TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022: Iron Dames and Reema Juffali on top step

📷 © A courtesy from Iron Lynx.

Of the six women at the start of the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, six were at the finish and five on the top step of the podium. Iron Dames won Gold Cup and Reema Juffali won Bronze Cup.

Gold-Cup

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Rahel Frey took a careful start from 26th row in P8 from the 14 Gold Cup entries.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

After 6 hours,

The Iron Dames had progressively overtaken 25 cars and were 28th overall, 4th in class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Gabriele Piana, Florian Scholze, Hubert Haupt, Arjun Maini with Haupt Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT3 #5 were leading the class ahead of Ralf Bohn, Alfred Renauer, Robert Renauer with Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-R #911, Michael Dinan, Robby Foley, Richard Heistand, Jens Klingmann with Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 #34. All three were one lap ahead of the Iron Dames.

Jonathan Hui, Loris Spinelli, Chris Froggatt, and Eddie Cheever with SKY - Tempesta Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 #93 were 1’20” behind the Iron Dames in P5 of class. The rest of class entries were one or more laps behind.

At mid-race,

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Iron Dames Ferrari #83 was already first of class and 21st overall.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

At that time, the Iron Dames were one lap ahead of BMW #34 and 3 laps ahead of both Mercedes-AMG GT3 #5 and 57.

During the night,

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

The Iron Dames carefully but steadily continued their progression by reaching the top 20 overall.

Sunday morning.

After 18 hours, the Iron Dames were 18th overall increasing their advance to second in class the SKY - Tempesta Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 #93 to 2 laps.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Brendan Iribe, Sebastian Priaulx, Oliver Millroy, Frederik Schandorff with Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 #7 were fourth, 4 laps behind the Dames, 9 seconds ahead of Arnold Robin, Ryuichiro Tomita, Ulysse De Pauw, Maxime Robin with Team WRT Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3 #33

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Rahel Frey had the nerve to drive the last stint and bring the Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 #83 to the checkered flag in P1 of Gold Cup class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Arnold Robin, Ryuichiro Tomita, Ulysse De Pauw, Maxime RobinTeam WRTAudi R8 LMS evo II GT3 #33 ended second of gold cup class, 3 laps behind the Dames.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Jonathan Hui, Loris Spinelli, Chris Froggatt, Eddie Cheever driving SKY - Tempesta Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 #93 ended third of class, 4 laps behind the Dames.

📷 © A courtesy from Iron Lynx.

Doriane Pin, Rahel Frey, Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting are thereby making history as being the first all-female squad to win class at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa.

Let us remember that in 1966, an all-female lineup with Yvette Fontaine and Nicole Sol ended second in class and 19th overall in the 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps with an Alfa Roméo 1300!

📷 © A courtesy from Nicole Sol.

Bronze Cup

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Pre-Qualifying saw the Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 #35 be 2.740” faster than SPS automotive performance Mercedes-AMG GT3 #20. As a result, the #35 BMW would start from row 25 and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 from row 31.

After 6 hours, Henry Walkenhorst, Jörg Breuer, Donald Yount, Theo Oeverhaus with Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 #35 were in P51, 2 laps ahead of Tim Müller, George Kurtz, Valentin Pierburg, Reema Juffali driving SPS automotive performance Mercedes-AMG GT3 #20 in P53.

At mid-race, Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 #35 was still 2 laps ahead of Reema Juffali and teammates’ Mercedes-AMG GT3 #20.

During the next 6 hours, Reema Juffali’s SPS automotive performance Mercedes-AMG GT3 #20 took back the 2 laps delay with Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 #35 so that, on Sunday morning, after 18 hours of racing, SPS automotive performance Mercedes-AMG GT3 #20 was leading Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 #35 by 9 seconds.

The next six hours were painful for the Walkenhorst Motorsport as they lost 5 laps to the SPS automotive performance Mercedes-AMG GT3 #20 squad.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Reema Juffali’s first TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa would eventually end P34, a tremendous success, allowing her and her teammates Tim Müller, George Kurtz, Valentin Pierburg to raise the bronze cup.

Samantha Tan’s first TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.

Samantha Tan, team owner and driver of the Samantha Tan Racing BMW M4 GT3 #28 together with Maxime Oosten, Nick Wittmer, and Harry Gottsacker ended the race in P36 making the participation of 6 women at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022 a complete success for the women as all women ended the 24 hours race.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.