The first qualifying session for the 2014 Total 24 Hours of Spa had a frantic start. Plenty of drivers immediately went quicker than last year’s pole position of Stefan Mücke. Eventually twelve cars went below the 2’20 barrier, with Dirk Werner in the #77 BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS BMW being the quickest overall in 2’19.089.
Behind the BMW factory driver Christopher Mies in the #3 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi was only 0.041 slower, with Kevin Estre in the #99 ART Grand Prix McLaren 0.159 behind the BMW. In fourth was the quickest of the Pro-Am cars, the #50 AF Corse Ferrari, Alessandro Pier Guidi at the wheel.
Four cars of the Pro Cup are outside the top-20 for the moment, the cut off for the Superpole of Friday evening: the #63 Black Falcon Mercedes (21st), the #75 ISR Audi (29th), the #44 Oman Racing Team Aston Martin (37th) and the #8 M-Sport Bentley (39th). Stephane Lemeret in the #228 Delahaye Racing Porsche set the quickest time in the Gentlemen Trophy, lapping the Ardennes circuit in 2’22.894 just before the chequered flag was waved. The session was interrupted twice, when the red flag was branded to tow cars stopped along the track to a safer position. The final 75 minutes night qualifying session will determine the top-20 and those cars will participate in Friday’s Superpole.