The Corvette C6.R obviously likes the Paul Ricard circuit after GLPK Carsport led home PSI Experience to give the American car a one-two finish in the latest round of the
FIA GT Championship at the French test track.
It was a first victory for Anthony Kumpen, Mike Hezemans and Bert Longin in 2006 and a first win in the FIA GT series for the C6.R – although Jos Menten and Jean-Philippe Belloc made them fight all the way to the flag, the gap between the two under four seconds when the flag dropped after 500km of racing.
The lead had changed on numerous occasions throughout the race, but smoother pit strategies for the #4 car saw Kumpen take the advantage into the final hour and despite Menten's best efforts, he came home to secure the win – admitting afterwards that he may not have been able to hold off the blue and yellow car had the race run to three hours.
Third place on the podium went to the #2 Vitaphone Maserati MC 12 of Jamie Davies and Thomas Biagi – which has been due to start from second on the grid but hit drama before the race even started. Contact with a GT2 car on the way to the grid saw Biagi forced to bring the car back into the pits where the team completed a quick repair job to allow him to start the race from the pit-lane – the two drives launching a fine recovery to claim the final podium place.
Race Alliance had its best race to date, with Karl Wendlinger and Phillip Peter finishing fourth and the leading Aston Martin DBR9 – although there was some very close fighting between the four Aston Martin cars in action, the #33 being followed home by the #23 Aston Martin Racing BMS DBR9 and the #5 Phoenix Racing car, which recovered well to finish the race after missing much of Saturday's practice further to a gearbox sensor problem.
Seventh place went to the Spa 24 Hours winner, Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini suffering from 125 kg of ballast in the second of the Vitaphone Maseratis. Both the Maserati and the Zakspeed Saleen had 30 seconds added to their result after avoidable contact – but it wouldn't play a part in the result of the race.
Of the GT1 cars, only the Balfe Saleen and the Red Racing Lister failed to make it to the flag.
Pole position, first and second place and the fastest class race lap saw Scuderia Ecosse sweep the board in GT2 – with the two
Ferrari 430s crossing the line in a formation finish as the race drew to a close.
![Longin/Kumpen/Hezemans - GLPK Carsport Corvette C6.R [Pic credit: FIA GT/DPPI]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/255542.jpg)
