Summary: Kessel started Part 2 off strong, but amid the pit strategies, the #2 Black Falcon Mercedes took the lead and held station for much of the race’s third quarter. The sister SLS meanwhile, hit mechanical troubles.
Giacomo Piccini started the race in the effective pole-sitting #11 Kessel Ferrari and was able to hold off the challenging Black Falcon Mercedes’ behind.
Jeroen Bleekemolen didn’t waste any time climbing up to second spot however in the #1 SLS, as he began to pressure Piccini for the entire stint. At the beginning it was a four-way fight with the #2 Black Falcon Mercedes and #44 Oman Racing Team Aston of Darren Turner backing up the rear; but the both the #2 and #44 would slowly drift back in the second half of the seventh hour.
After the first round of stops though, it started to shake up, as the #1 Black Falcon Mercedes took the lead from the Kessel 458 with Khaled Al Qubaisi driving. It wouldn’t last long however, as the #1 was slowly reeled in by both the sister car and Oman Aston.
Before the second stops, Al Qubaisi had slipped down to third and into the clutches of the Kessel car which had the slower Michael Broniszewski at the wheel in fourth.
Soon after, there was further disappointment for the Black Falcon crew, as a similar alternator issue to the one in qualifying struck the #1 car, effectively taking it out of contention. The SLS lost 12 laps with the issue, and even though once it was fixed Jeroen Bleekemolen started lapping in the 2:10s, being down in eighth spot was understandably disheartening.
With three and a half hours remaining in the race, the second safety car was called due to the #65 Loris Capirossi Kessel Ferrari going off track and into barriers, the last placed #87 GDL Porsche also went off at the same time, losing power.
The SC period had a big effect on the lead battle as it eliminated the #2’s 40 second lead, allowing the the Oman Racing Aston to close up, with the #11 Kessel Ferrari of Davide Rigon gaining over a minute in third.
When the lights went green Abdelaziz Al Faisal in the leading Black Falcon Mercedes managed to create an eight second lead almost immediately. Behind, the Rigon pressured Ahmad Al Harty’s Aston Martin and managed to make a gutsy move to get up to second.
The pursuit of the leader then started as the race entered its final quarter.
Top 5:
#2 Black Falcon Racing Mercedes
#11 Kessel Racing Ferrari
#44 Oman Racing Team Aston Martin
#99 Kessel Ferrari – Gentleman class leader
#55 AF Corse – Pro Am leader
Cup Class leader – #20 MRS GT-Racing Porsche
Stephen Kilbey
Photos: Stephen Kilbey & John Dagys
