In by far the toughest conditions faced by the Le Mans Endurance Series regulars this season, the four Care Racing supported Ferrari 550 Maranellos all came home safely in the 1000km of Silverstone, with the Czech Menx team taking GT1 victory for the first time.
Second place for the Convers team boosted their Championship standings and they now lead both the GT1 drivers' and teams' points tables while the BMS Scuderia Italia's cars finished in fifth and sixth positions in class and they trail the Convers team by just three points.
The majority of the race was run in dreadful weather conditions, with multiple and lengthy safety car periods due to incidents, accidents and the sheer force of the rain. Despite this, and having to run the closing stages in darkness on an unlit circuit, the Menx drivers held their nerve and kept a cool head and brought the black Ferrari home in a hugely impressive fifth place overall.
Victory was particularly sweet for Peter Kox – standing in for Tomas Enge who was making his IRL comeback in Phoenix – with the Dutchman completing a marathon three and a half hour stint behind the wheel of the same car he drove to its maiden victory back in 2001.
"I think for me it was a fantastic result because of the history I have with this car," he said. "I started the Care Racing/Prodrive Ferrari 550 programme with a shakedown here at Silverstone in 2001 - in this chassis - and I won the first race with it and now again at Silverstone. It's the second time this year I've won here so it's been good to me.
"It was a very difficult race, exactly the same weather conditions as in the 1997 FIA GT race which I won too. I was very unhappy with the organisation, how they handled the safety issues, but in the end we didn't make any mistakes and we were in a position to win the race."
Robert Pergl was the quickest of all the GT1 cars during his stint, while it was left to Jarek Janis to being the car home in only his second race in the car.
"Everything went very well," he said. "I was very nervous before my stint because I was the one who was going to finish the race and you are told to keep pushing but to keep your position too so it's quite a responsibility. I also had this job in Monza. I have to thank the team because they did really well and didn't make any mistakes, and also to Peter and Robert. It's perfect."
One of the most experienced of all the drivers at Silverstone today, Christophe Bouchut admitted that the conditions had been some of the worst he had ever faced as he and Alexey Vasiliev took second in class to move into the championship lead in the Cirtek Motorsport run Convers Team car.
