F1RWRS 2013 - ROUND 10 - BELGIAN GP - Spa Francorchamps
PRE-QUALIFYING
1. Douglas Mann (Foxdale) -- 1.57.114
2. Shinobu Katayama (Sunshine) -- 1.57.166 (+0.052)
3. Ben Fleet (Foxdale) -- 1.59.552 (+2.438)
4. David Koczo (Calinetic) -- 1.59.771 (+2.657)
5. Giovanni Roda (Trueba) -- 2.00.125 (+3.011)
6. Dave McFaste (FAT) -- 2.00.164 (+3.050)
7. Damon Cannon (SOTL) -- 2.00.318 (+3.204)
8. John Zimmer (Calinetic) -- 2.00.561 (+3.447)
9. Ron Mignolet (Phoenix) -- 2.00.570 (+3.456)
10. Saeed Al Faisal (FAT) -- 2.00.758 (+3.644)
11. Hagane Shizuka (Sunshine) -- 2.00.880 (+3.766)
12. James Davies (Trueba) -- 2.02.285 (+5.171)
13. Phoenix McAllister (Phoenix) -- 2.02.483 (+5.369)
14. Richie White (SOTL) -- 2.02.488 (+5.374)
15. Dean O´Lauchlan (Horizon) -- 2.04.326 (+7.212)
16. Todd Cockburn (Virgin Intercorse) -- 2.04.411 (+7.297)
17. Phil McCraken (Virgin Intercorse) -- 2.04.458 (+7.344)
18. Vidal Reyna-Sanchez (Horizon) -- 2.09.542 (+12.428)
19. Fredo Mestolio (CR) -- 2.12.549 (+15.435)
20. Darren Older Jr (CR) -- 2.13.267 (+16.153)
COMBINED TIMES (Teams in
bold go into main qualifying)
1. Foxdale -- 3.56.666
2. Sunshine -- 3.58.046
3. Calinetic -- 4.00.3324. FAT -- 4.00.922
5. Trueba -- 4.02.410
6. SOTL -- 4.02.806
7. Phoenix -- 4.03.053
8. Virgin Intercorse -- 4.08.869
9. Horizon -- 4.13.868
10. CR -- 4.25.816
QUALIFYING
1. Douglas Mann (Foxdale) -- 1.57.036
2. Shinobu Katayama (Sunshine) -- 1.57.275 (+0.239)
3. Aurelian Moll (Gillet) -- 1.57.992 (+0.956)
4. Thomas de Bock (Gillet) -- 1.58.035 (+0.999)
5. Ben Fleet (Foxdale) -- 1.58.196 (+1.160)
6. Frank Zimmer (GRM) -- 1.58.447 (+1.411)
7. Ashley Watkinson (HRT) -- 1.59.082 (+2.046)
8. Resi Respati (Flying Fish) -- 1.59.157 (+2.121)
9. Hagane Shizuka (Sunshine) -- 1.59.200 (+2.164)
10. Daniel Melrose (Arrowtech) -- 1.59.315 (+2.279)
11. Chris Dagnall (Dagnall) -- 1.59.757 (+2.721)
12. Mark Dagnall (Dagnall) -- 1.59.877 (+2.841)
13. Dave Simpson (Prospec) -- 1.59.922 (+2.886)
14. Kay Lon (Jones) -- 2.00.366 (+3.330)
15. Daniel Martins (Arrowtech) -- 2.00.533 (+3.497)
16. John Zimmer (Calinetic) -- 2.00.598 (+3.562)
17. Nathanael Spencer (MRT) -- 2.00.722 (+3.686)
18. Sammy Jones (Jones) -- 2.00.798 (+3.762)
19. Yu Hiang Hao (Flying Fish) -- 2.00.924 (+3.888)
20. Nathan Scott (GRM) -- 2.01.090 (+4.054)
21. Jesus Plaza (ARC) -- 2.01.165 (+4.129)
22. Rhys Davies (HRT) -- 2.01.241 (+4.205)
23. Barii Mori (Kamaha) -- 2.01.478 (+4.442)
24. Nicolas Steele (Kamaha) -- 2.01.483 (+4.447)
25. Gary Cameron (Prospec) -- 2.01.893 (+4.857)
26. David Koczo (Calinetic) -- 2.02.009 (+4.973)
DNQ. Phillippe Nicolas (MRT) -- 2.02.968 (+5.932)
DNQ. Colin Pratchett (ARC) -- 2.03.406 (+6.370)
RACE
The race for the waffles... sorry, the Belgian GP started with Mann keeping his place and Katayama following him. Fleet did a terrible start, while Frank Zimmer was good, he´s a new man after joining GRM.

Respati did a good start as well, and got even better when he passed Zimmer on lap 2. The first retirement came one lap later, with Ben Fleet opening the account for Foxdale. Then Mark Dagnall started to move upwards by passing Watkinson for 9th on lap 4. Two laps later The Fox´s joy was fulfilled when Douglas Mann retired with a brakes problem and not being able to reach the box, leaving Katayama with a comfy lead. Next big thing came on lap 9 when Martins went off the track and, coming again into the asphalt left Jesus Plaza, who was fighting Scott, with nowhere to go but the back of the Arrowtech, with both drivers retiring inmediately.

Katayama was one of the few to go for 2 stops and went for the 1st in lap 11, and managed to keep the lead after it. Next lap Melrose spun at Eau Rouge, losing his Front Wing and most of his chances. Shizuka also went for 2 stops, dropping to 8th. His strategy was working as in 2 laps managed to pass Watkinson and Mark Dagnall for 6th. John Zimmer was the 1st of the one stoppers to pit, trying to get rid of Chris Dagnall by doing so, but found himself behind both Jones which made him lose time. Then, for a bigger relief of Dagnall drivers, Watkinson retired on lap 19.

De Bock stopped next at the same time Respati passed Frank Zimmer again. Moll stopped two laps later than his team-mate, and it paid off as he kept the 2nd place coming out of the pit lane. This would matter even more when Katayama´s car stopped two laps later, leaving both Gillet´s in the lead at home! Frank Zimmer´s race was over too one lap later which left things like this at lap 30:

With only 13 laps to go, most supposed the race was solved; but De Bock´s car stopped on lap 31, then two laps later Shizuka and Chris Dagnall both retired as well! Things got even more interesing when a group consisting of both Jones, Dave Simpson and Melrose, coming from the back, formed to fight for 5th. Three laps later, Kay Lon would spin under pressure from Simpson, leaving Simpson and Melrose the fight for 6th. So, this was the situation on lap 40/43

Then, John Zimmer surprisingly passed Mark Dagnall... as the championship leader suffered an electrical problem, having to take an extra stop to fix it. That very same lap, Moll car stops giving the lead to Respati! On lap 41, Melrose passes Simpson outside Blanchimont, as the Prospec suffers another problem and retires as well. The race was settled for good... not yet: Another heart-attack ending saw John Zimmer retiring on lap 42, and Respati´s engine blow on last lap, giving the win to Mark Dagnall, with Sammy Jones and Melrose sharing the podium!!!


FASTEST LAP: Shinobu Katayama -- 2.00.468
ROTR: Kay Lon - Couldn´t stand some pressure and that ruined a double podium finish for Jones.
More pics:
Melrose spin:

Mann retiring:

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS - Round 10/16
Drivers
1. Mark Dagnall -- 54 pts
2. Rhys Davies -- 27 pts
3. Aurelian Moll -- 24 pts
4. Thomas de Bock -- 23 pts
5. Sammy Jones -- 20 pts
6. Kay Lon -- 18 pts
7. Ashley Watkinson -- 16 pts
=. Daniel Melrose -- 16 pts
9. Dave Simpson -- 10 pts
10. Daniel Martins -- 8 pts
11. Chris Dagnall -- 6 pts
=. Jesus Plaza -- 6 pts
=. Frank Zimmer -- 6 pts
=. Barii Mori -- 6 pts
15. Resi Respati -- 4 pts
16. Nathan Scott -- 3 pts
17. Nathanael Spencer -- 2 pts
=. Shinobu Katayama -- 2 pts
=. Phoenix McAllister -- 2 pts
=. Phillippe Nicolas -- 2 pts
=. Gary Cameron -- 2 pts
21. John Zimmer -- 1 pt
=. Dave McFaste -- 1 pt
=. Colin Pratchett -- 1 pt
Teams
1. Dagnall Engineering -- 60 pts
2. Gillet -- 47 pts
3. HRT -- 44 pts
4. Jones Racing -- 36 pts
5. Arrowtech -- 24 pts
6. Prospec -- 12 pts
7. GRM -- 9 pts
8. American Racing -- 7 pts
9. Kamaha -- 6 pts
10. MRT -- 4 pts
=. Flying Fish -- 4 pts
12. Sunshine -- 2 pts
=. Phoenix -- 2 pts
14. Calinetic -- 1 pt
=. FAT -- 1 pt