GOODYEAR MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE
RACE REPORT : ROUNDS 4 & 5 : SPA FRANCORCHAMPS

"Le Double pour Bowler"

The double-header of the Championship at the formidable 4.35 mile Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium on 5-7 June proved to be a double triumph for both Stuart Bowler in his F40 and Graham Reeder (F355), who won the 'M' and 'O' classes respectively in both races. A field of 25 Ferraris took part, although one driver, the venerable Maurice Dantinne in his unique 308GTB4, was not a registered GMFC competitor and therefore ineligible to score points.

In difficult but typical weather conditions, alternating from brilliant sunshine to thunderstorms, Bowler took victory in the first race from the two Christopher brothers, Andy and George, in their 308GTB and 308GT4 respectively. Although Peter Cook (F40) started from second position on the grid, he was the only driver to fit wet tyres which, on the drying track, enabled him to finish no higher than eighth. Paul Ciardiello (328GTB) came to grief when he attempted to take the buttock clenching Eau Rouge without lifting, his car crashing heavily into the barriers at Radillon. Also out of luck was David Wilkinson (F355), whose challenge to Reeder in the 'O' class evaporated when he spun into the gravel at Rivage 2.

In the second race the two F40s of Bowler and Cook were rarely more than a car's length away from each other, finishing in that order at the chequered flag. Bowler set a new 'M' class lap record at 2:44.711. George Christopher brought his 308GT4 into third, just ahead of Ciardiello, whose 328 had been amazingly rebuilt overnight. Ill-luck befell the big F512M of Alan Cosby. Following gasket problems his crew had taken the engine out of the car after the first qualifying session and refitted it in record time. Sadly the car dumped most of its oil on the grid and was pushed away before the start of Race 2.

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