Hey Andy, watch out for that triple F1 World
Champion!
Yeah, I’m still waylaying Y’all with Ye bevy ‘O
Canned stories I scribbled before going on sabbatical here upon No Fenders,
during my Open Heart surgery recovery. Thankfully now into week seven of said
recovery!
Apparently I listened to this sometime in early
June of last year, and just haven’t been able to find an appropriate “slot” for
“Back-timing” it’s posting. Yet with the 12 Hours of Sebring this coming
Saturday, and the Ferrari 333 SP being one of my All-time favourite Sports Car
prototypes. Well, Yuhs get the drill, Righto?
As Scandia Racing was one of my former Home
team racing outfits, and actually won Sebring twice in 1995 and 1997.
With team owner Andy Evans and a superb cast of
supporting drivers, i.e.; Fermin Velez, Eric van de Poele and ‘lil Stevie
Johnson’, aka Stefan Johansson taking the chequered flag at Sebring!
Buoyed with the evocative Ferrari 333 SP Stateside
success in the newly formed IMSA Exxon World Sports Car Championship and
Supreme GT series, (WSC) try saying that fast five times Y’all, Hya!
“Moneyman” and Team boss Evans opted to take
His pair of Ferrari’s to Mecca for the 1996 24 Heurs du Mans. Which is where
things get interesting…
As Marshall Pruett The Week in Sports Cars Podcast
with former Scandia Racing Technical Director Jeff Brown is most enlightening.
With Marshall prefacing the Le Mans experience by noting you won’t find them
listed in the Box Score!
As the two cars, Nos. 17-18 oddly were entered
under the banners of Racing for Belgium Team Scandia and Rocketsports, Inc.
As the No. 17 was naturally an All Belgium Drivers
affair, with the two Eric’s, i.e.; Eric van de Poele, Eric Bachelart and Marc
goossens at it’s controls.
Having recently scribbled here upon No Fenders
about Bachelart’s Conquest Racing’s latest foray into IMSA GTD Competizione
this year with a brand new, shiny Ferrari 296 GT3 no less, ironically
contesting this week’s 12 Hours of Sebring…
http://www.nofenders.net/2023/11/another-ex-indycar-team-races-on.html
While the No. 18 Rocketsports entry featured
Andy Evans, Fermin Velez and Yvan Muller behind it’s keyboard.
As the No. 17 entry faired far better than it’s
Seester’ No. 18 entry. As Van de Poele set the races fastest lap before the
Racing for Belgium entry retired on lap-208.
Whilst the No. 18 only lasted a scant 31-laps
overall, before also being listed as DNF. (Did Not Finish)
As Brown’s Deadpan comment about telling Boss
Andy Evans, you do know that’s Nelson Piquet is Priceless! After Evans
outbrakes Himself on Lap-1 no less!
Whilst apparently the Ferrari 333 SP has rightly
just been inducted into IMSA’s Hall of Fame, with it’s Bio’ written by Marshall
Pruett…
https://www.imsahalloffame.com/drivers/ferrari-333-sp/#content