Prodrive and JMB Take More Wins
3.10.01

At the recent two rounds of the FIA GT Championship, the Prodrive 550 Maranello and the JMB 360 Modena have again shown their paces.

At the Nürburgring on 9 September the 550, driven by Rydell/Cox, fought for the lead throughout a race made difficult by changeable weather and it looked as if another Prodrive win was on the cards. However, leaving the pit lane Rydell crossed the white line at the end of the pit straight and was given a ten-second stop and go penalty that effectively put the car out of contention. It finally finished third behind the winning Lister of Campbell-Walter/Jordan and the Viper of Hezemans/Bleekemolen.

The JMB 360 running in the N-GT class, driven by Terrien/Pescatori, had an unfortunate race with several wrong tyre choices necessitating five pit stops and it too incurred a stop and go penalty for crossing the pit exit line. It finished way down the order.

At the next round at Jarama on 30 September Ferrari fortunes were much better and the Prodrive 550, driven by Rydell/Menu, took an excellent win as the rest of the field ran into tyre wear problems. Extremely smooth pit work also helped the Ferrari to pull out a lead of nearly a minute by the end. Three Vipers and a Lister finished in the next places.

The 360 Modena, again driven by Terrien and Pescatori, took their fifth win of the season in the N-GT class. A combination of quick driving, together with just one pit stop compared to the two required by all the Porsches, gave it an easy win.

In the N-GT Championship there is now just a one-point difference between the Ferrari drivers and the Porsche driver Luca Riccitelli. All will be resolved at Estoril on 21 October.

The previously high-profile Rafanelli 550's took part in neither race, possibly due to lack of sponsorship. They will probably take their cars to the US ALMS next year where chances of funding are better. The Prodrive team are now firmly regarded as the no. 1 preparer of 550's by the Ferrari factory and the latter may well support the production of a series of customer cars. Rumour has it that the price of a Prodrive 550 is in the region of £450,000 plus the cost of a donor car.

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