Today’s Qualifying Race for round five of the FIA GT1 World Championship at Spa saw Peter Dumbreck & Michael Krumm driving car 23 make up an incredible 10 places, climbing from 19th on the grid to finish in ninth place. Team-mates Jamie Campbell-Walter and Warren Hughes in car 22 did well to retain their starting position of 20th, after Campbell-Walter was hit by another car at the first corner, the damage requiring a pit stop for a punctured tyre.

Following a successful test at the circuit a few weeks ago, the team went to the classic Belgium track quietly confident with its dry-weather set up for both Nissan GT-Rs. Even with rain during pre-race testing on Thursday, the drivers were still comfortable with the feel of their cars and therefore, it came as a surprise when car 23 qualified 19th and car 22 was 20th.

This unusual turn of events for the Sumo Power GT team was attributed to Krumm being held up by slower cars during his flying laps and Hughes not able to get his second set of tyres to grip properly, the track temperature not as warm as the team had anticipated. This now meant that both cars would go on the offensive for the afternoon’s hour-long race.

Even with 50 kilos of success ballast on board, Dumbreck made a great start and exited the first corner in 16th place. In contrast, Campbell-Walter was rammed by the Maserati of championship leader Michael Bartels who went for a non-existent gap on the inside. The impact pushed the Sumo Power GT car into a Corvette, which promptly punctured the Nissan’s right-front tyre and then spun across its bows.

With no choice but to head to the pits to change the wheel, Campbell-Walter nursed his car around the rest of the 4.352-mile lap. Fortunately, the car sustained no other damage and, although returning to the circuit a lap down and in last place, he was determined to claw back as much lost ground as possible.

Meanwhile, Dumbreck was on a charge and, besides a tussle with the Lamborghini of Christoph Bouchut on lap 10 at turn one, a series of consistent lap times saw the Nissan driver climb to 15th before the mandatory pit stop after 25 minutes. An excellent wheel change by the team allowed Krumm to rejoin the race and capitalise on his opening lap to gain another place.

Piling on the pressure for the second half of the race, Krumm was very happy with the way his car was performing and proceeded to catch and pass cars, right up to and including the final lap. He went on to cross the line in ninth place, having increased his and Dumbreck’s starting position by an impressive 10 places.

Having swapped with Campbell-Walter, Hughes was having a similar afternoon. Also delighted with his Nissan’s handling, he was passing cars too. But, still a lap down, he was unable to make up the places his and Campbell-Walter’s performance deserved and finished as they started in 20th place.

Although not the results the team has become used to – having finished on the podium in the last five races – the consistent pace of its two cars bodes well for tomorrow’s all-important Championship race, where the main haul of points can be scored. The team’s hopes were further boosted when, in today’s race, car 23 set the third-fastest lap and car 22 the fourth.

Added to this, with the first and second-placed drivers in the championship recording non-finishes, the team stands a good chance to raise its position in the driver’s and team’s standings by the end of the weekend.

Team quotes

Michael Krumm – Driver Car 23
“Having started from 19th on the grid I am really pleased to finish 9th and I think we have recovered the situation well. Considering we are carrying the 50 kilos of success ballast, I am pleased with the pace we had. The car felt very good and I’m sure we’re in for an exciting race tomorrow.”

Peter Dumbreck – Driver Car 23
“All-in-all not a bad result. Even though the tyres were beginning to go off a little, because I was pushing hard and because of the extra weight we are carrying this weekend, the car was handling well. I’m really pleased we’ve made up for our qualifying result and we now stand a good chance of being in a points scoring position.”

Warren Hughes – Driver Car 22
“The car was so constant throughout my run I felt I could easily push. Overtaking wasn’t a problem either, as I was confident with the way the car was handling. Although we’ve got another challenge tomorrow, I’m sure that if we keep out of trouble we’ll be able to make up a lot of places.”

Jamie Campbell-Walter – Driver Car 22
“It was a real shame about the first corner shunt, as it spoilt the chance for us to improve on our grid position for the Championship Race. But with the car being right on the pace we could well make it into a points scoring position, so all is not lost by a long way.”

Allen Orchard – Team Manager
“It was a positive end to what was a disappointing start to the day. I’m delighted with what the drivers have said about the cars, which makes me confident that we can do well in tomorrow’s race, even though a podium position will be a tough call this time round.”

James Rumsey – Team Principal
“I think we’ve come out of this quite well. I was very pleased with the way the cars performed and, with our main rivals having problems, there’s been no real impact on our championship position.”

The fifth round of the FIA GT1 World Championship takes place at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, with the Sumo Power GT team now preparing itself for what is regarded as the most challenging track in the ten-event calendar. Once again, the team will field its two Nissan GT-Rs: car 23 driven by Michael Krumm/Peter Dumbreck and car 22 driven by Warren Hughes/Jamie Campbell-Walter.

The team will be looking to continue its unbroken run of podium places next weekend, having secured a top three finish in the last five of the season’s eight races held so far. With a first, a second and three third places, Sumo Power GT holds an impressive second in the team’s points table, whilst in the driver’s standings, Krumm and Dumbreck are fourth and Hughes and Campbell-Walter are fifth.

A major feature of this global super-car series is its ‘balance of performance’ criteria, with successful cars allocated ballast in order to encourage close racing. Therefore, car 23 will carry an additional 20 kilos following an excellent third place in round three at Brno in addition to a further 30 kilos after finishing an even better second in round four at Paul Ricard.

Although the extra 50 kilos is expected to put Krumm and Dumbreck at a disadvantage, an extremely positive day’s testing at Spa earlier this month boosted the team’s confidence, especially as it was the first time its two Nissan GT-Rs had been driven on the Belgium track.

For Hughes and Campbell-Walter in car 22, success ballast will not be an issue at this event, as their weight penalty for winning round two at Silverstone no longer applies. Also pleased with the Spa test, both drivers are hoping that a return visit to the podium will be a distinct possibility.

However, much will depend on the weather and track conditions during the weekend, as the area in which the circuit resides is renowned for its changeable climate. It’s also a circuit that commands respect from the drivers, mainly because of its fast, twisty and hilly character, which is the main reason why so many enjoy competing there.

A lap of Spa measures a shade over seven kilometres (4.352 miles) and contains 21 bends. The circuit is the venue for the Belgium Grand Prix. It is also host to the famous 24-hours endurance race, which this year is scheduled to take place immediately after the GT1 event.

The timetable sees the FIA GT1 World Championship cars first take to the track on Thursday at 11.30 for Free Practice, followed by Pre-Qualifying at 16.30. Qualifying for the first race takes place on Friday at 09.45, with the first hour-long race scheduled for 15.00. The main Championship race, also one-hour long, gets the green light at 12.05 on Saturday.

Team quotes

Michael Krumm – Driver Car 23
“I’ve raced at Spa many times and it’s a circuit I look forward to driving on. With our 50 kilos of success ballast it’s going to be a challenging weekend, but following the test the car is set up well and, if we can look after the tyres, I believe we can still challenge for a good points score.”

Peter Dumbreck – Driver Car 23
“Spa is one of the most enjoyable tracks to drive, but it’s difficult to do the perfect lap because the track is long and the car can be compromised in certain corners to benefit others. We are carrying 50kg of success ballast from our last two podium finishes so it will be a tough weekend for us. Therefore, we might not have the ultimate pace of the front runners but I think we definitely have a chance of scoring points.”

Warren Hughes – Driver Car 22
Its high speeds and technical corners are what makes Spa so challenging – and what makes it such a good ‘driver’s’ circuit. The weather can be an issue, but our cars have gone well in most conditions this season. Our test was good and therefore, if we get a consistent run I think there’s no reason why we shouldn’t challenge for another win.”

Jamie Campbell-Walter – Driver Car 22
“I’ve raced at Spa a lot over the years, but even though I know the circuit it’s still a challenging place to drive.  We tested there after Paul Ricard and things went very well. In fact, we came away very pleased. Having won a round already this season – even though we were third across the line – it’s difficult not to aim for first. However, a good haul of points is what the team is after and, with the other car now carrying 50 kilos of success ballast, it is likely to be down to us to get into a high scoring position this time round.”

Allen Orchard – Team Manager
“I was very pleased with the way the cars performed at the test at Spa earlier this month. Of course, it’s difficult to measure how good our pace really is until race weekend. We know that the Maseratis and Fords will be tough to beat as they are likely to suit this type of circuit, but we like to be the team that pulls a few surprises – as we’ve done before!.”

James Rumsey – Team Principal
“Every circuit we’ve been to this season has been different from the last, so it’s a real challenge for the team to get the cars set up, bearing in mind we have very little historical data to go on. Therefore, this makes the results we’ve achieved so far even more rewarding and I’m looking forward to see if we do another good job at Spa.”