Belgian Championship at Duivelsberg

With two races to go for the Belgian Championship, Patrick van Mechelen (Subaru Impreza), has won the penultimate round for de Belgian Championship at the Duivelsberg. Van Mechelen was with two fastest times the man on pole position in the Supercars. It not him but Dutchman Jos Kuypers (Ford Fiesta) who took the lead. Van Mechelen second before Ron Snoeck (NL), Ronny Scheveneels (B) and Jochen Coox (B).

With Kuypers in the lead the Dutchman had the Subaru on his tail. Van Mechelen decided to take the ‘Joker’ in lap number two. Kuypers aware of the fact that Van Mechelen was very fast all day, took the ‘Joker’ one lap later. For a few moments the Subaru and the Fiesta were side by side. Van Mechelen was in the lead and he brought the Subaru safely home. The first victory of this season and he beating his 2013 car, the  current Ford Fiesta of Jos Kuypers who will be driven by Van Mechelen from 2013. In the background Coox lost ground and was chasing the pack. The chase brought Coox in the new VW Scirocco third place. Ron Snoeck and Jos Jansen had a ‘coming together’. Jansen hit the Seat Leon just at the moment that Snoeck turned into the corner for the long straight to the infield. Jansen received a ‘black flag’ for this action. Snoeck dropped by this action from third to seventh. The Supercar Seat Leon is for sale said Snoeck before the race. “We’re thinking of a return to a two-wheel drive class in 2013”. The former Super1600 European Champion 2004 and 2005 thinks about a ‘move’ into the direction of the Touringcars. “We are still working hard for another year in a Supercar. But when we as a team decided when  we are realistic. A Touringcar will fit better in our budget. That’s why we set the Seat Leon for sale. The price for the Leon is fair and negotiable”, says the Dutchman.

While Van Mechelen and Kuypers let each other survive at the outcome of the Jokerlap. That was not the case with Davy van den Branden (Citroën C2) and Dennis Remans (Ford Fiesta) in the Super1600. Remans on the inside of the hairpin and on the raceline made his Fiesta wide. Side by side. The C2 of Van den Branden went of the track and was a few seconds later stuck in the sand trap. End of the race for the Championship leader Van den Branden and the first win for Remans. With Bart Stouten (Toyota Yaris) and Dave van Beers (Renault Clio) the podium in the Super1600 was all Belgian.

Koen Pauwels was on the chase for the Dutch and Belgian Championship title at the Touringcars. The Ford Fiesta driver succeed in his mission. With Pedro Bonnet in the lead the Volvo C30 of Bonnet suffered technical problems. The C30 was parked beside the track. The way was now wide open for Pauwels to take the double. Mandy Kasse (Ford Fiesta) took second place before Ivo van den Brandt (Mitsubishi Colt).

The Supernationals was ‘old skool’ racing. Poleman Michael de Keersmaecker took the lead in his Volvo 242. “I went too fast into the first corner. I said to myself. Inside Michael! The inside! There was Bex (Volvo S40) and the family Maris (Volvo S40 and Volvo 242) and Baelus (Volvo C30) on my tail.” Tires where squeaking, polyester bodypanels were cracking, a mirror dropped off. Almost everybody survived the first corner, besides ‘victim’ Danny de Beuckelaer who had to stop the race and left his Opel Corsa abandoned in the first corner. The rest of the six lap race. Action all over the place. Smiling faces at the finishline at the end. “There is a lot of amusement in this class” said Supernational winner De Keersmaecker.

[portfolio_slideshow]