SPANISH GT: Jerez 27th-28th October 2007

The 2007 Spanish GT champoinship drew to a dramtic climax at Jerez in the last week of October. With no clear favourite, the title was finally balanced.

Sadly, the Mosler teams were out of the running for overall honours, but the weekend also saw all four of them take to the field. Santiago García was joined by another new partner, the former Formula Nissan champion Santiago Porteiro.

Race one qualifying saw another strong perfomance from Motor Competicion, taking second place on the grid. Garcia, Breyner and Palencia struggled a little, qualifying in 11th, 12th and 27th respectively.

But it was another middling Mosler performance; new kid on the block Porteiro turning in the best times to take thirteenth, ahead of the Breyners (17th), Motor Competicion (21st) and Palencia (out on lap 13).

So, what could the marque make out of the last race of the season? Qualifying was certainly stronger; 5th for the Breyners, 7th for Garcia & Porteiro, 15th for the Motor Compecion car and 26th for Palenca and Puig.

Stakes were high; for some, the championship was there to be won or lost. Sundberg and Romero drove a cautious race in the RSV Ferrari as they aimed to finish above GPC Sport to take the title. Such caution was attacked firmly by Garcia, overhauling the field in the latter stages to take his first Spanish GT win and the second for a Mosler in 2007.

The Breyners came hoem in fifth and Palencia in 13th; the Motor Competicion Mosler faield to finish.

As Garcia celebrated the race win, so Sundberg and Romero celebrated third place, good enough to garner enough points to make them champions. And then... the RSV pairing were handed a time penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag, pushing them back into sixth place and behind GPC Sport's Giao and Couceiro in the overall standings. So, RSV finished the race as champions, GPS left the circuit as champions - who is crowned finally with the 2007 title now rests on a tribunal hearing.

Jerez turned out to be the lucky circuit for the Moslers with both of their wins here, Garcia this weekend and Motor Competicion back in May. That win helped Villalba and Gutierrez to seventh spot in the championship, the highest Mosler finishers. Santiago Garcia's win this weekend lifted him to 14th and Santiago Porteiro to 25th. Garcia's other co-drivers, Manuel Mello and Fernando Navarrete, finished in 32nd and 41st. Manuel and Pedro Mello Breyner took 34th, with Palencia and Puig the only Mosler drivers not to score championship points.

Photos (c) www.gtsport.es