Round 10, the penultimate round of the BPR Endurance GT Series, saw Peter Kox join Thomas Bscher at Nogaro in an attempt to repeat the victory the pair secured earlier this season at the Nurburgring. Though John Nielsen ceded his seat in the West COMPETITION car to race in Japan, the West team looked to further close the gap between itself and the series-leading Gulf McLaren of Bellm/Weaver. The varying weather made for exciting qualifying rounds, as did a track layout which requires quick thinking and even quicker reflexes. Kox took up the challenge, driving aggressively during the qualifiers, securing the West car's third position on the grid. Fate was not to smile on the West team, however...The track proved as perilous as was feared. Peter Kox went for a quick start, forcing his way to the inside immediately. The resulting confusion at the first bend, however, saw the West COMPETITION McLaren, the Gounon/Bernard/Belmondo Ferrari, and the Lammers/Giroix Lotus, spin off. The accident was such that it left one of the West car's rear wheel track-rods sheared, and a disappointed Peter Kox as a spectator. Tragically, it was the end of the race for the Kox/Bscher-driven West car.
Qualifying an unimpressive seventh on the grid, it looked as though the Bellm/Weaver Gulf McLaren might disappoint the throng of Gulf supporters over from the UK to witness the success of the Gulf/GTC campaign. Those who've followed the 1996 season knew better, however. Climbing into third place by the seventh lap, the #2 Gulf McLarens race was a triumph of consistency. Alternating between third and fourth places for the first 50 laps, Bellm/Weaver moved their McLaren into second for the next 36 laps, then taking the lead from its sister Gulf car of Owen-Jones/Raphanel on lap 86 - a position the #2 car would never again relinquish. The #2 Gulf McLaren thereby secured the European Champions title and looks set to claim the World title as well. As Bellm would later say, "The Gods have shined on us!"
As to Owen-Jones/Raphanel, the duo did themselves proud. Qualifying second on the grid, the #6 Gulf car took advantage of Gounon/Bernard/Belmondo's initial spin to hold the lead for the first half of the race. Letting its sister car through to victory, Owen-Jones/Raphanel dropped briefly to fourth place, to then finish an impressive second. The Ennea/Igol of Olofsson/Della Noce/Angelelli ran an excellent race, owning the third position for most of the day, only to have its podium place snatched away 20 laps from the finish by the incredible effort of Ferte/Thevenin in the Pilot Ferrari.
Of the day's retirements, that of the #28 Ennea/Igol Ferrari was the most frustrating. Having lost much ground as a result of the spin on the first bend, the Gounon/Bernard/Belmondo car fought its way valiantly back into contention, setting the races fastest lap (1'28.218) along the way. A breakdown on lap 145 forced the Ennea/Igol car to abandon the second position it had wrested from Owen-Jones/Raphanel. Other notable retirements included those of the #22 Lotus of Lammers/Giroix and the Euser/Erdos Marcos. The day was not without serious incident, as Soames Langton, who went off in the #64 Lanzante Porsche, had to be evacuated by medical helicopter to a near-by hospital.
This unfortunate turn of events effectively ends the West COMPETITION team's attempt to repeat 1995's championship title victory. The Bscher/Nielsen-led West team takes an impressive third place in the European Series - a podium place worthy of respect, and will fight for second place overall in the World classification in Round 11. The result at Nogaro hasn't dampened the West team's enthusiasm to end the 1996 season on a high note. The last round of the series, at the Zhuhai circuit in China, promises to be a memorable finale!
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