2008

2008 GRAND AM USA 5th VICTORY 24 SPA FRANCORCHAMPS SEBRING, & 24Hr LE MANS 2008

9/11/2007 - and join Krohn Racing as 2008 teammates to and Nic Jönsson

Krohn Racing Announces 2008 Drivers for Grand-Am Prototype Series Krohn Racing returns to the Grand-Am in 2008 for its third season as an independent race team of owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn. Ricardo Zonta and Eric van de Poele Join Krohn Racing The driver line-up, beginning at the 46th Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, will include Krohn paired with endurance sports car veteran Eric van de Poele in the No. 75 Pontiac-powered entry. The No. 76 car will pair team regular Nic Jönsson with former star Ricardo Zonta for the season. As 2008 Teammates to Tracy Krohn and Nic JönssonThe driver line-up, beginning at the 46th Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, will include Krohn paired with endurance sports car veteran Eric van de Poele in the No. 75 Pontiac-powered entry. The No. 76 car will pair team regular Nic Jönsson with former Formula One star Ricardo Zonta for the season. and Join Krohn Racing for 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona English sports car ace Darren Turner will be added to the Krohn No. 76 entry with Jönsson and Zonta for the Rolex 24 effort in January. Fellow Brit Oliver Gavin will join Krohn and van de Poele in the No. 75 car for the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic. TRACY W. KROHN, Krohn Racing Team Owner/ No. 75 Driver:“We are very pleased with the driver line-up we've assembled for 2008. Ricardo and Eric will add greatly to the team for our season-long efforts. Their and endurance experience will be an asset to this team. I am looking forward to working with Eric as a teammate and benefiting from his tremendous experience in sports car racing. We expect an exciting and good year ahead of us. Oliver is a great match for Eric and I for Daytona, not only because he's tall, but he has impressive endurance racing credentials. Darren was a pleasure to drive with at in the Ferrari and will fit in perfectly with the team for Daytona. The partnership of Krohn Racing and , through Proto-Auto, has produced an exciting new chassis, which we anticipate will commence its testing program in the next few days.” DAVID BROWN, Krohn Racing Team Manager and Engineer:“I'm excited about the new driver line-up for 2008 and how well we think they fit into the team. Their already high level of accomplishment is going to be a great advantage to us. We think we have a strong driver line-up in 2008 and I am looking forward to working with them all. “Apart from his obvious speed in the car, which he's shown over many years of Formula One, in sports cars and at Le Mans with Mercedes and all his previous history, Ricardo proves he's quick, calm, and a good teammate. He has a good relationship with his co-driver, Nic. They worked very well together right from the outset. His attitude and pace is a huge advantage to us. “Eric has a great deal of experience and he will be a good partner to Tracy. Eric brings a level of 2008 maturity that will complement Tracy in the car. I think they will be a formidable pairing in the Championship, and together further advance the team's goals during the year.” ERIC VAN DE POELE, 2008 Krohn Racing No. 75 Driver:“What I have learned and what is fantastic is many people in the Krohn team are really top in their department. First, I met Tracy in New Orleans a few years ago and knew Jeff Hazell from in the 1990's and later through . I worked with Jeff Braun the first time I drove the Ferrari 333 SP in 1995. We not only won the race but we finished first and fourth and I drove both cars. It was fantastic! I have known Vincenzo (Dr. Vincenzo Tota) and respect his work. He has been so kind and helped me even though we were never on the same team. I also worked with Barbara (Burns) with the Risi Ferrari team in Grand-Am. I don't personally know David Brown, but I know his reputation and it is really an honor to work with him. So I have arrived with a team where I know many people and it's very helpful. It is really like a dream to get back in America with people who form the successful Krohn team. You can't believe how happy I am. I'm also looking forward to seeing the workshop, to see the team, the car. Also it's a new challenge with the new chassis. I'm looking forward to being part of the Krohn Lola cooperation and I am sure the team will be able to develop the car with the support of Proto-Auto.” RICARDO ZONTA, 2008 Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver:“I am very happy to join the team. I know David (Brown) very well from Formula One, where we worked on the Jordan team together. “My goal this year is to win races and working with Nic and David, I'm sure that will be possible. The Grand-Am Series is very nicely organized and with experienced drivers racing.” NIC JONSSON, 2008 Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver:“I was fortunate to drive with Ricardo at Sonoma this year and get to know him a little bit. First of all, he is a very nice, laid back guy. Coming from the high-profile racing he has done in Formula One for seven or eight years, he's tremendously comfortable to be around and a very normal guy. He fit right in with the team the first time he showed up at the race track. It was a very nice environment to have him around. His credentials on the race track speaks for itself. At this point of my career, to be partnered up with a guy like Ricardo is an enormous opportunity and privilege. I firmly believe that Ricardo and I should be in contention for winning races and hopefully, both the driver and team championship in 2008. “Eric, I think, is a very good choice of a teammate/co-driver of Tracy. Obviously, they are the same height and Eric has tremendous experience as well, especially his extensive sports car history with a lot of big wins. I don't know him real well but we certainly know of each other because of racing together in the U.S. quite a while in and other cars. He also brings, obviously, extensive experience, but also a laid-back and relaxed attitude. I think that is the way we are at Krohn Racing and he's going to fit right in. I think he'll be a fantastic partner to Tracy and help Tracy to become an even better race car driver than he's become so far.” DARREN TURNER, Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver for Rolex 24 At Daytona:“I'm excited to be joining Krohn Racing for the Rolex 24. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and working with Tracy and Nic at this year's Petit Le Mans; they made me feel welcome and part of the team from day one. “As with all 24 hour races, the main aim will be to have a consistent and trouble-free race and push for a strong result. It will be my first time at Daytona, but the team has some experienced people within it and Tracy and Nic had a great run at the this year, so hopefully we can start 2008 off with a podium finish. 2008

“I think the secret to success comes down to the complete package you have; car, drivers, conditions, teamwork, plus maybe a little bit of luck. I've been fortunate enough to work with some of the best people in the business and now have quite a bit of experience to draw on. In sports car racing, to be successful you have to know when to push and when to be patient, especially when it comes to dealing with slower traffic.” OLIVER GAVIN, Krohn Racing No. 75 Driver for Rolex 24 At Daytona:“Daytona 24 Hours is one of the classic sports car racing events and to have an opportunity to drive with Krohn Racing is fantastic! I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be driving with Tracy and Eric van de Poele. It seems that the team has put together a tall' driver car and short' driver car. That's quite unusual and it's good for me because when I get in the car the should be set-up comfortably. I think the Krohn team is very strong. They have a very good engineering base, very good organizational skills and proven themselves over the past few years to be one of the best teams in the Grand-Am. I want to help them achieve their goal of winning the race…whether that's our car or the other car. We're going to go there looking to get the best result possible and try to achieve as much as we can for Krohn and for Pontiac.” Eric van de Poele brings over twenty years of endurance sports car racing to the team, competing in more than 55 different racing cars on over 80 racing circuits worldwide. The Belgian is a three- time class winner at Le Mans, a two-time winner, has claimed four 24 Hour victories at Spa and a victory in the inaugural Petit Le Mans. After a brief start in single-seaters (Formula 3) in 1983, van de Poele made the move to Touring cars in 1985, then Formula 3000 and even competed in Formula One for two seasons (1991-92), all while honing his endurance racing skills. He has competed in a major endurance sports car race for each of the past 14 consecutive years. Brazilian Ricardo Zonta has over ten years experience in Formula One competition, having worked with such teams as McLaren, Honda, Jordan and . Krohn Racing's Engineer and new Team Manager David Brown knew Zonta from their days together at Jordan in 2001 and recommended him to fill-in for a suspended at the Sears Point race this past August. Zonta's ability to find speed quickly his first time ever in the Grand-Am Prototype and work smoothly with the team ensured him as a top pick for 2008. Like many race drivers, Ricardo got his start in go karting in his native , for five years (from 1987-1992) before making the jump to the Formula Championship, then Formula 3, Formula 3000 and FIA GT before landing in F1. This past year Zonta added another dimension to his biography when he competed all season in the Brazil Nextel Stock Car Championship. In 2007, Krohn Racing finished fourth and 12th with their two-car team in the Grand-Am Protoytpe Team Championship. Tracy Krohn was the winner of the prestigious “Jim Trueman Award” for Sportsman drivers. In 2006, Krohn Racing driver Jörg Bergmeister captured the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Prototype Driver Championship. Krohn Racing was second in the Prototype Team Championship, a marked achievement for the new team. The first race of the 2008 season will be the 46th Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, scheduled for January 26-27, 2008 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Test Days run from January 3-5, 2008. For more information, please see www.grand-am.com or www.krohnracing.net. 2008 2008

24HR DAYTONA

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley: “The team did a great job this weekend. We had our challenges certainly -- with the rain and some problems in the night -- but everyone worked hard and overcame them. The finishing positions, fourth and seventh, show a fantastic start of the season for Krohn Racing. A 24-hour race is always difficult because you have to be prepared for anything. Everyone worked together and solved whatever problems we had to the best ability. “For Krohn Racing it's brilliant. They really were on the back foot this weekend. One car didn't even make qualifying and the other was in 15th place but the guys did such a great job on the race strategy. We had problems; it wasn't like it was a clean run – damage, windscreen, wiper motors not working when there was a fair bit of rain out there, they all dealt with it really well. The team did a mega job.” Comments:24hr Daytona 2008

Krohn Racing Post-Race Report 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona Krohn Racing has reason to be proud of their results in the 2008 running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race. The two-car team finished fourth and seventh in the 46th running of the twice-around-the-clock historic enduro by racing smart and steady in the 24-hour race known for its unpredictable results. The No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley of Tracy W. Krohn, Eric van de Poele and Oliver Gavin also drove a smart and well-paced race. They started from the back of the Prototype grid, in the 25th position, after skipping qualifying to make a minor body repair. Gavin finished the race just 17 laps down from the winning No. 01 Lexus Riley of , , and . The previous highest Daytona Krohn racing team finish was fifth in the 2006 Rolex 24 race. Krohn Racing is now in its third full season in the class of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. 2008

12HR SEBRING ALMS

The No. 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari of Tracy W. Krohn, Nic Jönsson and Eric van de Poele took their Risi-Competizione-prepared Ferrari 430 GT to a third place finish in the 56th Annual 12 Hours of Sebring race Saturday night in Sebring, Florida. 2008

Attrition, as usual, played into the results at the season-opening (ALMS) race at the historic 3.7-mile circuit. Only 20 of 33 cars finished the grueling race. Heat was also a factor, especially for the No. 61 Ferrari, as the only problem they suffered in the demanding race was the air cooling system to the driver's helmet. 2008 2008

Houston-based 's current GT2 Drivers Champions, and – together with Italian Ferrari GT driver, – were not so fortunate at the Florida classic today. After holding a commanding class lead for the first five and a half hours of the race, the No. 62 car was involved in an incident with a competitor, which resulted in the retirement of both cars. ERIC VAN DE POELE, Driver, No. 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT: “It was a great result. It was very hot in the car today and we had problems with the air to the helmet. Other than that, it was great. Tracy and Nic drove well and kept a good pace. I am very happy with the result. I want to thank Giuseppe and Krohn Racing. Every time I come back with Risi, we get on the podium. It's fantastic!” 2008

HOMESTEAD -Miami

The Gainsco Grand Prix of Miami was a challenging race, as nine cautions were called for a total of 40 laps in the two-and-three-quarter hour sprint race. Pit strategy and timing were a factor in the finale outcome, as the No. 01 Ganassi Lexus Riley of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas won the 99-lap race. The No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola finished 11th in class (21st overall) with Nic Jonsson and Ricardo Zonta piloting. The No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola Prototype of team owner/driver Tracy Krohn and co-driver Eric van de Poele finished 12th in class (22nd overall). 2008 2008

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola: “My stint was pretty good. The car was very good. I couldn't do better than what I did today. We knew before the beginning of the race. We did the best we could. It was unfortunate we lost a lap in the beginning. If we had not done that, we could have had a very good result. We lost Tracy's radio just before the start and there was nothing we could do about it. The positive thing is that I know the car is very good. I know the potential of the car, so I'm happy about that.”

MEXICO

Krohn Racing captured their first podium finish of the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series at the City 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Saturday, April 19. Starting driver Nic Jönsson and teammate Ricardo Zonta finished third in the No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola in the 100-lap sprint race at the 2.5-mile, 14-turn circuit in downtown . Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:

“I enjoyed the race very much because I stayed on the lead lap and was fighting with Antonio Garcia, so it was very nice. The car had a really good set-up. We still need a little bit of speed but we are racing better and better every time. I hope the tenth position is just the beginning of the season. Soon we are going to catch the front. I am so happy for the other car (the No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta). For the team it is really fantastic, as well as for the new Lola and for everyone. The key of the race was that Tracy kept the pace and stayed 2008 on the lead lap, which was fantastic. Tracy drove a perfect race again, just like he did in all the races we've done together this year – at Daytona and Homestead, and also with the Ferrari at Sebring. He drove perfectly. I'm very happy.”

VIR

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola: “I enjoyed the race very much because I stayed on the lead lap and was fighting with Antonio Garcia, so it was very nice. The car had a really good set-up. We still need a little bit of speed but we are racing better and better every time. I hope the tenth position is just the beginning of the season. Soon we are going to catch the front. I am so happy for the other car (the No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta). For the team it is really fantastic, as well as for the new Lola and for everyone. The key of the race was that Tracy kept the pace and stayed on the lead lap, which was fantastic. Tracy drove a perfect race again, just like he did in all the races we've done together this year – at Daytona and Homestead, and also with the Ferrari at Sebring. He drove perfectly. I'm very happy.” 2008

The Krohn Racing two-car team did not have the result they had desired at the Bosch Engineering 250 at VIRginia International Raceway for the fourth round of the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.The No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola of team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn and Eric van de Poele, finished 12th in today's 77-lap race, despite a drive-thru penalty. The No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta suffered an electrical component problem and finished 17th in Daytona Prototypes, three laps down from the leaders. The race was won Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, in the No. 01 TELMEX Ganassi Lexus Riley, for the third time this season.

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:“I am very disappointed for the team because of the problem on the other car. With our car, we had very good strategy and it worked very well in the beginning with Tracy, where he ran as high as 3rd position. When we did our driver change, Tracy has to take the steering wheel off and I put it back. When I started to leave the pits, the pit speed limiter was not on anymore. So, I was too fast in the pits and had to do a drive-thru penalty. I lost time and that was really a pity because we lost 30 seconds. Then in a battle on the track, a car pushed me off, so I had a spin. The car that spun me got a penalty. By the time I caught back up to the field, I was one lap down. It was over then and I could only stay in 12th. After that, I was just fighting to try to keep my position. It was very good racing, very hard racing. I had fun but was disappointed for the final position. We could have been much better than this. That's racing. We were very lucky with the yellow and everything was perfect. Again, the pit stop was perfect. The car was reliable and no problem. We are looking forward to being at Laguna. We are going to be better than this weekend.” 2008

LE MANS 24hr

The team’s second car, the #83 Ferrari 430GT entered for Krohn Racing drivers Tracy Krohn, Nic Jönsson and Eric van de Poele, was unfortunately not able to repeat its podium success of 2007. Just before the one hour mark in the race, Tracy Krohn exited the track coming out of the Arnage corner and hit the barriers, causing damage to the front and rear of his car. He attempted to continue but was unfortunately forced to come to a halt in the curves, with damage to the radiator and rear suspension which ultimately led to the car’s retirement from the race. Nic Jönsson had completed one stint, but Eric van de Poele did not get to drive. 2008 2008

MID OHIO

The No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola of owner/driver Tracy Krohn and Eric van de Poele qualified 13th and got as high as third place early in the race before and penalty and brief off-road excursion relegated them to a 14th (DP class) finish. Everyone was challenged by the rain and the two and three-quarters hour Grand-Am race finished under yellow flag conditions following a multi-car wreck on the front straight. ”Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:“It was interesting in the rain for the first time. We did not have the best set-up and it was really tough, quite difficult. However, I really like the rain conditions. I got the car up to third. Even if I spun a few times, like everybody, I had a lot of fun. But, unfortunately we did not have the finish position we wanted. It's a bit disappointing, but in another way, we are there. We were third at one point, so it means we can compete. We still a need a better car for any conditions, but we closed the gap. We definitely closed the gap.” 2008 2008

BRUMOS 250 PORSCHE DAYTONA

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:Daytona is traditionally a good track for the Krohn Racing team. At the 24 Hours, the team opted to run last year's Riley's, so the Brumos Porsche 250 will be the debut of the Proto-Auto Lola at Daytona. Please share your thoughts on that?“The thing is we had the experience of the Daytona test, so it is going to give us some direction how to work. It's the first time this year at Daytona with this car for a race though. Every time we go on a track we have to work a new system to learn everything. After that we still don't know if we are going to be very competitive. As we have seen, every race we are more and more competitive. So, I'm quite confident. There's not a lot of testing, which doesn't help us. I think it will be a very good race and I'm sure we will do well.”This event will be a Grand-Am one-day race format. What do you think of that concept of practice, qualifying and racing all in the same day?“I will tell you after the race if it is a good idea. I think in one way it could be terrible for some teams. If you have a big problem you don't have much time to set back up everything. Even if there is an engine failure, a mechanical problem or something, it will transform the day into a nightmare. I don't think the concept is a bad idea though because you really have different kind of races – you have long distance, you have sprint, and you have everything all in one day. It makes a championship that is quite diverse and very interesting. Personally, I think it's a good idea. I would not want all races to be like this, but it's great!” 2008

What do you like best about the Daytona track?“Of course, it's quite funny to be on the banking. It's like a straight for us with absolutely no work to do. Even in the rain it is flat out. All the atmosphere of the Daytona race track is quite nice. Of course you are in a very nice place too, with the beach and everything. It is quite nice to go to Daytona Beach. Every time I look forward to it. The race track itself is always very slippery, but you need top speed. You really need a car that is mechanically very good and with no drag. Also in the straight you can pass cars. I like to go to Daytona. It's always nice. I'm always very happy to go to Daytona.” 2008 2008

PORSCHE 250 RACE AT BARBAR Motorsport Park

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:“after getting back in the lead lap and be in 10th position, I was fighting with the car in front of me on the restart and he was going down by all the GT cars in front of him. I arrived quicker than him at the hairpin. When I pulled away, the other GT didn't see me. A GT car hit me in the back and I spun and hit other cars. It's really a shame because the car was quite good. Anyway, that's racing.” 2008 2008

24HRS SPA 2008

Foto Avb

Eric van de Poele On Another WinA Fifth For The Fine Belgian As the draft of this piece is typed up, Eric van de Poele is on his way to his next meeting, this week's 200 mile event at Watkins Glen, in the Krohn Racing Lola Pontiac – and he heads there as the only five-time winner of the Spa 24 Hours, he and , and Stephane Sarrazin having taken a conclusive victory on August 2-3, in the #1 Vitaphone Maserati MC12. 2008

For van de Poele and Bartels that makes three wins in four years in the MC12, Bertolini sharing the wins in 2006 and 2008, having partnered vdP and the team owner in the first MC12 win, in '05.

“I'm just a little piece in a very good team,” says the modest Belgian. “All credit to Michael and his incredible team. Four times with the Maserati, with the same team and almost the same mechanics – and we have hardly had a problem with the car throughout the four 24 hour races. Consistency is the key, just like at Le Mans. “That means that pit stops, for example, are just perfect, time after time. The team is superbly organized, and for the drivers, the situation gets better every year. In the first year, 2005, we slept in the trailer, but then the next year, we had motorhomes to sleep in – and the hospitality gets better every year too. “It's hard for Michael to be a driver and a manager, but he knows exactly what the drivers need: for example the atmosphere around the team, and psychologically he knows exactly what we need. It's also hard for him because there are two Vitaphone entries, and he can't give priority to his car – the two cars are treated absolutely fairly.”

The commentators at the track made the point more than once during the race that the pair of Vitaphone cars were always there or thereabouts in the opening stages of the event, but never acted as ‘hares'. So what was the race plan for the , Eric? 2008

“Our strategy before the start was never to get more than a lap behind any of our rivals: up to half a lap behind the leader was fine, we were happy with that. For the first six hours, the battle was perfect for us, because we saw some close racing, but some of the other cars met problems, and we were first and second after a quarter of the race – we went from sixth to first in 35 minutes! - so we scored maximum points. We certainly didn't set out to go very fast from the beginning – but the plan worked perfectly.” And the Maserati 1-2 1-2 at 6 hours was repeated at 12 hours – and at 24 of course. Talking about his three partners, Eric van de Poele describes Andrea Bertolini as “a wonderful person with a perfect attitude. He is very serious when we have to be serious, he has a lot of experience and like Michael, he as exactly the right mentality for endurance racing. It is no good looking for a set-up that suits one driver – you have to be like four drivers in one.” ‘New boy' Stephane Sarrazin, unsurprisingly, did nothing but impress vdP. “I knew him a little bit before the Spa 24 Hours – and found him to be a fantastic person. We really had a dream team. “Stephane did an incredible stint in the night, to get away from the #2 car, and that was one of the significant factors in our victory. The other car also had a problem on Sunday with a brake duct that was damaged by chunks of rubber, and that cut a tyre, so they had to do an extra stop compared to us. “But overall, we had a perfect strategy, and we were very consistent. The other car was very well driven though: the eight drivers were all capable of the same lap times, and although Miguel Ramos didn't drive at night, he was very fast during the day. Stephane Lemeret is fast and experienced, and Pier Guidi and Negrao are very fast.” van de Poele describes the MC12 as “the perfect 24 hour car. The only problem I had was a wheel coming loose, just before Blanchimont. It felt like a puncture and I had a big moment. I backed off and came straight into the pits, three laps before the end of the first half of my second double stint.” 2008

His first double stint had also taken place in darkness – but then one of the four drivers was bound to be in this position, with the race starting at 16.00, and double stints being the order of the day. “It wasn't ideal (to start my first race stint in darkness), but I'd set decent lap times in darkness on Thursday evening, and I was happy to fit in with the team.” Andrea Bertolini had started the #1 car, Michael Bartels was second man in and Stephane Sarrazin was (obviously) third. “The track was a little damp off-line (in my first stint), but there was a dry line so I was on slicks – and in my second stint the track was completely dry.” As things turned out, Eric van de Poele had the honour of crossing the line at the end of the 24 hours, and the reason why illustrates how this team adapts to prevailing conditions. “I drove the last 2 hours and 45 minutes, having started that period behind the wheel on slicks. But the weather was changing, and my choice of tyres was intermediates – but I wanted to know what tyres our #2 car was on. The priority was to be on the same tyres as our other car, so that we could preserve our lead. The weather was changing all the time, and both of our cars stayed on inters to the end. In the last hour, the track was drying, and the plan then was for Andrea to take over, on slicks – but then it rained again. In those circumstances, it is always best to stay with the same driver, who is used to the conditions. They asked me over the radio if I was happy to finish the race, and to stay on inters, which of course I was. “I owe a big thank you to Michael for the faith he showed in me. He trusted me 100%, even after what happened last year. It was fantastic for me to be behind the wheel at the finish, and to finally put last year's events behind me.” That's a reference to the dramas on Sunday afternoon a year ago, when “I put a rear wheel on the white line at the end of a stint. With less fuel in the car, the brake balance changes, and I put a wheel on the white line under braking. I had to push because I had to stay with the Corvette, but I wasn't pushing any harder than before. “I was obviously very happy that the team still won the title at the end of last year, but Spa last year was terrible for me and the team. Michael was fantastic about it though: he never reproached me for what happened, and between drivers, we have an agreement that it's easy to forgive your team-mate for whatever happens.” 2007 was something of a contrast to the conclusion of the 2006 race, when Eric van de Poele set the track alight with his mastery of the slippery Spa-Francorchamps track – and kerbs. That was one of the greatest finishes to a 24 hour race ever, and if you get a chance, go back and look at DSC's 2006 archive material from that race. 2008's 24 Hours didn't match 2006 or 2007 for drama, but we couldn't reasonably have expected it to. As it turned out, last weekend's race saw the Vitaphone cars unchallenged into the second half, but the win was no less worthy for that. The only contact suffered by the winner last weekend was, oddly enough, at La Source on lap 1: “ ‘Berto' had the door closed on him by the Corvette, they touched and #5 spun. Other than that nothing – but we never intended to race other cars too closely. If I have a car close behind me, I let him pass and follow him, and with the GT2 and GT3 cars, we had agreed not to take any risks.” So the commentators had summed up the approach of the Vitaphone team pretty accurately in the opening quarter of the race: no dramas, almost low key – but didn't that tactic pay off beautifully, especially when compared to what happened to, say, the SRT Corvette, from Thursday to Saturday? 2008

2005 and 2006 had seen the winning Vitaphone Maserati driven by a threesome, while 2007 and 2008 had #1 with a quartet of drivers. Which does Eric prefer, three drivers or four? “I definitely prefer three drivers, although it was fantastic to race with Pedro (Lamy) last year and Stephane this year. But three is the maximum for me. It is a championship for two drivers (in all the other races) and I think a third should join for the 24 Hours. I've got nothing against Michael's decision to race with four, and four drivers is maybe the safer choice. For example, at the end of the 2006 race, I was approaching the three hour time limit in the car, and although Andrea was supposed to be following me, he was sick – so Michael finished the race. “But with four drivers, it's hard to get enough time in the car – and it's hard to manage eight drivers in a two-car team. And five drivers at Daytona is ridiculous!” Five wins at the Spa 24 Hours puts Eric van de Poele at the top of the pile: before this year's event, he was tied on four wins, with Jean-Michel Martin and . It wasn't GT racing when vdP scored his first two Spa wins, but the stories behind each of those two victories were real endurance tales too, so let's find out how the Belgian took his 1987 and 1998 victories, both in . 1987 saw him racing the CiBiEmme BMW M3, with fellow Belgians Jean-Michel Martin and – but that year saw him fully involved in the DTM… to the extent that he became the Champion driver. “Together with my sponsor, Lease Plan, we decided that I could just about manage to race in the 24 Hours, and in the DTM at Wunstorf, near Hanover, on the Sunday. Peter Flohr, BMW's Director of Motorsport, wasn't terribly keen, but he gave his permission for me to try and race in both meetings – so with Lease Plan's help, I organized a helicopter to take me backwards and forwards. I also persuaded Jean-Michel Martin to race with me in the M3 and not the 635 (CiBiEmme ran four cars – two M3s and two 635s). “It turned out to be an incredible weekend, beginning at Spa on Thursday, with practice and setting my night laps. Friday morning and I flew off to Wunstorf, for free practice and first qualifying, hoping that if that went well, I could go back to Spa the same day – but I wasn't terribly happy with my (first) qualifying time, so I decided to wait and try again on Saturday – and then madly rush off to Spa. I was actually timing my best lap on my watch, so I knew approximately what time I'd set, but didn't know what the others had set, because I jumped straight out of the BMW and into the helicopter. Hugues de Fierlandt was waiting for me at Spa, and he told me that I was on the pole at Wunstorf. 2008

“The Spa 24 Hours was already underway of course, and I drove two double stints in the night in the M3 (about seven hours), leaving the rest of the race to Didier and Jean-Michel. But it was raining like hell at dawn, foggy too, and it was impossible for the helicopter to take off. “I had to get to Wunstorf somehow, and managed to track down a little plane – and the pilot was Christian Tarin, who died in 1991 on the Pharaohs Rally, when 's Citroen caught fire. With all the delays, I was bound to be late getting to the DTM event – I just had to hope that the schedule was running late too – especially as there was no one at the airport to meet us! “We found a taxi, which happened to have a lady driver: I wanted to do the driving, but she drove and did a fantastic job – and we got to the track 10 minutes after the race should have started. But historic cars were still on the track, so putting my helmet on while still in the taxi, I found my car on the pre-grid. The team members were all there – looking upwards for a helicopter arriving! “After all that drama, I finished third in the race, behind and Marc Hessel, and ahead of , and simultaneously took the lead in the championship.” At the end of the season, van de Poele beat Reuter by three points, 127 to 124, so that third at Wunstorf was a vital score. “But I had to go to the podium before leaving Wunstorf, and that took a long time. We rushed like crazy back to the airport, and at that time, all I knew about our position at Spa was that we were second, one lap behind Boutsen's Eggenberger Ford Sierra. “We landed back at Liege at 16.10, ten minutes after the end of the 24 Hours – but who had won? The weather was still horrible, and there I was at an empty airport – and a guy with a cap on approached the plane. Did he know who had won at Spa? I mentioned Theys' and Martin's names, but he didn't think it was them…. I mentioned some other names, but he didn't think it was them… so Nadine, my fiancée at that time and my wife today, mentioned my name… “Yes, yes, it was van de Poele!” “Now the challenge was to try to get to Spa for the podium, so Nadine and I jumped in my M3 and drove flat out – 250 kph, on the rev limiter, but we were stopped by a policeman, who explained that 80,000 spectators were leaving the circuit, and I couldn't get through. I had to leave my car on the road, and run to the paddock. The spectators were thoroughly confused: here was the race winner – apparently arriving at the track! “Anyway, I missed the podium and the press conference, but what an incredible weekend!” The list of famous drivers (beaten by the CiBiEmme trio) in the '87 Spa 24 Hours reads like a who's who of European racing: how about this group? Jo Winkelhock, , Pierre Dieudonne, , , , , Thierry Tassin, , Jean- Denis Deletraz, , , , Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, Jesus Pareja, , Ivan Capelli, , etc. etc. Runners-up were Luis Perez- Sala, Olivier Grouillard and Wilfried Vogt, in a Bigazzi M3. 1998's win for vdP, in the Bastos Racing 318i (with and Marc Duez) wasn't as out of the ordinary as the '87 victory, but was memorable in its own way, not least because “the car was little more than a Group N car. We qualified 14th, 3.5 seconds off the pace – but we had a secret weapon. Bart Mampey was the team owner, only his second year running his own car, and we had a very special strategy. “We thought it would be impossible to win, but by making perfect pit stops, not making any mistakes and by running two stints on the tyres, we won.” 2008

Perfect pit stops, no mistakes – not unlike the strategy 10 years later. Well done Eric van de Poele, the only five time winner of the Spa 24 Hours.MC 2008 2008

SONOMA SEARS POINT

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola: “The car was pretty good and a very good set-up so thanks to the crew for that. It's always very important. Right at the beginning of my stint we decided to start with scrubbed tires, which was a good choice. Afterwards the car was oversteering, but I could manage the car consistently. It got worse and worse. I just kept my position and tried to pass a few cars under braking, which was quite good. Unfortunately during my fight to get tenth position, a car pushed me off and I spun, so I lost a few seconds and I couldn't come back from it before the end of the race for tenth position.” 2008 2008

NEW JERSEY

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola: “We knew it was going to be tough with all the traffic and in fact it was very difficult with the dust on the track as well. When we had to pass a GT car, it was really a challenge because the tires picked up a lot of dust and it was very difficult. It was especially tough after a restart because the pace car was so slow and you couldn't keep the tires clean and not get pick up. Except that, I had one spin because I tried to pass a GT and he kept me in the dust and I couldn't get back on the line and I spun on the dust on the track. I'm still eating that dirt at this moment. Afterwards, the car was perfect with the new tires on and we could rejoin the field and try to improve our position, which I did. Two laps from the end the 01 passed me and I re-passed him on the last lap. It was a good fight, very nice.” 2008

Miller Motorsport final

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola: “I was lucky to have the car in good condition at the start. Our strategy played very well for us because fortunately we had a yellow, as we expected. So we stopped on the same lap just before the GT cars. It was perfect. The car was pretty good all the way through during all my stints. Everything was perfect so I could catch a few cars. It is always nice when you see your position go higher and higher. Then Tracy got in the car next and I think we were in a very good position, in fifth place. Unfortunately the rain came very hard. I think everybody did their best and then we had a problem with the belt. Unfortunately we didn't get any luck today. It was fantastic the team fixed the car in quite a short time and we could get back on the track. Tracy could finish the race and we finished 12th. We prefer to give them a better finish but we'll look forward to next year. I was quite happy to see the Lola become more competitive. The pole was fantastic for the team who has worked so hard this year. It was the highlight of the weekend.”

ATLANTA ALMS

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT: “It was pretty good until the end. We had absolutely no problem at the beginning of the race. I think Nic had a very good pace. We were in a very good position. Unfortunately we lost a lap by no chance with the pace car but it happens. Then Tracy went in the car. We made a couple of extra pit stops over the next few laps with the cautions. Then when I got back in I think we were in 7th and I was a little demotivated but we came back and got better and better in our position. Of course we hoped to be on the podium but I think fourth place is fantastic for the team. We've had a good result two times this year with this car. Once more Giuseppe Risi won this race and I'm very happy for him. Ten years ago he won and this year he deserved it. Of course it could have been better to be on the podium with them but I'm very happy for him and for us.” 2008 2008