Spa 24: Carlo van Dam preview

FIA GT Championship-debut with Saleen S7R

Carlo van Dam lined up for Spa 24 Hours

VLAARDINGEN - Dutch racing driver Carlo van Dam will this coming weekend compete in the 61st edition of the Spa 24 Hours, the most important 24 hour-race for GT-sports cars as well as round four of the 2009 FIA GT Championship. Carlo will drive a Saleen S7R entered by the Austrian Full Speed Racing-team that runs in the GT1-class, the category for the fastest cars in the race.

Carlo concluded the deal with the Full Speed Racing's team owner last week in Vienna and he is looking forward to making his debut in the Spa 24 Hours: "Since I decided to leave the Kolles & Heinz Union Formula 3-team last month, I have had several offers that I considered carefully. I very much welcomed the question to race the Saleen at Spa. It is a serious car and a wonderful, important event that fits in nicely with my GT-experience with Toyota and Subaru last year in Japan and my participation for Volkswagen in the 24 hour-race at the Nurburgring earlier this year.

The 600bhp S7R of the American sports car manufacturer Saleen has proven itself in the GT1-class in both Europe and the US over the past few years. Full Speed Racing has entered one Saleen for Spa, where Carlo will form a team with Italian Ferdinando Monfardini and the Dutch brothers Rob en Arjan van der Zwaan. "They all have experience in GT1 and with the Saleen, so that is good. For me it will be a case of getting to know the team and the car quickly. The competition in the GT1-class will be fierce, as there are many renowned teams and drivers racing in it and, apart from the Saleens, cars from Maserati and Corvette. It is a 24 hour-race so that means we just have to give everything without expecting anything. I am happy to be in it and I look forward to experiencing the race and the car, and contribute to the team's performance as much as possible."

First practice for the 61st Spa 24 Hours is held this coming Thursday, the race starts on Saturday July 26 at 16.00 hours.

-credit: carlovandam.nl