Showers made yesterday's second day of track testing during the FIA GT Championship official media presentation at the Dijon citcuit in France much more complicated, but the teams still got plenty of running, and it was the Vitaphone Maserati MC12 that threw down the challenge with the fastest overall time. The German team - who claimed the FIA GT Teams' Cup last year and helped the Trident brand towards the Manufacturers' Cup - have been busy testing over winter for what is expected to be a tough season with new competition expected from a horde of the new Aston Martin DBR9 racers, the well-honed Corvette C6-R, and a resurgent challenge from Saleen.

It was the Balfe Motorsport Saleen, which had a gearbox driven over from the UK overnight, was the first to take to the track yesterday, and it was third fastest in the morning, while the Phoenix Aston Martin DBR9 and the Rock Media Pagani Zonda GR ran extensively for the first time in the afternoon session.  The best time of the day was set by the nr 1 Vitaphone Racing Maserati MC12 of Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini, ahead of three Aston Martin DBR9s, the Aston Martin Racing BMS cars separated by the nr 33 Race Alliance car of Karl Wendlinger and Phillipp Peter. The Zakspeed Saleen was fifth.
 

AF Corse flew the flag for Ferrari in GT2 with the new F430GT and was the best in the class with Scuderia Ecosse having left after day on to head for Oulton Park and the start of the British GT Championship. In the morning session the red-coloured AF Corse car, which was tried out by highly-experienced former F1 star Mika Salo and young Brazilian hotshot Jaime Melo, set the 7th fastest time (1:21.522) while in the afternoon it was 10th quickest (1:19.824) as the conditions improved. Also out on the second day again was the Michelotti 'development' F430GT.

The best of the GT3 cars was the Racing Box Dodge Viper Coupe, just ahead of the Damax Ascari and Pouchelon Racing's Dodge. AF Corse were out on track with two Maserati GranSport GT3 cars, while Reiter Engineering plugged round with their new Gallardo GT3, both teams continuing their programme of honing these cars into true racers in time for the inaugural low-cost European GT3 Championship.