Collard and Sospiri take title
For the second year, the JB Giesse Ferrari team of Emmanuel Collard and Vincenzo Sospiri have taken the top prize in the Sports Racing World Cup, formally known as the International Sports Racing Series.
Fourth place in the final round at Kyalami, South Africa, was sufficient to retain their
year-long lead in the points, despite strong opposition, mainly from the BMS Scuderia Italia line-up of Pescatori and Moncini.
Victory in the final round went to pole-sitters Gounon and Bernard, driving the DAMS Lola Judd.
However, there were eight different leaders between the rain-delayed start and the chequered flag, with the race being reduced to 90 minutes due to the late start.
After the safety car pulled in, Gounon led, before being passed by Caffi in the Target 24 Riley & Scott Judd and Orbell in the Kremer Racing Lola.
The battle between these three cars lasted until the first pit-stops, when the Zadra family BMS Ferrari took the lead.
Championship contender Christian Pescatori then swapped cars, taking Angelo Zadra's place in the leading BMS car.
Although Pescatori went on to finish second, Collard and Sospiri's fourth spot, after a last-minute splash-and-dash, gave them the title by three points.
Setting the fastest lap, Bernard went on to give DAMS its fourth victory of the season, placing it third in the Teams classification despite only competing in selected events.
'This was an incredible season for us because the competition was so much stronger than last year,' Sospiri said. 'We will be back in 2000 for a third title.'
JB Giesse Ferrari also won the SR1 Teams title.
Dramatically, Pierre Bruneau lost the SR2 Lights title at the end of the race, when his Debora BMW lost a wheel.
While Smithson and Owen took their first class win for the Redman Bright Pilbeam Nissan, Angelo Lancelotti, with second in class, took the title for the second year.
Henderson and Amati both passed Bruneau in the points, who finished fourth.
The Team title went to Tampolli Engineering.
The 2000 season gets underway on February 5-6 in Daytona, Florida.
Results from Kyalami:
Position |
Drivers |
Car |
Laps |
1 |
Gounon/Bernard |
Lola Judd |
46 |
2 |
Zadra/Pescatori |
Ferrari 333 SP |
46 |
3 |
Caffi/Larini |
Riley&Scott Judd |
46 |
4 |
Collard/Sospiri |
Ferrari 333 SP |
46 |
5 |
Baldi/Policand |
Ferrari 333 SP |
45 |
6 |
Moncini/Zadra |
Ferrari 333 SP |
45 |
7 |
Orbell/Nielson |
Lola Rouch Ford |
45 |
8 |
Moss/Herich/Fouche |
Gebhardt G4 |
44 |
9 |
Owen/Smithson |
Pilbeam Nissan |
43 |
10 |
Waaijenberg/Lof |
Ferrari 333 SP |
43 |
11 |
Lancelotti/Zardo |
Tampolli Alfa Romeo |
43 |
12 |
Nobili/Monti |
Tampolli Alfa Romeo |
42 |
13 |
Henderson/Merche |
Pilbeam Nissan |
42 |
14 |
Goddard/Botma/ Roscoe |
Tampolli Alfa Romeo |
42 |
15 |
Amati/Groenewald/ Blom |
Pilbeam Nissan |
41 |
16 |
Gerber/Eve/Frost |
MBR 6R4 |
40 |
17 |
Craggs/Catlow/ Jordan |
Grove 6R4 |
36 |
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