Marc VDS’ Double Top Helps Protect Provisional Spa 24 Pole

Though it was the #66 Z4 GT3 that set the best lap of the night qualifying the slower pace of the second session ensured that the #77 car from BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS will hold provisional pole until Friday evening’s SuperPole session.

Dirk Werner’s earlier lap of 2:19.089 remained the fastest of all as is teammates in the sister car, driven by Maxime Martin, Augusto Farfus and Joerg Muller, paced the session thought the darkness with a lap of 2:20.606 around the seven kilometre Circuit de Spa-Francorhamps. In fact, not only did Werner’s provisional pole time hold up to the examination of the session, but so did every one of the top 20 times from first qualifying confirming the line-up for the SuperPole session on Friday evening.

After 13 teams had be covered by less than a second in the first session there was the comparatively gargantuan gap of eight tenths between the #66 BMW and the #7 M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 that was second fastest in the session, the car passing through the hands of Andy Meyrick, Steven Kane and Guy Smith during the 75-minute session. The ISR Audi team were third fastest ahead of Leonard Motorsport AMR, who were the best of the Pro-Am Cup runners ahead of the similar Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of MP Motorsport AMR. None of the three, however, will take part in the SuperPole session. The #7 team were only – but importantly – 19^th fastest in the first session, while their teammates will be one of a handful of Pro-Cup teams, also including the #63 Black Falcon Mercedes, the Oman Racing Team’s Aston and the still under repair #98 ART Grand Prix McLaren, to miss out on the top 20.

Sainteloc Racing’s Audi was fifth fastest overall in the second session, the best placed of those teams to end both sessions in the top ten, though the #1 and #86 from Blancpain GT Championship rivals Belgian Audi Club Team WRT and HTP Motorsport respectively both pulled off the feat.

GDL Racing’s #67 Mercedes as the fastest of the Gentlemen Trophy class in the session as the GT Corse by Rinaldi entry in the class failed to turn a lap after suffering an accident in the first session.

The SuperPole session that will set the front ten row of the grid is scheduled for 6:50pm local time (5:50p UK) Friday. www.theCheckeredFlag.co.uk will have further reports from the track following the decisive laps and throughout the 24 hours itself.