For my 2000th Post
For my 2000th Post, I'm proud to reproduce the following:
In "Fast News from Ford Racing," May 14, 2010, Vol. 3, Issue 19:
1-2-3 Finish for Ford GT's in European GT1 Championship
The Ford GT of Marc VDS Racing Team, driven by Leinders-Palttala-De Doncker, took an emphatic win in the GT1-category of the Spa 1000 kms. There were three Ford GT cars on the podium in Spa, a good sign for the Le Mans 24 Hours. More
FORD GT WINS IN SPA
5/9/2010
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium— The Ford GT of Marc VDS Racing Team, driven by Leinders-Palttala-De Doncker, took an emphatic win in the GT1-category of the Spa 1000 kms. There were three Ford cars on the podium in Spa, a good sign for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Bas Leinders, who conquered the GT1-pole the day before, took the start on a treacherous track, wet by rain that started to fall just minutes before the start. The Belgian took it all in his stride however, gradually increased his lead and gave the car to team-mates Markus Palttala and Eric De Doncker, who in turn drove perfect stints. The trouble-free race ended in a Ford one-two-three, with the cars of Matech Competition in second and third.
BAS LEINDERS
"By taking the pole with a 1.4 seconds difference, we knew our set-up was good. But during the difficult race we still had to avoid all problems and make sure that the car was reliable till the end. Fortunately that was the case, which makes me very happy. Markus and Eric drove a perfect race, which is great news, just one month before the Le Mans 24 Hours. If we have to mention one problem, then it would be the steepness of the pitlane. That made it impossible to top up the fuel tank completely, so we had to make one more pitstop. Otherwise, our advantage would have been even bigger. That does not bother us, though: this victory is a great reward for the whole team, after all the hard work during the sometimes difficult start of the season."
Contributed by Marc VDS Racing News Bureau