Spa Report - 7-8 October

Edward Sandstrom took the chequered flag in both Avo Ginetta races but it was Stewart Linn who was the real winner this weekend as he finished second and fourth to strengthen his grip on the championship.

He edged closer to the title in Saturday’s first race, just missing out on a podium position, on a greasy track, following early morning showers across the Spa circuit although the sun came out to greet the drivers as proceedings got underway. 

It was Sandstrom who took the flag following a great move to pass Mark Wania on the final lap, the pair having shared the lead for the majority of the race. They’d broken away from everyone else early on and while they tussled Linn, his title-rival Dave Devine and Julian Barrett played out a great battle in the fight for third place. The series leader appeared to playing it safe, sitting a close but comfortable fifth for the majority of the scrap, a wise move considering a low or no points could hand the initiative elsewhere in his quest for the crown, and that’s where he stayed although it was as good as fourth with Sandstrom ineligible for points, while Devine pipped Barratt for third. 

“Wania started to block me because I passed him on the inside first and he started to block me because he knew I was quicker than him on some parts of the course especially the slower bends,” said Sandstrom. “I tried to go for the inside but I was sliding everywhere so I got him on the outside. Spa is a fast track and the car isn’t that fast on the straights but in the corners it has a good flow and it’s great fun as it’s neutral and there’s a little bit of over steer. There’s so much to racing these cars basically never take your foot off the pedal!”

“I still haven’t won a race, I manage to lead them but can’t quite get there at the end” said Wania. “He overtook me around the outside at Blanchimont, which I was defending. It was a fair move then we had a little coming together at bus stop. I loved it though I’ve dreamt about coming here for years ever since I was a kid. It’s just a pleasure to be here but the fact I’m quick is even better really.”

“It was wet but I didn’t have much trouble with grip,” he added. “I just settled myself down. I normally get a bit excited but I was calm on this occasion. It took me a while to catch him but I was worried I was going to get black flagged as I was taking Eau Rouge flat and I was going a bit wide.”

“Unfortunately I couldn’t hold on to the lead at the start,” said Devine. “ Mark caught us up, he seemed very quick and within a lap or so I was fighting with Julian which allowed Mark to get away which isn’t all bad for the championship as I’m battling with Julian for second spot. I felt quicker than him and I made sure on the last lap so I’m very, very happy. Stewart needs to have some very bad luck not to take the championship. I’ll keep trying and see what happens but I’d be very surprised if I won it now. Words can’t describe how good Spa. I could race here every day of the year.”

Sunday’s race was more like the blood and thunder affair we’ve come to expect from the Ginetta series, run in brilliant sunshine, but this time a five-car encounter in the bid for top spot, again the usual suspects but Sandstrom and Wania unable to get things all their own way. The lead changed hands on numerous occasions and five became three when Barratt and Wania came together and spun off at Les Combes on lap four.

Slipstreaming was the order of the day as Sandstrom and Devine continued to attack with Linn looking to pick up anything that should come his way and it was a compliment to their driving that the trio never made contact.

A last gasp move at the hairpin saw Sandstrom locking up as he defended his lead yet he got the power on superbly out of the corner and then crossed the line less than half a second ahead of his race rivals.

“That was a bit tougher than yesterday because slip streaming at spa is fantastic,” said Sandstrom, “so if you don’t have the speed you just follow the other driver and then you overtake then he follows you so you just have to plan your move every time. In the beginning I thought I could get a big enough advantage but they managed to slip stream me so I couldn’t do anything. I let them lead into Bus Stop so I could get the slipstream into the last lap and I got the lead, then it was foot down into the finish line. I was locking up early on and then I locked up into the hairpin and from there I felt confident I would win which I did.”

“It was just a case of could not lead!” smiled Devine. “There was a couple of times I got ahead and thought there’s enough of a gap to pull away but the slip streaming here is immense. They could get a second and a half a lap purely through slipstreaming. It makes for great racing to watch but inside the car it makes you panic. I knew the car’s very strong in the dry but we’ve been struggling all year with the wet set-up, so it was easier to stay with the front car today. It was better than normal in the wet for the first race but we still need to make improvements there. Sandstrom was trying his hardest into the Bus Stop and La Source on the last lap. He just about slowed the car down enough to get around and dropped me on the way out otherwise I think I would’ve slipped past but he did very well and I’m extremely happy!”

“At the beginning of the week if you’d said I’d get a second and a fourth I’d be delighted which I obviously am,” said Linn. “The first race I struggled a little in the greasy conditions but the car came through and I scored good points. Today’s probably the best race I’ve had all year. It was really clean passing every lap. It was very prominent in my mind not to get too involved at first as I wanted to finish so I was quite content to sit back on the opening laps and not make any rash moves and take my chance if it came along and luckily there were a few that just opened up for me. I took them but I couldn’t quite stay ahead of them. At the end at the hairpin I just didn’t know which way to go they were diving left and right. I got a good run out of the corner but I couldn’t get through on the way to the line. Onto Donington now, my sponsors are coming down so fingers crossed I can win the title there.”