le Blanc/Dan de Zille - Nick Mee Racing – 20 Laps
2. 077 Anja Wassertheurer/Jethro Bovington - Aston Martin Lagonda - 20 Laps
3. 001 Phil Dryburgh/John Gaw - Aston Martin Racing - 20 Laps INVITATIONAL
4. 047 Stuart Patterson/Paul Bartley - EQ8 Racing – 20 Laps
5. 307 Mike Brown - MB Racing – 20 Laps
Race 2
The pole position 091 car of Chris Kemp and Stuart Hall could not make the starting grid due to engine issues in the first race; this left Olivier Bouche in car 022 to lead at the start from Karsten le Blanc in car 012 with Jethro Bovington in 077 third, Phil Dryburgh in 001 fourth and Tom Black in 024 fifth.
A coming together between Jethro Bovington and Karsten going into the final chicane meant 077 car ended up with a nearside rear puncture and unfortunately for Jethro, had to a complete a whole lap to get back to the pits. Meanwhile Olivier Bouche started to pull out a good lead; Phil Dryburgh was now in second with Karsten le Blanc third. With the pit window now open it was the 012 car of Karsten le Blanc being the first to pit to hand over to Dan de Zille.
After all of the mandatory stops had been completed it was the Stratton Motorsport number 022 entry of Pierre Mantello leading with Dan de Zille chasing hard in second and John Gaw catching both of them in third, this was going to be a very close finish.
With only minutes left on the clock Dan got past Pierre to take the lead and John Gaw also found a way passed Pierre, John now set about catching Dan but with only three minutes remaining he couldn’t quite catch him meaning that Dan de Zille and Karsten le Blanc in the Nicholas Mee number 024 car completed their double Spa victory.
Special mention has to go to Black and Alan Bonner who came in third which was a fantastic result for everyone at Vantage Racing after Fridays incident and the teams amazing work to rebuild the car through Friday night.
Race Result Round 6
1. 012 Karsten le Blanc/Dan de Zille - Nick Mee Racing – 22 Laps
2. 001 Phil Dryburgh/John Gaw - Aston Martin Racing - 22 Laps INVITATIONAL
3. 022 Olivier Bouche/Denis Tribel/Pierre Mantello – Stratton Motorsport – 21 Laps
4. 024 Tom Black/Alan Bonner - Vantage racing – 21 Laps
5. 047 Stuart Patterson/Paul Bartley - EQ8 Racing – 20 Laps
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