PSI Motorsport’s 2005 Projects
One of the biggest news items at the Racing Car Show at Liège was the presentation of the 2005-PSI Motorsport programme – writes Joost Custers.

PSI will be racing in Belcar again. The team from Thimister-Clermont enters two Porsche 997 GT2-R biturbos. As Vincent Vosse leaves the team to join Kuismanen, so he will be replaced by Jos Menten, joining Fred Bouvy in the Red Bull-coloured Porsche.

“From AD Sport to PSI is a step forwards,” says Menten. “Whereas I was able to get an occasional podium in the AD machine, I should be able to fight for the championship in the new PSI 997. At first, I wanted to do a full FIA-GT championship, but this type of racing gets too expensive for a non-professional.”

Jos Menten is a 23 year old, who runs a company with his father. “Belcar with PSI offers the chance to win and that’s what a racing driver wants. I will also do the Marlboro Masters in this car and probably the Spa 24 hours.”

Fred Bouvy is happy with his new teammate, but also looks forward to getting Vosse back on his side during the Spa 12 Hours (see below).

The second car is for PSI factory driver Markus Palttala and gentleman racer Leo Van Sande. Leo is confident too: “Winning is a must now. We had a difficult 2004, owing to mechanical problems, bad luck but also because I didn’t know the car too well. This has to change and so I’ll be testing a lot more. But I think that Markus and me will be serious contenders!”

Leo Van Sande will also enter a PSI Cup Porsche in the Spa 12 hours, and his Biturbo in the Spa 24 Hours. “I will have a full race program in 2005 with PSI Motorsport, but that’s not all. I’ll also do some VdeV races, probably in a CvO R01, with a French co-driver. ”

As you’ve read (above), PSI will be contesting the BTCS series, the other endurance series in Belgium. Two Porsche 996 Supercups will be entered in this championship for Cup-GT cars, silhouettes and Touring Cars. Fred Bouvy will drive the first car and David Loix will be joined by Vosse for the Spa 12 hours. The second pair of drivers will be announced soon.

But the most interesting news was PSI accepting the challenge of the LMES. “There is a good chance that we will compete in the entire series in the PSI 996 GT3-RSR,” explains Markus Palttala. “But today, we can only confirm the races at Spa, Monza and Silverstone. My teammate could be Robin Rudholm, the reigning champion of the Scandinavian Porsche Cup.”

A busy year, because we also expect to see several cars from PSI in the FFSA-series in France.