• Second event for new series staged as part of successful Spa Classic meeting
• Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Ferrari 458 and Ford GT earn class wins in Belgium
SPA CLASSIC RESULTS: RACE 1 | RACE 2
The GT3 Revival Series put on a spectacular show during its first-ever visit to Spa-Francorchamps, with night racing, daring overtakes and a dramatic dash to the flag just some of the highlights from an action-packed weekend.
The new series staged its second round as part of Spa Classic, organised by Peter Auto, which brought around 500 drivers and 370 cars to the iconic Belgian venue. Run since 2011, this year’s event proved to be a major success. Indeed, the only thing missing was the famous Spa weather, with clear skies and sunshine prevailing from start to finish.
Getting underway at 21:25 local time, the opening race recalled the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa – an event in which several GT3 Revival Series cars have competed – with the sun dipping out of view over the Ardennes and a stream of headlights cutting through the darkness.
The early stages saw two Aston Martin V12 Vantages pulling clear at the head of the pack. From pole, Jonathan Mitchell (Scott Sport) maintained first place overall and led the Am Gen II classification, while second-placed Guillaume Dumarey (GDM Motorsport) held the advantage in Pro-Am. The Am Gen I leader was also among the overall front-runners, with Éric Debard (Debard Automobiles by Racetivity) sitting P7 overall in his Matech Ford GT.
The race was neutralised before the pit window opened due to unrelated incidents involving the #35 and #64 Audi R8 LMS Ultras, which went off at Pouhon and Blanchimont respectively. This led to a red flag due to significant damage to the barriers, and it was not possible to carry out repairs in a reasonable time, ending the contest with eight laps completed.
As the pit window had not yet opened when the red flag was shown, compensation time from the previous race could not be served. Five cars had time added post-race, the most notable being Mitchell, who dropped from P1 to P4 overall. However, the Englishman still secured his maiden victory in the Am Gen II class, with Heiko Neumann (Team Motopark Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG) and David Harrison/Nathan Luckey (Lionspeed GP Porsche 997 GT3 R) competing the podium.
Pro-Am cars occupied the top three overall, with the Dumarey-driven Aston Martin triumphing from the Nissan GTR of Andrew Bentley and Max Lynn (Team Parker Racing) and the Philip Kadoorie/Rob Huff Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (Motohistorics). Debard was victorious in Am Gen I, placing fifth overall in his Ford.
While Race 1 showcased the visual drama of GT3 cars tackling Spa-Francorchamps at night, Race 2 provided a very different kind of spectacle. In fact, such was the level of competition, this could easily have been mistaken for a contemporary GT3 contest.
Jim Pla took the start from pole in the same Ferrari 458 with which he and Jean-Luc Beaubelique swept the opening round at Circuit Paul Ricard, maintaining his advantage over Pro-Am rival Alvaro Parente (Quinntech Racing Audi R8 LMS Ultra) and Am Gen II leader Mitchell.
The tone was set on the opening lap, with Lynn trying to pass Mitchell at Raidillon and Huff then joining them to run three-wide down the Kemmel Straight. Driving the Haribo-liveried Mercedes, Huff was clearly relishing his GT3 Revival Series debut. The 2012 World Touring Car Champion moved into second with a daring move on Parente, which came just after an early safety car period.
Once the pit stops had been completed, Beaubelique held the advantage in his Ferrari from the Audi that Parente had handed to Mark Cole; the Michelotto Ferrari 458 of Stephan Joebstl; and Bentley in the Nissan. It might have stayed this way, but there was another safety car – again to deal with two unrelated incidents – which set up a thrilling conclusion.
There was enough time for two laps, and the dash to the flag was quintessential GT3 with cars running in close packs and swapping positions. Beaubelique had the benefit of a lapped Corvette between himself and the Nissan, giving the Ferrari man some breathing space. But, once he was past, Bentley slashed the gap, slipstreaming Beaubelique on the final run through Blanchimont.
The Frenchman just held on to secure a third Pro-Am win from four races, with the Nissan only a few tenths behind at the chequered flag and Mitchell finishing P3 to complete a clean sweep of Am Gen II wins. The Aston Martin had taken the restart in seventh overall but showed its speed once again by charging up the order.
Kadoorie came home fourth overall and completed the Pro-Am podium, putting the finishing touch on a fantastic weekend alongside Huff. The Aston Martin Vantage of Franz Wunderlich/Pascal Huteau (Fanta Racing Legend by Code Classic) and the Ferrari 458 of Benjamin Ricci/Benjamin Ricci (Storic and Race Cars) completed the Am Gen II podium, while Éric Debard won again in Am Gen I after an early race scrap with Dan Henrey's Callaway Corvette (Scott Sport).
From one legendary venue to another, the next stop on the GT3 Revival Series calendar is Circuit de la Sarthe. The third round of the season takes place as part of another Peter Auto meeting, with Le Mans Classic Legend set to welcome a wealth of historic machinery on 3-5 July.