FIA GT Super Pole: Hezemans leads the way

Dutchman Hezemans lapped the Silverstone Grand Prix track in 1m49.101s in his ballast-free Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper, half a second quicker than series leader Jamie Campbell-Walter could manage in his Lister Storm, which was fully laden with the maximum amount of success ballast after its Magny-Cours victory.

"I had only used one set of tyres in qualifying, so I had a new set for Super Pole," said Hezemans. "We took a bit of wing off, which worked OK. I had a little understeer and got too early on the throttle at one point, but it worked out fine."

Campbell-Walter said: "I was a little too cautious in the first few corners. The car's working well and I'm happy to be on the front row for my home race. I'm pleased to be right up there, because all the others guys around me haven't got so many kilos in their cars."

Anthony Kumpen was third quickest in the first of the Belmondo Racing Vipers, pipping Emanuele Clerico in the second Belmondo car by a matter of hundredths of a second.

"It's my first time at Silverstone which has made it a little difficult for me," said Kumpen. "We had a really good set-up and I think we're improving. I was very pleased with the lap."

Julian Bailey managed the fifth quickest time, despite suffering from painful ribs which were injured when he walked into a tool box yesterday. Lister has entered British GT racer David Warnock in the car in case Bailey can't complete two stints on Sunday.

A surprising absentee from the Super Pole session was the Labre Viper of Christophe Bouchut/Jean-Philippe Belloc, as the Brno winners didn't make it into the top six in this morning's qualifying session.

"I was giving everything but the car is just too heavy," said Bouchut. "I couldn't have gone faster." They will start 13th on the grid tomorrow, behind all the N-GT cars which ran in the Super pole session.

In the N-GT class, Christian Pescatori gave the Magny-Cours winning JMB Competition squad another boost by setting the fastest time in his Ferrari 360 Modena. He was six-tenths clear of the first of the Porsche 996 GT3-R machines, the RWS Motorsport car of Luca Riccitelli, who blamed a mistake at Copse for the gap to the Ferrari.

"I'm very 'appy," said Pescatori. "The car was very fast today, but it's important that we find a good set-up for tomorrow because it will be very difficult in the heat if it is like it was today."

Michel Neugarten was third fastest in his Perspective Racing 911, ahead of the Labre-run car of Bruno Eichmann.


1 Mike Hezemans (Chrysler Viper) 1m48.575s
2 Jamie Campbell-Walter (Lister Storm) 1m49.007s
3 Anthony Kumpen (Chrysler Viper) 1m49.107s
4 Emanuele Clerico (Chrysler Viper) 1m49.144s
5 Julian Bailey (Lister Storm) 1m49.566s
6 Mimmo Schiattarella (Ferrari 550 Maranello) 1m50.386s


1 Christian Pescatori (Ferrari 360 Modena) 1m53.644s
2 Luca Riccitelli (Porsche 996 GT3-R) 1m54.204s
3 Michel Neugarten (Porsche 996 GT3-R) 1m54.783s
4 Bruno Eichmann (Porsche 996 GT3-R) 1m55.210s
5 Fabio Babini (Porsche 996 GT3-R) 1m55.243s
6 Wolfgang Kaufmann (Porsche 996 GT3-R) 1m57.658s