Le Castellet, 22nd November 2009. The Sportscars Winter Series was launched this weekend on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit in the Var, and has proved a success as the concept thought up by ORECA in partnership with the Castellet circuit attracted almost twenty cars. Among them were seven Formula Le Mans, ten GTs (Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ford) plus a couple of Bioracing prototypes making up a varied and well-balanced field. They were entered by around ten teams from Italy, Switzerland, France, Monaco, Belgium and Germany.
© Paul Ricard HTTT / Damagnez
Despite the overcast weather and a few showers, a good crowd turned up for the baptism of the Winter Series aimed, above all, at drivers who want to test in a light-hearted ambience in a 100% safe environment.
While a few people got caught out by the damp track (in particular in the Audi R8), the thirty seven drivers entered representing eleven nationalities really enjoyed themselves during the five hours’ running time in this meeting held on the 3.793-km circuit. Some, like Jonathan Sicart in his Maserati, decided to drive alone to take full advantage of the conditions. One of the specific aspects of the Winter Series is that up to four drivers can share the wheel of a car, or one person can drive the whole five hours by himself.
© Paul Ricard HTTT / Damagnez
Nelson Panciaticci started from pole and dominated the first race in his DAMS Formula Le Mans. While the Olympique Lyonnais works driver in the Superleague Formula was untouchable, Dominik Kraihamer, Christophe Pillon and Jacques Nicolet, owner of the OAK Racing Team that had just won the Asian Le Mans Series, went at it hammer and tongs in their Formula Le Mans. Nicolas Misslin won the GT category in his JMB Racing-entered Ferrari F430 GT2 from the team’s sister car driven by Dutchman, Siebrand Dijkstra.
© Paul Ricard HTTT / Damagnez
The second race was won by the Swiss Hope PoleVision Racing team thanks to Steve Zacchia. Behind the Swiss driver came not Formula Le Mans cars but GTs – Christoffer Nygaard’s Ford and Albert von Thurn und Taxis’ Lamborghini!
There were a few withdrawals for the endurance event, in particular, the two Boutsen Energy Racing Formula Le Mans which collided in the second race! Nelson Panciaticci and Guillaume Bermond led for the first half of the event until it was time to change drivers after which Christophe Pillon and Steve Zacchia took first place, which they held to till the cheqsuered flag. In the Bioracing category victory went to former Le Mans 24-Hours winner Stéphane Ortelli and Motorbike World Champion, Arnaud Vincent.
© Paul Ricard HTTT / Damagnez
While awaiting the arrival of new cars for the next event, the general quality of the first meeting is cause for celebration. «Overall, the first meeting went off pretty well. The drivers were a bit surprised by the rhythm of the day as they’re not used to racing so much, but that’s what they liked. Drivers always want more track time and here they got what they were asking for! The overall spirit was good throughout the weekend, which is very important, because at the risk of repeating myself, this series is based above all around pleasure, testing and conviviality,” said Alain Marguet, the Sportscars Winter Series coordinator. The next round is in two weeks and the drivers will use a different layout on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit.
Timing data & results : complete-results-sws-22112009
