Round 5 - France (Magny-Cours)



ACE SERIES 		France (Magny-Cours)
Race Distance: 71 laps
1998/99 Pole Position: Mirko Patzenbein (1:06.774)
1998/99 Race Winner: Michal Janak (1h27:19.741)


Qualifying (wet)

PosNo.DriverTeamTimeDiff.LapsPts
1.  #23  Jan Svehlik  Bolgani  1:20.044  +00.000  9  20
2.  # 9  Thomas Bodlien  Yapamotox  1:20.908  +00.864  10  16
3.  # 7  Nuno Maltez  Rocketship  1:21.484  +01.440  10  14
4.  #42  Claudio Di Martino  Uaie  1:21.833  +01.789  9  12

Race (wet)

In the pouring rain which arrived just before the start of the race, Mike Hogg took an immediate lead from the back of the grid, getting the best start in the poor conditions. The Yapomotox pair followed him off and debutant Di Martino spun at the first corner, rejoining 26 seconds behind the leaders.

On lap 3 Bodlien took the lead easily from a struggling Hogg and began to pull away. Maltez spun into the pit wall coming through the last corner and appeared in the pits on the next lap for a replacement rear wing. A similar accident for Ziarnik also saw the Yapomotox in the pits on lap 7.

A big impact for Di Martino brought him into the pits for repairs but 3 laps later he brought his uncontrollable car in to retire.

On lap 17 while the rain was at it's heaviest, Maltez steered a little wide at the hairpin and found there was no grip at all, spinning into a gravel trap which bogged him down and forced his retirement.

Lap 22 saw another retirement as Mike Hogg lost control of his Team Ecosse whilst battling for second with Zirarnik, ripping his front wheel off against the pit wall. All of this left Bodlien well ahead to win by a lap from his team mate.

PosNo.DriverTeamTimeDiff.Pts 
1.  # 9  Thomas Bodlien  Yapamotox  1h40:41.262  +0:00.000  180+5+3
2.  #27  Rafal Ziarnik  Yapamotox  -1 laps     170 
3.  # 5  Mike Hogg  Team Ecosse  21 laps  31.3%  49+5
4.  # 7  Nuno Maltez  Rocketship  16 laps  23.4%  36 
5.  #42  Claudio Di Martino  Uaie  14 laps  20.6%  30 

Last modified: Sunday 19 March 2000 - 21:15