In spite of competition from cars just as fast, if not faster than their Porsche 997 Cup, and in the hands of drivers much more used to the Challenge, Anne-Sophie and Michel Nourry were able to make the most of Michel's tremendous experience in endurance racing to score a win under the most difficult conditions.
On this summer Sunday morning, it suddenly started to rain during the start procedure. There was no doubt as to the choice of tyres. As usual, Langin had taken pole position in the Porsche 996 RSR shared with Moreau whereas the Renault Mégane Trophy of Rousseau/Lemée was once again on the front line but did not make the most of the start and gradually dropped down the field to get stuck there.
There was an on-going fight between the Polybaie Porsche and the 997 Cup S of Kelders/Greisch which regularly beat the lap record. It went into the lead some twelve laps after the start while the Ferrari F430 of Pagny/Benoist, suffering from gearbox ratios in the dry, made up ground in the wet, moving up to second place.
The terrible conditions made for some spectacular spins and bumps, and this gave rise to a number of cars abandoning or stopping for repairs. In these conditions, the little Renault Clio Cup of Bertinetti and Lacroix took advantage of the situation and notched up a well-deserved sixteenth place.
As ever in endurance racing, pit stops during the Safety Car are the key to success and it was the Porsche 997 Cup of Nourry Compétition which proved this once again. One of the first to make a stop, it disappeared from the classification and only came back towards the end of the race, just before the last hour and at a time when the others were making their stops. It took over the final lead with all the experience of Michel Nourry behind the wheel.
Miguel Langin in the Porsche 996 RSR made an attempt at moving up and even looked a threat at twenty minutes from the finish, lapping between 3 and 5 seconds faster every lap. At twenty-two minutes from the chequered flag, in the spray thrown up by other cars, he hit the Porsche 964 RS of Cetlin/Lecaude under braking at the end of the straight. Both of them survived it, after giving themselves quite a fright. Langin/Moreau held on to first place in the Challenge by finally finishing eighth when, after the umpteenth spin-off, leaving a car in a dangerous position, the race directors decided to proceed to the chequered flag under the Safety Car.
Kelders and Greisch chased hard and in the end made the most of the race-end skirmishes to take the second step of the podium.
The third step of the podium fell to the two outsiders of the race. They were looking promising before the race as a result of their driving experience. Jean-Marc Bachelier and Thierry Perrier drove hard and put their Porsche 993 RSR in third place.
The three steps of the podium confirm the diversity of the Challenge with cars in different categories. A podium is not so far away for the fourth-placed, Baudinière and Vicaire with their Porsche 996 RS. They should be up there quite soon. Just behind them, Nozière did well this weekend. Finishing second in the GTV3 category, sharing the car with his usual team-mate Brouard in the Porsche 997 Cup of Champion Racing, he has a good hold on the second place of the Challenge.
Pagny and Benoist kept things in check and took third step on the GTV2 podium just ahead of leaders Moreau et Langin.
Joining up with Sodemo boss Guillaume Maillard in the Touring Cup, Eric Van de Vyver took the win in the Silhouette category and a superb ninth on scratch.
Race: 1. Michel and Anne-Sophie Nourry, Porsche 997 Cup, 1st GTV3 in 2h50’06’’593, 2. Christian Kelders/Philippe Greisch, Porsche 997 Cup S, 1st GTV2 at 1 lap, 3. Thierry Perrier/Jean-Marc Bachelier, Porsche 993 RSR, 1st GTV4 at 1 lap , etc… 9. Eric Van de Vyver/Guillaume Maillard, Touring Cup, 1st S2 at 5 laps, etc… 14. Guillaume Rousseau/Christophe Lemée, Renault Mégane Trophy, 1st S1 at 6 laps, etc… 16. Gérard Bertinetti/Guy Lacroix, Renault Clio Cup, 1st F2000 at 8 laps, etc… 22 finishers out of 28 starters.
Fastest lap: Christian Kelders and Philippe Greisch, Porsche 997 Cup S in 1’36’’115
Classification Challenge Endurance GT/Tourisme : 1. Moreau/Langin, 83 pts, 2. Nozoère, 82 pts, 3. Rousseau/Lemée, 79pts, 4. equal; Pagny/Benoist and Kelders/Greisch, 66 pts, 5. Perrier, 62 pts, 6. Baudinière/Vicaire, 58 pts, 7. Brouard, 57 pts, 8. Bachelier, 54 pts, 9. Ferreira/Bour, 49 pts, 10. Tremblay, 43 pts, 11. Van de Vyver, 41 pts, etc…