2014 Spa GP Pre-Race

Qualifying for the Spa GP is determined by several sessions of group qualifying followed by a session of races, leading into a 30 car LCQ to lock up the final 10 spots in the 40 car Spa GP.

The grid order will be set by another set of single lap runs once the field has been set.

Group Qualifying 1
This determines the first 10 cars to get locked into the Spa GP.

Since their impressive tenure at Wales, Phoenix Performance Racing continue their strong performance, with Greg Woodard and Ashley Ambercroft solidly locking themselves into the Spa GP. A couple of surprises included Stefan Halvari who was 2nd fastest and Noemi Giordano, who was 7th fastest.

Locked in

Greg Woodard (2:08.724)
Stefan Halvari (2:08.737)
Ashley Ambercroft (2:08.957)
Yevgeny Kuznetsov (2:08.987)
Dan Morton (2:09.018)
Matti Alanko (2:09.039)
Noemi Giordano (2:09.056)
Patrick Arceneau (2:09.071)
Dino Venneri (2:09.089)
Jacob Eichholtz* (2:09.099)

*Eichholtz is the defending winner of the Spa GP.

Lonnie Collins missed out on a spot in the top 10 by 0.006 of a second.

Group Qualifying Session 2

This locks in the next 20 cars into the Spa GP. Jennifer Goodwin, Hannah Percy, Ross Carter, Ashley Flynn and Giuseppe Marchetti set laps that would have gotten them into the top 10 the first time around, and they lock themselves into the Spa GP. Lonnie Collins almost misses out AGAIN but locks herself in with the 20th fastest time; aka, the last spot.

Locked in

Jennifer Goodwin
Hannah Percy
Ross Carter
Ashley Flynn
Giuseppe Marchetti
Cassie Collins
Kellan Rogers
Dieter Ziegler
Barney Ward
Madison Peniall
Carla Rosinski
Tanya Carter
Tommi Arjanien
Natalie Kendall
Terry Orvell, Jr.
Michelle Dubout
Grant Macintosh
Sakura Motoko
Ben Atkins
Lonnie Collins

Heat Race 1, 2 and 3 will follow shortly in a separate post to break things up.

Heat Race 1

Megan Hamilton drew the pole for the first heat race, and a second corner accident seen Peter Van Der Schmidt and Luc Pellerin eliminate themselves from the event. After that not much really happened, except Tom Delgado going for a spin and Lucas Flint and Jacob Tremblay putting a show on for the fans for the win. Tremblay came out on top.

Into the LCQ

Jacob Tremblay
Akira Tsukari
Lucas Flint
Nikolaus Rundstrom
Alexandre D'Artagnan
Reuben Vogt
Marco Moretti
Velmier Jankovic
Megan Hamilton
Miko Rantanen

OUT

Franco Giovanardi
Vincenzo Fochesato
Stjepan Cvetadic
Tom Delgado
Ryan Matthews
Pascal Manzon
Rostrand De Bergerac
Jackson Christian
Peter Van Der Schmidt
Luc Pellerin

Heat Race 2

Ron Porter, who is doing surprisingly well in points with little starts, gets into a lap 1 accident with Dylan Thornton and both go into the tire wall and out of the race. Not much happened in the 6 lap dash again...

until something so spectacular I had to make a video for it.



Kosta Theodorakas can't seem to catch a break as he is kind of unceremoniously eliminated in spectacular style.

And yes, this mistake cost Tomas Prochazka the win, Mauro Vilar crosses the line first as Hannagan Enterprises put 5 of their cars into the LCQ.

Into the LCQ

Mauro Vilar
Israel Bruce NYAHHHHHHHHH
Tomas Prochazka
Kristian Vangsness
Filippa D'Ambrosio
Ernst Mossbruger
Callum Morgan
Gisele Vignon
Mari Romanov
Stasya Filipov

OUT

Elizabeth Francisco
Harriet Wallace
Daxter Hamlett
David Salvodelli
Ben Doherty
Kurt Plissken
Kosta Theodorakas
Ron Porter
Dylan Thornton

Heat Race 3

Jenson Harolds and Axel Rosengard are the two to trip over each other this time and both go out of the race. Ironic that Harolds is sponsored by Stop Drunk Driving because he was driving like he was pretty drunk out there.

And guess what happened then.

Just like the other races, nothing, really.

Into the LCQ

Hans Rennfahrer
Jaroslav Svoboda
Poon Tang
Mauricio Gallardo
Christian McMillan
John Bracchi
Matt Tremblay
Thomas De Bock
Anto Markov
Justin Keith

OUT

Percy Pimpernel
Sophie Anagnostopolous
Ben Clarke
Lydia McKenzie
Manfred Honecker
Thomas Dietrich
Verity Logan
Jenson Harolds
Axel Rosengard

LCQ

This was a wreckfest.

All the drivers went all out to get into the main race, and some prevailed while many ended up with ruined equipment.

Christian McMillan drew the pole for the LCQ, while STS Racing Inc. driver Akira Tsukari drew last. The back was definitely worse than the front, as the back three, Akira Tsukari, Miko Rantanen and Lucas Flint all went careening into the tire wall in the second turn on the first lap. Missing the Spa GP will be a huge blow to Tsukari in the points, who has won three races.

A couple of corners later, Callum Morgan gets turned hard into the wall then gets his by Thomas De Bock. Both go out of the race.

Remember when I said the front was better?

I lied.

On the second lap, Christian McMillan and Filippa D'Ambrosio are battling for position when D'Ambrosio makes a mistake which takes them both out of the race from a transfer spot. Matt Tremblay joined them on the DNF list a couple of laps later.

Stasya Filipov and teammate Mauro Vilar decided it out be a good idea to wreck with each other. Both of them would be elimiated as well. Nikolaus Rundstrom also wrecked on lap 5.

On lap 6, at the half way point, Altoros GP teammates Jaroslav Svoboda and Tomas Prochazka are running 1-2.

Until they run into each other, sending both Altoros cars out of the race, and sending the whole team home with disappointment and apparent angst at each other.

Mauricio Gallardo and Jacob Tremblay share a car in the series with the #09 Spectre Racing car. Apparently Tremblay didn't take too kindly to Gallardo driving another teams car for this race, and took Gallardo and himself out.

That's when the wrecking finally ended.

Israel Bruce, who started 19th in the #21 Team Kwik Fit CM Nova, ended up taking home the victory, and earned himself a spot in the Spa GP, ensuring all four entered Team Kwik Fit cars were locked in.

In the Spa GP

Israel Bruce
Justin Keith
Reuben Vogt
Alexandre D'Artagnan
John Bracchi (Led the most laps at 6)
Anto Markov
Marco Moretti
Poon Tang
Ernst Mossbruger
Gisele Vignon

OUT

Mari Romanov
Hans Rennfahrer
Megan Hamilton
Kristian Vangsness
Velmier Jankovic
Jacob Tremblay
Mauricio Gallardo
Tomas Prochazka
Jaroslav Svoboda
Nikolaus Rundstrom
Mauro Vilar
Stasya Filipov
Matt Tremblay
Fillipa D'Ambrosio
Christian McMillan
Callum Morgan
Thomas De Bock
Lucas Flint
Miko Rantanen
Akira Tsukari


Now time to make that starting grid video...

Delgado Upbeat Despite Spa GP DNQ

Tom Delgado got out of his #7NY Lycoia failed to qualify for the Spa GP, and in a complete 360, was incredibly upbeat about his efforts.

"When you go for a spin, that probably means you're not going to advance. We were pretty much doomed from the start this week. Have to thank World Soccer magazine & the Brooklyn, New York chapter of the American Outlaws for coming on board, they'll be back with us on Championship Night & the All Star. Just wasn't meant to be this time" Delgado said with a smile.