• van Eijndhoven and van Parijs share victories in Pro
• Lead in championship standings for van Eijndhoven
• John de Wilde unapproachable in Pro-Am, Lauryssen in Am
• Championship remains extremely exciting after the 4th round of the season
After a few race weekends in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, we can conclude that there is a clear thread running through it! As with the first three appointments of the season, the drivers put on a brilliant spectacle this weekend, on the sidelines of the DTM in Zolder. Here is a look back at the fourth meeting of the season that was full of excitement!
Pro: A good round for van Eijndhoven
Huub van Eijndhoven (#TeamPGZ by JW RaceService) and Glenn van Parijs (NGT Racing), the great rivals of Dylan Derdaele (Belgium Racing), were present at round 4. The Dutchman dominated qualifying in Limburg before winning the first race and finishing second in race 2. This made him the top scoring driver this weekend. The Belgian van Parijs, for his part, also did well, finishing second on Saturday and taking the win for the very first time in his career the following day.
Dylan Derdaele managed to limit the damage with two third places on home soil. In the run-up to the last two meetings of the season, the 2016 champion has to give up the lead in the standings to Huub van Eijndhoven, although the difference is very small. That promises for the end of this explosive season! All the more so as Glenn Van Parijs is still fighting for the title.
Just behind the leading trio, Sebastian Freymuth (PG Motorsport) felt at ease on Saturday. The German seemed on his way to finish just off the podium, but suffered an impressive crash in the final minute. As a result, Steven van Rhee (Team GP Elite) and Thierry Vermeulen (Team GP Elite) rounded out the top 5, just ahead of Xavier Maassen (#TeamPGZ by Red Ant Racing).
On Sunday, the battle between those ruffs erupted again, but this time it was Xavier Maassen who pulled the plug. The Dutchman beat his compatriot Steven van Rhee and Sebastian Freymuth, while Thierry Vermeulen had to throw in the towel.
Pro-Am: John de Wilde dominates
What a comeback! John De Wilde (Speedlover) made his return to the championship after having been out of action in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux since a few meetings. The current leader in the Porsche Sprint Trophy Benelux drove the stars from heaven: he took pole position and won the Pro Am class in both races (he scores no points for the standings though). In the first race he held off Ziad Geris (Team GP Elite), while in race 2 he outperformed Nicolas Saelens (Belgium Racing).
There were actually two big winners in Zolder: Floris Dullaart (Team GP Elite) proved to be the most regular of the title contenders with two third places. The Dutchman took advantage of Nicolas Saelens' resignation on Saturday to put pressure on the championship standings.
Am: Lauryssen scores again
Like the Pro Am class, the Am category was dominated by a single man: Jan Lauryssen! The Q1 Trackracing by EMG Motorsport driver not only scored two stunning victories, but also took a brilliant fourth place overall in race 2. So he once again surprised many more experienced competitors.
The Belgian twice preceded Luc Vanderfeesten (#TeamPGZ by Red Ant Racing) and Konstantin Zakharevskiy (Speedlover).
Now that the second half of the season has kicked off in Limburg, the final battle for the titles in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux is gradually approaching. The next, and also the penultimate appointment is planned in Assen, on September 17, 18 and 19!
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