Kenis pulls out of Rallycross

The Belgian BMW driver has set his focus on Rallysport now.

Belgian TouringCar driver Guino Kenis is going to quit Rallycross. “It will be for a long time that I leave the Rallycross scene. I’m going to amuse myself from now on in the Rallysport,” the BMW dealer and the man behind G&A racing says. The base for this decision is the fact that the BMW 120i TouringCar driver had the feeling that he received, in his opinion, wrongly a black flag during the first race for the Dutch Championship at the Eurocircuit in Holland.

“For me this was pure a racing accident,” says Kenis. “During the day I played the Joker wrong and we had some problems with the steering. But that is all in the game. In the third heat I had the plan, if I was behind the Fiesta of Koen [Pauwels] to take the chicane at the Eurocircuit with a different line. That choice could bring me on the inside of the next corner.” The plan works. The Fiesta of Pauwels is in the lead and drifts a little bit to the outside. Kenis is there to put the BMW in the gap on the inside. Pauwels closes the door and the cars touch. The Fiesta spins around and the BMW has to go trough the sandtrap. Both cars can continue the race. One lap later Kenis is disqualified for this action.

“I went to the Clerck of the Course to give my point of view about this, still in my opinion, nothing more than a racing incident. The answer from the Clerck of the Course was short. Too short. I had the feeling that he not even wanted to listen to me.” Kenis went back to his car and leaves the BMW 120i in the paddock during the A-final. “I give this a good thought. Point is, that the day before I had a fantastic day behind me in the TAC Rally with a BMW Z4. I made up my mind and decided to leave Rallycross. Honestly, that hurts! Because my heart is with Rallycross.”

Kenis drove several Rally’s in this year, one with a BMW 2002 and three with the BMW Z4. “I enyojed them all very much. You have more driving time than in Rallycross and the atmosphere is very friendly.” Kenis is still convinced that it was a racing accident. I’ve seen over the past few days a lot of video material and photo’s from different angles. I don’t think Koen expected me on the inside and I was ready for it. The damage on the Fiesta was on the right rear wheel, not at the rear bumper. I was in the gap and beside him. But that’s all history now. I made my decision and left it behind me.”

Kenis’ best result was in 2009 when he became third in the ERC in the TouringCars and a win in the ERC round in Poland. In 2010 Kenis became Belgian TouringCar Champion and drove the BMW 120i to eighth place in the ERC. Only a few weeks ago Kenis won the opening round of the Belgian Rallycross Championship.

Kenis will drive a BMW Z4 in Rallying. “I still have to learn a lot because I’m used to race at circuits and there is always an escape. In Rallysport there is no room for mistakes, and when you make one, it is you behind the steering wheel.”

The BMW 120i will be racing next weekend in the hands of Belgian Pedro Bonnet in a round for the Belgian Championship at the Estering in Buxtehude. Bonnet is still waiting for his not yet ready Volvo C30. The BMW 120i of Kenis is now for rent or sale.

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