Color Line Norwegian Grand Prix
Regional, Sports, 7/11/2001

A 'spirited' effort by BRG Racing to repair Spirit of Norway in time for this Sunday's Color Line Norwegian Grand Prix means the only absentees in Arendal will be Edoardo Polli and Highlander. Both boats were severely damaged last time out in Travemunde, Germany following two spectacular crashes. Polli's reaction - realising the damage to be too severe to repair, was to immediately purchase another boat - the 1999 championship winning Victory 7 which carried Ali Nasser and Randy Scism to the world title. The boat is currently being shipped from Dubai and due in Italy later this month.

For Bjorn Rune Gjelsten, Spirit of Norway, there was only one option in the time available - fix it. With the help of the Jolly Motor camp, who happily agreed for a mould to be taken off their identical Michael Peter's designed Tencara and, the loan of technical support and manpower from the Victory Team the race against time began. Gjelsten and Steve Curtis will be on the start line in Arendal to defend their slender lead in the Time Trial Championship, but if they are to mount any sort of World Championship challenge this season they simply must win.

Victory Team head to Arendal lying first and second in the title race with Ali Nasser and Ali Al Qama, Victory 1, on 35 points, three points clear of team mates Saeed Al Tayer and Mohammed Al Marri, Victory7. The Dubai team has an enviable record in Arendal. Last year they completed the Time Trial and race double and in 1999 Al Tayer and Felix Serralles set the fastest recorded time over the measured kilometre of 259.68kmh. And since 1994 they have finished on the podium without fail, amassing four race wins, three second and three third placed finishes including a memorable one-two-three in 1996.

The re-emergence of Jolly Motor as a 'tour de force', winning last time out in Travemunde means the European challenge to thwart Victory's charge to their third consecutive world title and sixth overall, remains in tact.

Lying third in the title race, just seven points adrift, Erik Kirkedelen and Massimo Lippi will be looking to emulate the team's '99 success in Arendal and clearly now have the package to succeed.

With past records and current form pointing to a duel between Victory, Jolly Motor and Spirit of Norway, if she stays the distance, the course itself may open the door for World of Cars and Jotun. The six-lap, 129Nm course run around the outside of the island of Tromoy and between the fjords presents the teams with a unique race where set-up will be crucial. It will be decision time for the teams as to how they compensate for a course that combines fast flat water inside the fjord and a potentially rough offshore leg. It will be down to strategy, propeller choice and mental adjustment, but a rough outside leg will certainly favour the heavier diesel powered boats.

Matteo Nicolini and Ken Thorne, who last week gave Scotland's Formula One ace, David Coulthard, the chance to test his mettle with a run out in a Class 1 boat, will be looking to banish the anguish of a year ago when forced to retire on the final lap, missing out on a certain podium finish.

For Andreas Ove Ugland and Jann Hillestad, racing on Andreas's home waters and in a front of a partisan crowd, it is the one race they would dearly love to do well in. A technically trouble free outing in Sunday's Grand Prix may well be their key to a top three finish.

If reliability is to play its part then Kristian Tzanov and Vincenzo Polli, Damas, will be quietly confident that they can improve on a solid season so far, finishing fourth in Italy and Germany.

The battle for points behind the leading pack is between Giampaolo Montavoci, GFN, who is joined in Arendal by Massimo Capoferri, who last competed in Class 1 in 1992 and Roberto Biancalana and Claudio Dionisio, Binautica, who so far have had a relatively subdued season. Philippe Benhamou and Jean-Michel Bisutti, Team France, who were clearly delighted to score points in Germany will be looking for more of the same and LA Jeans will be looking to maintain their season consistency, scoring points in both races. For Mauro Esperto and Giovanni Bulagarini, Roscioli Hotels, any points would be a welcome achievement.

An estimated 250,000 spectators are expected in Arendal for Sunday's Color Line Norwegian Grand Prix and each and every one of them will be hoping that one of the three Norwegian-driven boats will deliver a home win.

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