Belgian championship at Maasmechelen

by Henk de Winter |

The 2010 Belgian TouringCar champion, Guino Kenis has won the first race of the 2011 Belgian Rallycross Championship at the Duivelsberg at Maasmechelen.

Another contender in the TouringCars was Koen Pauwels in his ‘new’ Fiesta. We found, after the race, Pauwels with a big smile in the paddock. “I had a lot of fun on the track,” said Pauwels. “It’s hard work in a TouringCar. Looking for grip. The car is sliding. Not to be too fast and too sudden on the throttle. Gently does it, but not always. You must keep up the speed. It’s certainly not easy racing a TouringCar”. With Kenis in the BMW 120i on pole position, Pauwels was standing next to him on the front row. It was Pauwels who took the lead in the first corner. The more experienced TouringCar driver Kenis took over the lead in the Joker Lap and won the race. “Even with my second place I’m very happy,” said Pauwels after the race. Other ERC regular Patrick Mertens ended up fourth in his VW Polo. Mandy Kasse (5th) drove her first race in the TouringCars in the Opel Astra of her dad Ko.

In the Supercars there was the first outing of the Ford Fiesta VII of Jos Kuijpers. Two broken driveshafts and a damaged front differential made that the first race of the Dutch/Italian racer was no success. Kuijpers: “As far as I can remember it’s for me the first time in my racing career that I can pack up my stuff before the finals begin.” Jochen Coox was by far the fastest Supercar driver on the sunny but cold Duivelsberg. Coox took he lead before Patrick Van Mechelen (Subaru Impreza) and Ron Snoeck (Seat Leon). With one and a half lap to go, the Škoda of Coox runs a flat rear left tyre. That opened the door for Van Mechelen to push hard and when Coox spun, Van Mechelen was there to power his Subaru into the lead and to victory of the first Supercar race of 2011 in Belgium.

 

  • Supercar – Final Results:
  • 1. Patrick Van Mechelen (B) Subaru Impreza
  • 2. Ron Snoeck (NL) Seat Leon II
  • 3. Jochen Coox (B) Škoda Fabia I
  • Super1600 – Final Results:
  • 1. Davy Van Den Branden (B) Citroën C2
  • 2. Dennis Remans (B) Ford Fiesta VI
  • 3. Marcel Snoeijers (NL) Renault Clio II
  • 4. Dave Van Beers (B) Renault Clio II
  • 5. Leo van der Eijk (NL) BMW Mini Cooper
  • 6. Bart Stouten (B) Toyota Yaris I
  • TouringCar – Final Results:
  • 1. Guino Kenis (B) BMW E87
  • 2. Koen Pauwels (B) Ford Fiesta VII
  • 3. Louis de Haas (NL) Opel Astra G
  • 4. Patrick Mertens (B) VW Polo IV/9N3
  • 5. Mandy Kasse (NL) Opel Astra G
  • SuperNational – Final Results:
  • 1. Luc Maris (B) Volvo S40 II
  • 2. Steven Maris (B) Volvo 240
  • 3. Michaël De Keersmaecker (B) Volvo 240
  • 4. Steven Stessens (B) Opel Corsa B
  • 5. Tom Meeusen (B) Mitsubishi Lancer
  • 6. Kristof Bex (B) Volvo S40 I

 

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