Rinsed down in Monza, soaked in Silverstone, what does the weather now hold in store for the Blancpain Endurances Series 2012 competitors? We will soon know. This Tuesday evening the two ProSpeed Competition trucks will be heading on down to the Paul Ricard circuit, an ultra- modern track nestled in the heart of the Var department (France). Here Marc Goossens, Xavier Maassen and Marc Hennerici will be reunited with the Porsche 911 GT3-R #75 bearing the Alcra Flash-CMF-MoWeKo colours. The #74, entered in the “Pro-Am” category with the support of NEC and Soleco, will once again be in the hands of Paul Van Splunteren, Maxime Soulet and Dylan Derdaele. For these two ProSpeed Competition teams this will be the final meeting before the 24 Hours of Spa…
Monza, Silverstone, Paul Ricard… one fast track after another. A constant, that unfortunately also appears to go hand in hand with the climatic conditions. Back in Italy the celestial floodgates only had eyes for the Autodromo track. Similarly in England the Silverstone circuit did not escape the deluge that hit the entire country. But where is the sun?
Rudi Penders (Team Principal):
“The beginning of the season was marked by atrocious weather conditions. They strongly influenced our cars’ results, with their true traditional motorsport construction. The Porsche 911 is a light vehicle, highly efficient and with a low fuel consumption. These are all advantages that disappear under wet conditions, where in fact cars with full aerodynamic support and power enjoy the upper hand. As we head on down to the south of France we have high expectations. Our eyes are riveted on the weather forecasts and the rain radars. They must remain silent!”
Maxime Soulet (Porsche 911 GT3-R #74 – “Pro-Am” Cup):
“Time flies by… it’s already one month since we left Silverstone. As you know the Paul Ricard circuit has often been kind to me. Last year, together with Paul Van Splunteren we proved our worth during the European FIA GT3 Championship. More recently, in fact at the beginning of this year, Marc Goossens and I brought the 911 RSR ProSpeed Competition to the fore in the European Le Mans Series. For me a “hat-trick”, with a great performance in our “Pro-Am” category, would definitely be most welcome!”
Marc Hennerici (Porsche 911 GT3-R #75 – “Pro” Cup):
“I have a quite exceptional relationship with the Paul Ricard circuit, which I discovered last year. I spent four days on the trot driving there, to test a car’s reliability scheduled to compete in 24 hours endurance events. In other words I reckon I know the circuit like the back of my hand… On top of that I must admit that I hold a soft spot for that part of France! Having said that luck has not been on our side during the beginning of this season. The “package” that we have brought together has not changed in any way. Team, car and teammates… we hold everything in hand with which to go out and fight up front. That’s where we belong. We need to find it. We will find it.”
Source : ProSpeed Competition