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Lotus Cup Europe 2010 - Round 5
Zolder race report
11 – 12 September 2010
Introduction
The final three races of the series are the exclusive preserve of the Benelux region of Europe, starting with a Belgian double-header. A country of two parts, we head to the French-speaking Spa-Francorchamps next month but for now, the Flemish region’s Zolder circuit.
Like its more famous cousin, it has hosted Grands Prix, and has been a happy hunting ground for Lotus, with Mario Andretti and the late Gunnar Nillsson scoring wins in the glory years of the ground-effect era.
Magny-Cours and Brands Hatch winner Romain Rautureau was not entered for this event and with Gavin Kirby racing a Production-class Elise, which would be favourite for a class win; Jon Walker, Steve Williams and Christophe Lisandre looked to be the pacesetters along with experienced Lotus racer Mark Fullalove. We also had only one Rasse brother, John Rasse elsewhere this weekend, so without his sparring partner, would Olivier Cunat be in with a chance?
Two drivers would be racing for the first time ever at Zolder with Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Meusnier joining the Exige Cup class while fellow compatriot Jean-Pierre Genoud-Prachex would be out in a 211.
Practice
On a gloriously sunny late-summer morning, Jon Walker headed the times in the first practice session, the only man lapping under one minute forty five seconds. He achieved this on his penultimate lap, late in the session, as did his immediate pursuers, Simon Deacon and Christophe Lisandre. Harry Steegmans and Fullalove followed behind, before the sole Rasse brother, Gregory, led the Exiges, with the next in class, Olivier Cunat, following Steve Williams and Tom Chatterway.
Gavin Kirby was easily the faster Production runner, James Knight stopping on the back straight with electrical gremlins before he’d even had a chance to learn the circuit. Michael Edwards and Ben Gower, taking over Pete Storey’s Exige, were next.
In the Invitation class, Peter Entenfellner’s weekend ended with gearbox failure, so the previously unlucky David Harvey would be fastest, despite not putting in a competitive time.
Qualifying
Feve leads fellow Frenchmen Meusnier and Lisandre
With a round of the FIA European Truck Championship taking place immediately before, conditions would be interesting, to say the least. The weather had barely changed, apart from an increase in temperature, which perhaps gave Lisandre an extra boost as he and Walker beat the earlier mark, one hundredth of a second covering the pair. Williams was a second in arrears, with a very competitive Verheist following. Behind Deacon, Gregory Rasse was again fastest Exige, beating Steegmans, Harvey, Fullalove and Cunat.
With third-placed Exige Karl Vivion in fifteeth, four places further back could be found Kirby, again top of the Production boys, with Edwards twenty-first and James Knight twenty-fourth – a second off the pace but taken on his sixth ever lap of the track.
Race One
The warm late summer sunshine from the practice day had given way to a cloudy Sunday morning and it didn’t take long for rain to arrive. So much so that race one, the second session of the day after a warm-up session for the Trucks, would be taking place on a soaking track, with standing water in places which was sure to focus the minds of the drivers.
At the rolling start Walker got a better run into the first corner and although Lisandre had the inside line, he would not be leading the race by the next right-hander. In fact by the time they reached the first chicane Walker had a very useful lead and a clear track free of vision-sapping spray. Behind, Fullalove made a fine start and very soon slotted into second and set after the leader with Rasse holding on, a fine performance on a day where having a heavier car would not prove such a handicap.
Following on in the murky conditions and already some way back were Lisandre, Harvey, Chatterway, Verheist, Deacon, Jean-Baptiste Meusnier – from 20th on the grid in an Exige – Laurent Feve and J.P Genoud Prachex. Further behind Klaus Requat spun at the chicane and rejoined but more seriously Kirby found a severe shortage of grip around the back of the circuit and glanced the concrete wall, his car bouncing back onto the track into the path of the unfortunate Cunat, putting him out as well.
Knight was a class above the rest in the rain
This left Knight in the lead of production from Gower, with Edwards a few cars back and ahead of Rob Austin. With Gower suffering from a somewhat premature rev limiter, Edwards was able to catch him but ran out of laps to take second. Knight, however, was free to perform some giant-killing feats, getting ahead of the faster cars of Williams, Verheist, Glenn Sherwood and Deacon. An eventual eleventh place would be his reward.
Up front Fullalove was catching Walker and would pass him for the lead and not long after that, Rasse took second place. Walker had been a little aggressive with the kerbs and after the race a slow puncture was confirmed. Whilst he was able to fight back with Rasse, he would finish on the bottom step of the podium and the leading Exige driver was rather pleased with a great result – we could only speculate what could have happened with his brother present.
Race 1 winner – Mark Fullalove
Lisandre was holding onto a distant fourth place until a spin at the chicane dropped him back and he could only salvage sixth place behind an inspired Meusnier and Chatterway, who had put in another fine drive from eleventh. Also working his way forward, Prachex was just behind Chatterway on the grid and finished seventh, ahead of Invitation class winner Harvey, third-placed Exige of Zetsche and Feve.
The rain had mixed up the form book and with a similar grid for the next encounter, both the drivers and spectators kept a keen eye on the skies.
Race Two
There was little respite from the rain during the day, however by mid-afternoon there was a break in the clouds and whilst the track was as wet as ever, at least the skies were clear for the start. Given the conditions, it was decided to run another rolling start, which once again worked very well for Walker as he took another early lead. Fullalove was once again on the move, up to third within a few corners, which became second by the end of the lap. Lisandre was busy holding off a stronger Williams but Rasse and Chatterway were poised to attack.
Walker leading Fullalove
Behind this group Verheist was already starting to hold back several cars – Deacon, Cunat, Harvey and Feve leading this group, with Meusnier and Prachex in the mix again. However also back was the rain and it started to come down harder as the race progressed. This inspired the Exiges of Rasse and Cunat to start attacking and with the former squabbling with Lisandre, Cunat hauled himself up to Williams, before finishing a place behind his class rival, albeit some forty seconds back at the flag.
Fullalove, Walker and Lisandre
Once again Fullalove was catching the race leader but Walker was intent on keeping the place this time and they circulated in close company, dropping the rest of the field by some distance. With the rain halting late on, Fullalove was still unable to repeat his earlier performance and with third place under similar dispute the order was settled as Walker, Fullalove, Lisandre, Rasse. Behind the Exige of Cunat were the 2-Elevens of Chatterway, Williams and Deacon and they completed the distance ahead of Meusnier and Verheist.
With Harvey an early casualty, Cai Cederholm remained the only Invitation runner and therefore class winner. However matters were not as clear-cut in the Production class. Knight was again an early leader but a spin placed him behind Edwards. When the leader was then forced into a spin by another competitor, a sporting gesture from Knight gave him back the place. The pair circulated together but Edwards was to keep his advantage, with Gower taking another podium place with third – the trio covered by six seconds after half an hour of racing.
Conclusion
Very much a weekend of two halves, many of the drivers were caught out in the torrential conditions on Sunday but Walker, Fullalove and Rasse barely put a foot wrong, with Lisandre making up for his earlier mistake to take the podium that his strong dry performance had hinted at. Meusnier’s drives were also of great merit, as were the three production leaders.
Staying in Belgium for a return to Spa-Francorchamps, where the drivers faced very similar conditions last year, we can only hope for a drier weekend next time out.
