24h Le Mans
The Belgian driver, nicknamed The Goose by his friends and family, has taken the pole position in the LM GT car at the 24 Hours of Daytona. With twelve participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans to his credit, Goossens
Photo : Olivier BEROUD - Vision Sport Agency
Marc, will you tell us about your first experience at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
"It was in 1996, with Eric Van de Poele and Eric Bachelart, for the Racing for Belgium team. It was a very interesting concept. 1,001 Belgian fans got together to sponsor a Ferrari 333 SP car. Each had contributed the equivalent of 650 Euros, even the King of Belgium got involved in the project!"
What happened after the Belgian team?
"I went to the Courage team. We finished 4th overall and 2nd in the LMP class with Didier Cottaz and Jerome Policand in 1997. Afterwards I went to the DAMS team with the Cadillac program where I met Bill Riley. Then to Riley&Scott with Jim Matthews, and finally to the Creation team in 2008."
After all these years behind the wheel of a prototype, you have turned the page and started a career in GT...
"Yes, in 2010 I had the opportunity to start the 24 Hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of a Jaguar, then in 2012 with Prospeed I did the race in a Porsche, and finally last year I shared the wheel of a Viper with Ryan Dalziel and Dominik Farnbacher"
Talk to us a bit about this Viper...
"We had performed a lot of private tests in 2012 with enormous development work. 2013 was really our first complete season with the program in the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans."
What are the main differences between the 24 Hours of Daytona and Le Mans?
"Here at Daytona, there are two straightaways and the rest of the track is curvy and quite tight. At Le Mans, there are more fast corners, like the esses of Porsche; it’s a much more fluid track. Speaking as a driver, I get a lot of pleasure driving at Le Mans."
Is the night experience different Le Mans and at Daytona?
"Completely! At Le Mans we are really in the dark whereas at Daytona, between the paddock – with all the fans at the center of the track – and the spotlights, we really don’t feel like we’re driving at night."
Is the artificial light an advantage or a handicap?
"Those lights can bother you. When we look in our rearview mirrors, it is easy to mistake the spotlights for the headlights of a car. You think there is a car coming up behind you and then you realize it’s just the track’s lighting. At Le Mans, it’s easy, you see the headlights, you know there is a car on your tail.”
What did you think of the Viper’s performance at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans?
"At Le Mans we had a good car, very pleasant to drive, but we were missing some top speed in the straightaways, it was an enormous drawback."
Which tracks are better for the Viper?
"With the Viper’s big engine, winding tracks like Virginia International Raceway or Road America, tracks visited by ALMS and those that will be on the TUSC circuit this year are perfect."
The car proved its reliability in 2013. In which areas has the SRT Motorsport team worked these last few months?
"We proved the car could handle a 24 Hours of Le Mans race and with three pole positions in 2013 and one here at Daytona, we showed it can also be fast. The team concentrated on the refueling procedure, driver changes in general, and on the improvement of its internal organization.”
With 12 runs, do you still look forward to Le Mans?
"One never gets tired of Le Mans! Le Mans is a race apart. It’s always a very special week in the life of a driver.”
Marc Goossens obviously hopes to participate in the next edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 14th and 15th, 2014 (Ticket information)
Marjory Berkache et Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translated by Rainier Ehrhardt / ACO
PHOTO : DAYTONA BEACH (FLORIDA, USA), DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, 24 HOURS OF DAYTONA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014, QUALIFYING. Marc Goossens took the pole position in the GT LM class in the SRT Viper at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
