Donington: First qualifying summary

WEATHER
Overcast and a bit chilly

LISTER FASTEST ON HOME TRACK; VELOQX MOTORSPORT LEADS N-GT

Jamie Campbell-Walter set the fastest time during the first qualifying session for the penultimate round of the FIA GT Championship, taking place at the British track of Donington this weekend. The Scot, driving the nr 14 Lister Storm, set a time of 1:29.277s, to head a group of six cars that all qualified within a second of each other. Bobby Verdon-Roe, driving the nr 15 Lister Storm, qualified sixth fastest with a time of 1:30.036s, the last of the GT class to go through to the Super Pole.

At the start of the session, Campbell-Walter was in the lead of a long train of cars but denied that he was causing a traffic jam. "We went out, and passed them all, then I accelerated and they all went with me," he said. "I didn't want them following me because there are little tricks to get around here quickly and I didn't want to show them what they were. I slowed down to let them all past, and they slowed down too! The Belmondo cars went past, so we let them go, but the others all stayed behind me. Eventually I got a clear lap and did two fast laps, but traffic is a problem here."

The two BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello cars followed in second and third positions, Andrea Piccini and Jean-Denis Deletraz ahead of Jean-Marc Gounon, Enzo Calderari and Lilian Bryner. Both of the Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars also qualified for the Super Pole session, with Mike Hezemans and Fabrizio Gollin setting the fourth and fifth times respectively.

Neither Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper cars qualified for the Super Pole. Fabio Babini, ninth fastest in the nr 12 Chrysler Viper GTS-R with Portuguese Ni Amorim, put his qualifying form simply down to his rivals going faster, while his team-mate Marc Duez, in the nr 11 Viper, was struggling for grip. The Larbre Competition Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars, both carrying 80 kg penalty weight, did not make the top six either, with the nr 1 car in eighth place and the nr 2 car eleventh.

Tim Sugden set the fastest time in the N-GT class in the nr 83 Veloqx Motorsport Ferrari 360 Modena. The Briton set a time of 1:33.944 seconds, two tenths of a second faster than the championship leader Stephane Ortelli, in the nr 54 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R.

Robin Liddell was third fastest in the nr 56 EMKA Racing Porsche that the Scot shares with Steve O'Rourke, despite being held up in traffic. "I came out behind a group of GT cars and I thought they would all drive away from me, but they didn't," said Liddell. "I didn't get a clear lap until the fourth lap and by then the tyres had lost their edge."

Antonio Garcia was fourth fastest in the nr 76 RWS Porsche 996 GT3-R, the Spaniard lacking power after the team was forced to change the engine overnight. "This engine is not as powerful as the one that broke yesterday, so I am happy that we made the Super Pole."

Johnny Mowlem set fifth fastest time in the nr 60 JVG Racing Porsche 996 GT3-R that he shares with Ian Kahn, who is competing this weekend with cracked ribs after suffering a jet-ski accident last weekend. Mowlem is replacing team owner Jürgen von Gartzen this weekend. Jamie Davies completed the six Super Pole qualifiers in the nr 82 Veloqx Motorsport Ferrari 360 Modena that he shares with Ivan Capelli.

All of the JMB Racing and JMB Competition Ferrari 360 Modena cars missed the Super Pole, with N-GT Championship contender Andrea Montermini watching helplessly as his co-driver, Iradj Alexander, ran out of fuel mid-session.

-fia-