SRWC: Terrien and Pescatori take drivers' title

With an impressive grid of 29 cars, typical Nürburgring weather meant the cars started in the wet, the rain slowing to a drizzle for much of the race.

Unlike their pole-to-flag Donington win, Terrien and Pescatori had to work hard at the Nürburgring. Their car, good in the dry but hard to handle in wet conditions, qualified in a relatively low fifth place, and Terrien was clearly struggling in the initial stages, when the track was at its wettest.

However, an early pit stop for intermediate tyres reversed the situation, and when he handed over to Pescatori, the car was in a position to challenge for the lead. After the final pit stop, Pescatori was neck and neck with the leading BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 333SP, claiming first place on the 70th lap out of 81. He took the chequered flag 12.6 seconds ahead of Marco Zadra in the BMS car, with Jürgen von Gartzen third in the Konrad Motorsport Lola he shared with Sascha Maassen.

"It was a very special race, because we weren't quickest in qualifying or in the beginning of the race, so I never thought we'd win," Terrien said.

"But when we put on the mixed tyres, we had incredible speed." Pescatori set the fastest lap of 1m41.119s on lap 54.

Ralf Kelleners started from pole in the Kremer Lola. A heated first-lap battle with Gary Formato's R&M Riley&Scott ended at the final corner when Formato spun into the gravel, bringing out the pace car until the Riley&Scott could rejoin. Kelleners proceeded to lead comfortably in the early stages, building up a good lead from Philipp Peter in the BMS Ferrari, with Filiberti an impressive third in the GLV Brums Ferrari.

However, when Kelleners handed the Kremer over to his young team-mate Norman Simon, and put on intermediate tyres, the car became very difficult to handle, and Simon dropped back, leaving the BMS Ferrari in the lead.

Similarly, Filiberti's hand-over to Lavaggi saw the GLV Brums car lose ground. Maassen, in the Konrad, stayed out as long as possible in his first stint, before handing over to von Gartzen, who drove faultlessly for third.

Fourth place went to the Nielsen/Elgard Panoz LMP, after a steady race.

The second Den Bla Avis car finished ninth, signalling the return to international competition of Jason Watt, a year after his last F3000 victory. Jason drove the first stint. "Handling 600bhp with your fingertips is quite difficult. But eleven months ago I was in hospital and they were telling my family that they didn't think I'd live. So I'm very happy to be here. Realistically, now, anything is possible - I have a licence for anything bar F1 and F3000. But I still have a lot to prove."

The GLV Brums Ferrari was fifth, with the Kremer Racing Lola a slightly disappointed sixth.

Victory in the Sports Racing Lights category went to the Audisio & Benvenuto Racing line-up of Massimo Saccomanno and Roberto Tonetti in their Alfa-Romeo powered Lucchini. After an initial battle with Spa winner Franchioni, also in a Lucchini, Tonetti and Saccomanno had a trouble-free race, finishing ahead of Prospero and Peroni in the Siliprandi Lucchini and Guidici and Raimondi in the Scuderia Guidici Picchio.

"The Lucchini is a very simple car, simple to drive," Tonetti explained afterwards. "Maybe others have better performances, but this one is easy in all conditions. You can run with wet tyres and a dry set-up, so it's good for all eventualities."

The next round of the SRWC is at the French track of Magny Cours in two weeks' time, with JMB Giesse only needing two more points to claim their third successive Teams title.

SRWC Round 8 - Nürburgring


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JB Giesse Ferrari 333SP 81
BMS Ferrari 333SP 81
Konrad Lola B98 81
DenBlaAvis Panoz Spyder LMP 80
GLV Brums Ferrari 333SP 80
Kremer Lola B98 Roush 79
BMS Ferrari 333SP 78
Dutch Nat. Ferrari 333SP 78
Tampolli Ferrari 333SP 77
DenBlaAvis Panoz Spyder LMP 77
Doran Lis Ferrari 333SP 77
L Audisio Luchini 99 75
L GPM Picchio BMW 75
L Giudici Picchio BMW 75
L Tampolli Tampolli RS2 74
L Bonnet Debora BMW 74
L Bruneau Debora BMW 72
L SCI Lucchini AF 72
L Schroder Pilbeam MP84 71
L Tampolli Tampolli RS2 55
L Redman Br. Pilbeam MP84 53



Durango GMS LMP1 Mader 52
Bscher BMW V12 LMP 46
L Lucchini Lucchini SR2 45
Ascari Ascari A410 Judd 27
R&M R&S Judd 27
L EBRT Pilbeam MP84 19
Conrero Riley&Scott Mader 13
L i BM Tampolli RS2 8