In our January issue, we brought you blow-by-blow coverage of the 2006 Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, held last summer at the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in eastern Belgium. During the race, our European correspondent was given unprecedented access to the cars, drivers, and crew members that make up French GT powerhouse Team PSI Exprience. His observations provide an uncommon glimpse into the rarefied world of high-end professional motorsports.
Anticipation
When one of racing's great endurance events is practically held in your backyard, it would seem foolish not to take up the opportunity. With that in mind, Team PSI Exprience decides to take a breather from its usual campaigns in the FFSA GT and Le Mans series, take the short drive up the motorway, and enter the 58th running of the 24 Hours of Spa.
The No. 36 C5-R was piloted by PSI regulars Markus Palttala and Pertti Kuismanen, along with Belgian drivers Bernard Dehez and Vincent Rademecker. Despite multiple setbacks throughout the race, the car finished a respectable Twelfth overall.
Ease of logistics aside, fielding a car for a 24-hour race is a massive undertaking-not least in the financial sense. To ease that particular burden, PSI will sport a somewhat different line-up than that to which we've become accustomed in FFSA. Into the team's C6.R steps local driver Fred Bouvy, alongside Jean-Phillipe Belloc, Jos Menton, and reigning French GT champ Patrick Bornhauser. The more familiar Finnish pairing of Markus Palttala and Pertti Kuismanen will now line up in the C5-R with Belgian drivers Bernard Dehez and Vincent Rademecker. With different levels of experience and abilities on display, a steady approach will be required. As circumstance would have it, being cautious and not chasing times is exactly the tactic the team will adopt.
As the only GT1 team on Dunlop rubber, PSI is well aware that when it comes to outright speed, they'll be in no position to challenge their Michelin-shod rivals. As Markus Paltalla says, "The Michelins are worth two seconds a lap over the Dunlops. In qualifying maybe three, so we have to be clever and conserve the tires as best we can." Any decent result will be achieved through a combination of stealth and discipline. As such, a strict time limit is set for the drivers. They're to aim for a 2:24 lap, with strict instructions not to go under 2:22.
Kuismanen (in headphones) receives an update from the No. 36 car's current driver. He's joined by Palttala (middle) and car manager Dennis Layher.
Qualifying brings no surprises. The combined-time format sees the PSI Vettes lined up side-by-side in ninth and tenth-near the back of the GT1 field. This result is satisfactory all the same, particularly since the No. 34 C6.R had experienced a clutch failure during Friday's practice session. The team can't be sure whether the problem is due to a fitting or manufacturing error, so as a precaution, the entire gearbox is changed. The warm-up brings optimism. The cars are fifth and sixth quickest, though Jos Menton is complaining the new gearbox is feeling a bit stiff. It's a portent of things to come.
With just a few hours to go, it's hard to imagine that the two cars will be ready for the race. The sheer volume of human traffic makes the garages unimaginably chaotic. In the midst of it all, the cars are being stripped down and re-assembled for the race. Thanks to the organizational virtuosity of car managers Jerome Padoumont and Dennis Layher, the two pristine Vettes nose out through the crowds and make their way around to the grid on time. The drivers seem unfazed by the tumult, but team owner Phillipe Tillie is showing his nerves in the form of a furrowed brow he'll wear for the next 24 hours.
To minimize costs, PSI put together an ad hoc team of Fred Bouvy, Jean-Phillipe Belloc, Jos Menton, and Patrick Bornhauser to drive the No. 34 C6.R at Spa. The team proved its mettle by overcoming gearbox problems to finish Fifth overall.
Underway
The first hour of the race flies by, and before we know it, the pit-crew members are donning their helmets and balaclavas. First in is the No. 36 C5-R. It's not a quick stop, at 1:10, but there are no mistakes, and Markus is away. With scarcely time to draw breath, the C6.R is upon us, and the crew goes back to work. Worried, Jos is reporting inconsistent gearbox pressure, with a stiff downshift and a slight misfire. After one hour, this is not a good sign.
Just more than three hours in and the first crisis: The C6.R is in unexpectedly, and Fred Bouvy is reporting an upshift problem. Alexandre Roberge from Pratt and Miller is analyzing the data in an attempt to determine the cause. It turns out there's a relatively simple explanation: A gearbox sensor is loose and is causing a short circuit. This has caused the gearbox to reset to the default settings, so the changes are taking 200 milliseconds rather than 70 to 80. This also explains the inconsistency in the gearbox pressure. It's a simple fix, and the car is out again and performing well.
The PSI pit-crew members recuperate between stops. Their job encompasses long stretches of tedium punctuated with brief interludes of furious exertion.
The C5-R has some minor problems, too. Hugging the pit wall for the best line into Eau Rouge, Markus has tagged his pit board and damaged the rear wing. There is also minor damage to the right rear, where Vincent Rademecker ran into a GT2 Porsche. Fortunately, these are easy repairs, and the pit-board man still has all his fingers.
Shortly after 9 p.m. comes the first major crisis. The safety car is out because of an accident involving one of "our" cars. A broken valve causes the C6.R's right front tire to deflate, pitching Jos Menton into the barriers. Unable to engage Reverse, Jos waits 17 minutes for the marshals to push the car. The damage is repaired, and Patrick Bornhauser is soon lapping in the 2:23 range. No major damage is done, but six laps are lost, and the C6.R has tumbled down the order.