Dutch Championship at Eurocircuit

by Henk de Winter |

Several weeks ago Pedro Bonnet won the Belgian championship event at Buxtehude in Germany. In Sunday’s Dutch championship event at Valkenswaard in Holland – that also formed the third round of the Belgian Rallycross Championship –  Bonnet again scored maximum points. For the moment it is all going well for the Belgian driver who, for the first time in his racing career, is tackling a full European campaign.

So far he scored eighth place in the British ERC round and fourth place in the French event. Bonnett’s goal for the year had been to make it to an A final, with that achieved and two wins from three events in the Belgian championship, he is ahead of target but realistic about prospects in later races. “In Norway and Sweden it will be difficult for me to take some points home. The old but still very fast car of Ole Habjörg will be there. Robin Larsson (son of former European champion Lars) is stepping into the ERC with a Skoda Fabia. I heard that Marklund was doing some testing in Höljes. Norgaard is looking for more speed. So I think it will be tough to get into the A finals in the Scandinavian races. The first thing now is Austria and then Hungary,” he said.

 

Fun and games in Holland. © Henk de Winter/RallycrossWorld.com

With the past races in the rain the weather conditions in Holland were the complete opposite. Sunny and warm – until the finals were about to begin. In just a few minutes dark clouds closed over the circuit and it started to rain. Almost as quickly, it stopped again, leaving the track half dry, half wet. With the prediction of more rain coming up and about thirty minutes on the clock. It was the question to change the set up of the Volvo or keep the car in a dry setup. The Bonnet team decided to take the chance and leave the car as they had run it all day, in a complete dry set-up. Having been fastest in all three heats, the belgian led the final from start to finish, leading home Christ Moelands (BMW) and Koen Pauwels in the Volvo C30 of Jos Sterkens.

Former European Rallycross champion Ronny Scheveneels seems to be back in business with his Supercar VW Scirocco. Belgian multiple champion, Francois Monten has, together with his mechanic joined the team of Scheveneels. Under the wings of ‘teacher’ Monten, Scheveneels put his Scirocco on the second line of the A final grid. When the red light went out, the Scirocco stormed forwards and was a few moments later in front of the Supercar pack. Going on the outside, complete opposite lock and with the rear wheels in the sand, Scheveneels just managed to keep his Scirocco under control but slipped to third place as Patrick Van Mechelen and Jos Kuypers moved ahead . When Van Mechelen made a mistake with his Subaru, Scheveneels secured second place. Kuypers (Ford Fiesta) took his first win at the Eurocircuit this year. Jos Jansen, winner of the first race in the Dutch Championship hit the banking in the second heat and parked his Ford Focus on his roof.

When it rained just before the Super1600 A final there was pandemonium, some drivers going to the grid, others going back to the paddock for rain tyres. Polesitter Davy van den Branden switched the two front tyres on his Citroën C2, and was able to get on the starting grid just in time. Dave van Beers (Renault Clio) did the same but Dennis Remans, coming back from the paddock, missed the start by a few seconds. The race was led by Marcel Snoeijers in his Renault Clio, his rear view mirror full of Peter van de Wege’s Toyota Yaris. A puncture dropped Snoeijers back to second place and helped Van de Wege win. Van den Branden spun his car twice and said later that the ‘wrong’ tyres on the back of his C2 was the cause of dropping back from pole to fifth place. Kristof Bex (Volvo S40) took his second over two-litre Supernational win of the year, leading home Luc Maris and Filip Baelus while Pedro Cokelaere in his Honda Civic won the up to two-litre class.

[portfolio_slideshow]

 

 

Supercar

  1.  Jos Kuijpers (I) Ford Fiesta MK7
  2. Ronny Schevneels (B) VW Scirocco
  3. Jan van Loon (NL) Ford Fiesta
  4. Patrick van Mechelen (B) Subaru Impreza
  5. Ron Snoeck (NL) Seat Leon
  6. Wil Teurlings (NL) Volvo S40

Not Classified

  • Jos Jansen (B) Ford Focus

TouringCar

  1. Pedro Bonnet (B) Volvo C30
  2. Christ Moelands (NL) BMW 120
  3. Koen Pauwels (B) Volvo C30
  4. Nick Snoeys (B) Ford Fiesta
  5. Louis de Haas (NL) Opel Astra RWD
  6. Willem Slob (NL) VW Golf

Not Classified

  • Mandy Kasse (NL) Ford Fiesta

Super1600

  1. Peter van de Wege (NL) Toyota Yaris
  2. Marcel Snoeijers (N) Renault Clio RS
  3. Dave Van Beers (B) Renault Clio
  4. Willem Veltman (NL) Citroën C2
  5. Davy Van Den Branden (B) Citroën C2
  6. Dennis van Rijn (NL) Skoda Fabia
  7. Thijs Heezen (NL) Ford Fiesta
  8. Denjis Remans (B) Ford Fiesta
  9. Bart Stouten (B) Toyota Yaris

Not Classified

  • Andy Martin (B) Volkswagen Polo

Supernational -2000cc

  1. Pedro Cokelaere (B) Honda Civic
  2. Steven Stessens (B) Vauxhall Nova
  3. Christoph Chalmet (B) MG ZR
  4. Tom Meeusen (B) Mitsubishi Lancer
  5. Patrick De Decker (B) MG ZR
  6. Marc Vandenbergh (B) Seat Ibiza
  7. Andreas Geebelen (B) Peugeot 206
  8. Cor Kroon (NL) Opel Kadett
  9. Leo Blockx (B) Opel Corsa

Not Classified

  • Eric Wilkinson (B) Opel Astra Gsi

Supernational + 2000cc

  1. Kristof Bex (B) Volvo S40
  2. Luc Maris (B) Volvo S40
  3. Filip Baelus (B) Volvo C30
  4. Steve Volders (B) Ford Escort
  5. Davy Leysen (B) BMW M3
  6. Johan Sleeckx (B) BMW 130i
  7. Patrick Buschgens (B) BMW E46 M3
  8. Danny De Beuckelaer (B) Opel Corsa
  9. Peter Thijs (B) BMW M3
  10. Frans de Wit (B) BMW M3

 

 

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