Several rain showers made for difficult conditions at the “Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps”. Shortly after 20:00hrs, despite a damp track, the BMW drivers decided to continue on dry tyres to avoid losing time during the tyre change. The decision proved to be the right one, as the circuit soon allowed them to start setting faster lap times again. One hour later, however, the rain was so heavy that they had to switch to wet tyres.

After dropping back to 14th, following a problem with the starter, BMW’s No.78 M3 made up ground during the night. Running in tenth, Jörg Müller (DE) handed over to Uwe Alzen (DE) on lap 226. Alzen managed to move up another two positions before Pedro Lamy (PT) continued the trio’s fight back.

The Portuguese driver benefited from an accident between the second-placed Ferrari F430 GT (#2) and the no. 50 Audi R8 LMS, so that Jörg Müller could rejoin the race on lap 316 in fifth. The car is currently in 4th place.

We’ve also been closely following the United Autosports team, featuring ex-F1 driver Mark Blundell in his first drive at Spa Francorchamps since he drove for McLaren in 1995.

07.55 - Dean hands the car over to Blundell at the United Autosport's pit stop

“This is my first race here since 1995 when I was in a McLaren,” said Blundell. “It’s changed in a few places, like at the bus stop chicane and some new curbs. I have been out of the driver’s seat for several years now but I never said officially that I was retiring and it never came in to my mind to retire – I have just been doing other things.

“This opportunity came up and it is an attraction for me to drive a modern-day GT sports car and try to be competitive. I’m not looking to set the world alight but just come back and enjoy it and I think this opportunity with Zak Brown and United Autosports, in an Audi R8 LMS, the whole combination, just seems to be the right thing to do and to be racing at Spa, in a 24-hour race, just tops it all off.”

The GT3 R8 LMS driven by Blundell, Zak Brown, Richard Dean and Eddie Cheever is currently in 6th place, 12 laps down from the 4th place BMW.

You can keep track of the race by following the FIA GT live timing screens and we’ll be broadcasting a video summary of the race on SkiddPlayer this coming Monday.

You can also follow Mark Blundell’s tweets on @markblundellF1 and there’s also live TV pictures and commentary from Johnny Herbert and David Addison at the Total24hours website..

Photos courtesy of: BMW Motorsports, United Autosports, Malcolm Griffiths/LAT.

The main focus in developing this new GT3 R model was in offering even better drivability and providing a chassis that handled with even greater stability – making it more appropriate for the ambitious amateur racing driver to exploit.

The starting point in developing the 911 GT3 R, weighing just 1,200 kg, was the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup presented back in September, but thanks to an increase in engine size by 0.2 litres the GT3 R offers 30 bhp more than the Cup model. Powered by a 4 litre six-cylinder boxer engine, maximum power of 480 bhp (353 kW) is transmitted to the rear axle by a sequential six-speed gearbox

An anti-lock brake system (ABS), traction control and an e-gas with “throttle-blip” function make it much easier to get used to this new GT3 racing car than its predecessor. The flared wheel arches at both the front and rear of the car bear clear testimony to a wider track, and like all Gen2 versions of the 911, the new 911 GT3 R also comes with striking LED rear light clusters (although thankfully minus the front day-time running lights).

The 911 GT3 R will be making its world debut on 14 January 2010 at the Birmingham Motor Show and will be ready for delivery from Spring 2010. Base price is 279,000 euros plus VAT and taxes, making it around 30,000 euros more than its predecessor.

The second half of the video, Andreas tells us what went into the development process for the new GT3 RS and what the car is capable of doing with the new technology and performance upgrades from the previous generation

Click on the player above, then watch the on-track video below.

Does the GT1-based engine remain? And what about PDK? Well read on…

Read the article and then join the converstation with us here on Dialogue.

Also, take a look at Porsche’s microsite and watch their video of the new GT3 [click the image below]