Circuit Spa-Francorchamps hosted Race 1 of the Spa Heat on Saturday afternoon, 23 August. On a still-drying track, the 24 entrants set off for an hour of hard-fought competition.
Romain Boeckler scored his fourth success of the season in the #22 Loire Valley Racing Ligier JS P4, run by Trajectus Motorsport. In the Ligier JS2 R class, Steven Palette and Lukas Papin secured VSF Sports’ second win of the year in the #18 car.
Ligier JS P4: Romain Boeckler (Loire Valley Racing), from pole position to victory
The race got underway behind the safety car due to the weather conditions. With the race still under neutralisation, the #60 of Iron Lynx by MRacing spun on the pit straight and hit the wall. Matteo Pianezzola made it back to the pits, but the car was unable to restart.
The race began in earnest after eight minutes behind the safety car. Romain Boeckler (#22 Loire Valley Racing) retained the lead, closely followed by Iko Segret (#6 ANS Motorsport). But moments later, the ANS Motorsport’s young driver went off track at Eau Rouge and crashed into the barriers, triggering another safety car period.
When the race resumed, the pit stop window opened. Vic Stevens (#27 Team Virage) was the first to dive in, followed by the rest of the field. Vincent Bouteiller (#19 Trajectus Motorsport) came out in the lead, but Romain Boeckler quickly regained the advantage and pulled away. Behind him, Vincent Bouteiller battled with Jude Peters (#27 Team Virage) until the latter found himself in the gravel trap, resulting in another neutralisation.
With only seven minutes remaining, Romain Boeckler pulled away and cruised to his fourth victory of the season. Behind him, the #19 Trajectus Motorsport Ligier JS P4, driven by Mathis Poulet and Vincent Bouteiller, secured its first podium finish. Christopher Preen and Kristian Brookes in the #33 360 Competition Ligier JS P4 crossed the finish line in third place. However, they were penalised for crossing the white line when exiting the pit lane. The #88 Ligier JS P4 from Team Virage, driven by sisters Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi, inherited third place.
However, the #33 360 Competition Ligier JS P4 finished at the top of the PRO-AM category, whilst David Caussanel and Yuki Tanaka, driving the #16 Ligier JS P4 from Pegasus Racing, finished first in the AM class.
Ligier JS2 R: Second win of the season for the #18 of VSF Sports
In JS2 R, pole winner, Simone Riccitelli (#7 LR Motorsport) retained the lead ahead of Noé Da Cunha (#50 Les Deux Arbres) and Cindy Gudet (#68 MRacing). The race was then interrupted to remove the damaged #6 Ligier JS P4.
At the race restart, the pit stop window opened, and all the competitors rushed to the pit lane. After the pit stops, the #50 from Les Deux Arbres Ligier JS2 R was at a standstill.
The battle then raged between Simone Riccitelli’s #7 (LR Motorsport) and the #18 of VSF Sports, now driven by Steven Palette. Making his first appearance in the series, the VSF Sports team manager and driver took the lead.
Just behind, August Therbo (#57 23Events Racing) battled with Cindy Gudet (#68 MRacing) for third place. But the race was again neutralised. At the restart, Steven Palette maintained control and led the #18 VSF Sports Ligier JS2 R to victory, giving Lukas Papin a second win for the team this season. Simone Riccitelli finished runner-up (#7 LR Motorsport), ahead of August Therbo (#57 23Events Racing).
Jordan and Alain Meyer in the #94 Pegasus Racing Ligier JS2 R won in PRO-AM. Florian Teillais and Tristan Clay (#41 VSF Sports) took top honours in the AM class. A post-race penalty for track limits dropped them down the order. Belgian driver Martin Tabery, at the wheel of the #84 Trajectus Motorsport Ligier JS2 R, seized his first victory in the AM class.
Race 2 starts tomorrow, Sunday, 24 August at 9:05 am for one hour of action, and will be streamed live on the series’ YouTube channel.
CLICK HERE for the results
CLICK HERE to watch Race 2 live
Photo Credit: DPPI
