02.05.2004 The Saleen finally took its first ever FIA GT win, while Bobbi & Gardel took their third consecutive second place BEFORE BEING PENALISED: THE RACE LAP-BY-LAP

Weather : bright, cool, track dry

Start  Bartels gets ahead of Lechner at the start - the nr 28 Saleen is off in the gravel at the first corner. Creation Lister loses a place.  Nr 7 seen off in the the gravel.  The nr 99 Porsche takes the N-GT lead
Lap 1 GT :  5 - 4 - 2 - 17 - 1- -8 - 27 - 11 - 13 - 19 - 18 - 9
 N-GT :  99 - 62  -  50 - 77 - 56 - 69
 By the end of the first lap, Bartels has a lead of 0.9 seconds
Lap 2 Lechner is closing in on Bartels. Bobbi is trying to overtake Wendlinger for fourth place
Lap 3 Saleen nr 7 to the pits after off; retires
 Pescatori is now in third in N-GT; Campbell-Walter drops to 8th in the Lister Storm
 GT : 5 - 4 - 2 - 17 - 1 - 8
 N.GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77
Lap 4 The gap between Bartels and Lechner is just 0.6 now   
Lap 6 GT : 5 _ 4 - 2 - 17 - 1 - 11 - 8
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77 - 56
Lap 7 Fight between the two GTR Racing cars ; the nr 10 overtakes the nr 9
Lap 8 The nr 27 Lister back up to 7th ahead of the nr 13 GPC Giesse Ferrari
Lap 9 The gap between the two leading car is now 1.24
Lap 10 GT : 5 - 4 - 2 - 1- 17 - 11 - 27
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77 - 56
Lap 11 Very few changes in the top eight; cars lapping around the 1:39 mark; However, the nr 1 and 17 change places again.
Lap 17 GT : 5 - 4 - 2 - 17 - 1 - 11 - 27 - 13 - 17
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77 - 56
Lap 18 Lechner is beginning to close in on Bartels again - the gap is now 0.9 seconds.  The two Saleen cars run by Konrad Motorsport are over 7 seconds ahead of the nr 2 BMS Ferrari in third place
 Debris is on the track at the start of the pit-lane straight
Lap 22 GT : 5 - 4 - 2 - 17 - 1 - 11 - 27 - 19
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77 - 69 - 59 - 56 - 57
Lap 23 Porsche nr 56 to the pits, fuel and driver to Barbaro
 Ferrari nr 22 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Zoboli
 Porsche nr 57 slow on the track after rear suspension failure; returns to the pits
Lap 25 GT : 5 - 4 - 2 - 17 - 1 - 11 - 27 - 19
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77
Lap 26 The gap between the leaders has lengthened to 2.5 seconds.  The top three N-GT cars are within 10 seconds of each other.
Lap 28 Porsche nr 56 in the pits with an engine problem
Lap 29 Ferrari nr 3 beached in the gravel, Livio at the wheel
Lap 30 GT : 5 -4 - 2 - 17 - 1 - 11 - 27 - 19
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77 - 69
Lap 31 Wendlinger, in the nr 17 JMB Racing Ferrari, is just 0.9 seconds behind Gollin in the nr 2 BMS Ferrari
 Ferrari nr 3 is making its way back to the pits after being pulled out of the gravel; fuel tyres and driver to Bryner
Lap 32 Saleen nr 28 to the pits, working around the car after fuel spill; retires after fire
 Lister nr 27 to the pits, fuel and driver to Derbyshire
 Viper nr 10 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Roos
Lap 33 Ferrari nr 13 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Hezemans
 Ferrari nr 19 to the pits, fuel tyres and driver to Kutemann
 Viper nr 9 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to V.d. Zwaan
Lap 34 Race leader to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to
 Ferrari nr 17 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Wolff
 Ferrari nr 1 to the pits, to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Gardel
 Ferrari nr 11 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Peter - lost time after problems with left rear wheel
Lap 35 Ferrari nr 2 to the pits, fuel tyres and driver to Cappellari
 Ferrari nr 62 to the pits, fuel tyres and driver to De Simone
 Race leader nr 4 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Seiler; car had problems restarting so long stop
Lap 36 Porsche nr 77 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Fomenko
 Longin in the nr 18 JMB Racing is one of last of leaders not to stop, currently 2nd
 Porsche 56 has engine problems
Lap 38 GT : 5 - 2 - 1 - 18 - 17 - 4- 27
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77; the 99 is lying 8th
 Ferrari nr 18 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Khan
 Porsche nr 99 to the pits, fuel tyres and driver to Maassen
Lap 40 Porsche nr 50 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Collard
 Porsche nr 59 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Petersen
Lap 42 Gardel, in the nr 1 BMS Ferrari, is close behind the nr 2 BMS car and fighting for second place
 Alzen has a lead of 12 seconds overall.
 In N-GT, Maassen leads ahead of Collard and De Simone
 Saleen nr 8 to the pits,  problem with the accelerator sticking, OK now
Lap 43 Gardel attacking Cappellari for second; gap reduced to 0.6 seconds
Lap 44 Alzen is pulling away in the Vitaphone Saleen.
 Nr 1 and 2 side by side, contact , 2 spins, 1 goes into second place,  2 remains stranded for a while in the track, drops back
Lap 45 GT : 5 - 1- 17 - 4 - 11 - 13
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 69 - 77
Lap 47 Alzen now leads by 22 seconds
Lap 48 Ferrari nr 3 to the pits, problem with the front left wheel; pushed into garage to repair the front
Lap 50 GT : 5 - 1- 17 - 4 - 11 - 13 - 2 - 27
Lap 51 Porsche nr 69 to the pits, fuel tyres and driver to Gerold Ried
 We are now half-way through the race on a time basis.  Alzen leads by 29 seconds
 Porsche nr 57 rejoins, driver to Casadei and fuel
Lap 54 Lister nr 27 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Campbell-Walter
 Weather update : clouding over
Lap 57 The two GPC Ferraris are separated by just 0.9 seconds in battle for fifth
Lap 58 Ferrari nr 22 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Kaufmann
 Alezn now leads by 39 seconds.  Only 4 separate Gardel in 2nd and Wolff in 3rd
Lap 60 GT : 5 - 1- 17 - 4 - 11 - 13 - 2 - 18 - 27
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 62 - 77 - 69 - 59
Lap 63 Ferrari nr 22 spins at Adelaide
Lap 64 Saleen nr 28 rejoins the race after repairs and cleaning from fire
Lap 65 Alzen now leads by 53 seconds, lapping around 2 seconds faster than the rest of the field, except for the nr 27 Lister
Lap 67 Saleen nr 28 to the pits with battery problem
 Viper nr 10 to the pits, fuel , tyres and driver to A van der Zwaan
Lap 68 2,6 seconds separating the nr 1 and 17 in fight for second
Lap 70 Ferrari nr 13 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Naspetti
 Peter right behind Seiler in battle for fourth
 Ferrari nr 2 to the pits, fuel tyres and driver to Gollin
 Ferrari nr 17 to the pits, fuel tyres and driver to Lechner
 Ferrari nr 11 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Babini
 Ferrari nr 18 - debris struck to the right rear tyre -  out of the race due to rear suspension failure
 Race leader nr 5 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Bartels
 Porsche nr 77 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Vasiliev
 Ferrari nr 1 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Bobbi
Lap 71 Ferrari nr 62 spins into the gravel, towed out by marshals; apparently retires
 Viper nr 9 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Robert v d Zwaan
 Saleen nr 4 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Lechner Jr
Lap 73 Porsche 56 pushed into the garage
Lap 74 Ferrari nr 19 to the pits
Lap 75 GT : 5 - 1- 17 - 11 - 13 - 2 - 4 - 27
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 77 - 69 - 59
Lap 77 Fastest on the track at the moment is the nr 4 Konrad Saleen in 7th place
Lap 78 Porsche 59 returns to the pits - problem with the cooling, car out of the race
 Saleen nr 28 returns to the pits and pushed into garage (again)
Lap 80 GT : 5 - 1- 17 - 11 - 13 - 2 - 4 - 27
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 77 - 69
 The nr 4 is only 2 seconds behind the nr 2 in the battle for 6th
Lap 81 Ferrari nr 22 to the pits, check oils levels and rejoins
Lap 82  N-GT leader nr 99 to the pits, fuel, tyres and driver to Luhr
Lap 83  Lechner Jr now 1.2 behind Gollin, nose and tail down the pit straight
Lap 85  Lister nr 27 to the pits, just fuel
  GT : 5 - 1- 17 - 11 - 13 - 2 - 4
  N-GT : 50 - 99 - 77 - 69
  Porsche nr 50 to the pits, fuel and front tyres changed and driver to Ortelli
Lap 87  A good battle for 4th place : Naspetti is followed by Babini (1 second behind) with Gollin 4 seconds behind him and Lechner Jr a further 1 second behind in 7th.  Lechner is the fastest of the four
Lap 88 The gaps between the train are reducing further - 6 seconds separates the four cars
Lap 89 Babini, Gollin and Lechner within a second of each other
Lap 90 BMS 2 pulls alongside and overtakes the nr 11 for fifth
Lap 91 Now Lechner overtakes the nr 11 for sixth place.
 GT : 5 - 1- 17 - 13 - 2 - 4 - 11 -27
Lap 92 Ferrari nr 13 to the pits - looks terminal...pushed into the pits - engine problem
Lap 93 Lister nr 27 to the pits, rejoins after changing all four tyres, possible puncture
Lap 93 GT : 5 - 1 - 17 - 2 - 4 - 11
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 77 - 69
Lap 94 Lechner Jr is now just 1 second behind Gollin in the nr 2 Ferrari, fighting for fourth
 Bartels leads by 51 seconds
Lap 95 Saleen nr 28 to the pits, driver to Ardizzone
Lap 96 Only 0.5 seconds between the nr 2 and nr 4 cars.  13 minutes of the race remain.
Lap 100 GT :  5 - 1 - 17 - 2 - 4 - 11 - 27  - 10
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 77
Lap 101 Rear of the Saleen flew off while he tried to overtake the nr 2; overtakes but will have to come in
 Viper nr 9 to the pits, fuel only
 Car 4 receives a  black and orange flag to come in and repair the bodywork
Lap 102 GT : 5 - 1 - 17 - 4 - 2 - 11 - 27
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 77 - 69
 Lechner is staying out, despite the black and orange flag, Gollin is close behind him
Lap 104 Bartels slows down slightly to take the chequered flag

Lap 105 GT : 5 - 1- 17 - 4 - 2 - 11 - 27 - 10
 N-GT : 99 - 50 - 77 - 69

1st Saleen victory in the FIA GT Championship for Bartels and Alzen in the nr 5 Vitaphone Racing Team Saleen S7
Bobbi and Gardel finish second for the third consecutive race
The nr 17 takes third place, first podium of the season for JMB Racing
The nr 4 finishes fourth despite having all its back off
In N-GT, the nr 99 takes its second win. Third podium of the season for the nr 50 Porsche
Russian drivers Fomenko and Vasiliev claim their first-ever FIA GT podium