3 Hours of Dijon – Challenge Endurance GT / Tourisme V de V: The Ginetta LNT finally takes its victory!

The Dijon weather this weekend, while causing a real headache for the team strategists, offers indecisive races until the checkered flag. Despite three hours of a thrilling Challenge race Endurance GT/Tourisme V de V, the contours of the victory of the Ginetta G55 of the LNT team entrusted to Lawrence Tomlinson, the Director of the British brand, and his teammate Tom Sharp, only took shape during the twenty final minutes of the event, when the condition of the track forced the teams to use Michelin “slick” tires.

The rain returned yesterday evening, Saturday, at the end of the VHC Endurance Challenge event, and welcomed the drivers again this Sunday morning. Due to the conditions, the start is delayed by around fifteen minutes, time to clean the track, and when the pack is released, the Ferrari Visiom n°2, author of pole position, does not last long at the front. Thierry Perrier, handicapped by a maladjusted rear axle, following a collision with the No. 267, slipped outside the Top 5 after 10 laps of a race initially dominated by the astonishing Jean-Paul Von Burg, associated with Rémi Terrain on the Porsche 911 GT3-R n°267 from the Swiss team ANT Performance. It is however written that it must be a circuit for the Ginetta G55 number… 55. Tomlinson therefore takes control on the 6th lap and, we do not yet know, will only give up his leadership thanks to the refueling .

After 35 minutes of racing, a few drops reappeared on the track and the No. 267 spun, punctuated by a trip to the pits to check the health of the Swiss 911. There Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 n°30 from the Zumstein family, entered by G-Private Racing, then takes over in 2nd position and, even if the gap widens with the leader (+5??9) after 30 minutes, +33 ?? after 45), the German GT kept it until its first stop, made in concert with the Ginetta. Tom Sharp then took over from Tomlinson and returned to the track in 3rd position. But while the English stopped 2:48??, the SLS pit-stop lasts 4:43?? and the Swiss fell to the bottom of the Top 10. Success was even less on their side as a heavy downpour fell five minutes later, after 1h15 of racing. The conditions are such that the safety car is deployed. Then begins the rush into the stands…

Neutralization represents a boon for many competitors who have not stopped. Among them, we highlight the No. 18 Ruffier Racing Porsche of Philippe GailLard / Sacha Bottemanne, leader of GTV3, the No. 458 Ferrari 8 Challenge of Team Pozzi of Franck Metzger / Carlos Sarrea, the No. 267 Porsche, the No. 30 Mercedes and the #2 Ferrari Visiom which makes its second stop there after 1h40 of racing, and which sees Jean-Bernard Bouvet take the wheel. The strategy is excellent and the beautiful Italian, 8th in the ranking, begins her comeback by stringing together the best laps. Two loops, however, from the Ginetta which prances in the lead ahead of the Ruffier Racing Porsche n°17 ​​of Lafargue father and son and the astonishing Porsche n°18, also registered by Ruffier, 3rd in the ranking thanks to the conditions!

There are 40 minutes left in the race and the track is drying out more and more. In the leading fifth, made up of cars n°55, 17, 18, 2 and 14 (one of the Spanish Moslers), only the n°2 made its three stops, the last of which with a switch to “slick” tires ". The most judicious strategy of the event, which allows the trio of the Vision team, Jean-Paul Pagny / Thierry Perrier / Jean-Bernard Bouvet, to regain second place in the final and thus erase the disappointment of Le Mans and Castellet. A result all the more unexpected as they were disturbed by the behavior of the F458.

The collective switch to "slicks" twenty minutes from the finish did not upset the hierarchy and the Tomlinson/Sharp duo finally won after having encountered many disappointments this season. “We did a lot of endurance testing and we knew we would run into problems,” admits Tomlinson. “They are determined now, the car was perfect, and I am happy to achieve this victory with Tom who, from the G55 Cup to the British GT, is a pure product of the Ginetta sector. »

The podium is completed by the solid Patrice and Paul Lafargue father and son, ahead of the Porsche 997 Cup S of the Alméras team of Ledogar / Martinet / Tremblay, victorious in GTV2 after a distance fight with the Audi R8 LMS AB Sport Auto. Despite 8 pit stops and 11?17?? pit stop, the trio Jousse / Thybaud / Proust took second place in the category, behind the Porsche Lorient of Ancel / Blasco / Gibon, but ahead of the Porsche 997 Cup winner of the GTV3 thanks to the Gaillard / Bottemanne pair. In S1, finally, victory went to the SFV8 Solution F of Charriol / Carugati.