Limburger Xavier Maassen won the first of his two titles
Jeffrey van Hooydonck and Koen Wauters provided a very nice final podium in the second season of the fastest brand cup in the Benelux.
The second season of the Porsche Challenge Benelux was a logical continuation of the maiden season in 2013. The calendar once again included six meetings of three races, with two sprint races and a longer race with pit stop and driver change if necessary. The competition went to Zandvoort, even three times, twice at Circuit Zolder, but started and that has now become a real tradition, on the F1 circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. No fewer than nine drivers managed to win at least one race that year and the final battle in the championship remained very exciting until the final in Zandvoort. The most Belgian of all racing Dutchmen, Xavier Maassen, took his first of two titles and became one of the strongholds of the competition with the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup.
2014 was, as stated, a logical continuation of 2013, the first season of the Porsche make-up cup in the Benelux. The calendar was similar, the car was the same, the format remained virtually unchanged, but the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux clearly gained in popularity and more and more drivers and teams found their way to the starting grid. Result: the competition became more intense and many drivers believed in their chances. Moreover, the competition from the Benelux also gained notoriety abroad, because in addition to the regular names from the Benelux, we also saw German, French and even Turkish riders make an appearance.
They were competitive and so no fewer than nine different winners, but the final battle for the title was between the reigning champion, Jeffrey van Hooydonk, in the colors of DVB RACING and challenger Xavier Maassen, who did it with team Allure. Van Hooydonk had Koen Wauters as teammates, Maassen could count on the support of Pierre Piron. The title ultimately went to the Limburger Maassen, while behind them the young wolves were gradually preparing for a change of power. The young talents Max van Splunteren, Dylan Derdaele and Peter Hoevenaars achieved four and one victory respectively, but it would not stop there. The three up-and-coming fast guys all won their titles in the Porsche one-make cup in the following seasons. Mickey Bertram, Carlos Rivas, Pierre Piron and Koen Wauters were the other winners of a great 2014 season.
Porsche loyalty
Champion Maassen, 34 at his first title, had already had a bond with the Porsche brand for a while and would only strengthen that bond after his title. “In 2012 and 2013 I drove with Porsche in what was then the Blancpain Endurance Series and in 2014 I took the step to the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux and the Belgian Endurance Championship, also with Porsche. In 2014 I indeed became champion in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux and with Porsche I also became second in the Belgian GT Series. In both series together, I took six wins and seventeen podiums in what has been my most successful season ever. From then on, the Porsche brand competition became, with one exception, a common thread in my career and I will try to be at the start of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux again this season. I do indeed have a thing for Porsche and the mythical Porsche 911, it is and remains one of the most attractive racing cars in motorsport history.”
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