For the second time this year the Dutch Supercar Challenge headed down to the famous Belgian track Spa Francorchamps. Joining regular Mosler Challenge drivers Alex van 't Hoff and Berry van Elk were Rene Wijnen and Pieter Dubois, who together had their maiden Mosler weekend. The Carworld Motorsport pair had shortly before acquired a MT900 GT3 in a part exchange deal with their Renault Megane Trophy car. To get the best preparation for next year the team will focus their attention on getting to know the Mosler both from the drivers point of view as from the mechanical side. For Wijnen and Dubois results are of lesser importance the final two race weekends of the 2010 campaign.
Despite a foggy morning the racing line was dry as all four DSC classes set off for free practice Friday afternoon. With 60 cars the track was crowded to say the least, but that is one of the things that makes the Spa weekends so interesting. Berry van Elk was the absolute quickest midway trough the session so he decided to park his car in the pits to save his tyres for qualifying the next day, in the knowledge that set of rubber worked great.
Alex van 't Hoff worked on the setup of his car and put in a seventh quickest lap time, only a few tenths of a second ahead of the new competitors in the Mosler Challenge; Rene Wijnen and Pieter Dubois. A very good result by the 2005 GT class champions who just did their very first meters in the car.
Qualifying on Saturday morning was wet, so the set of slicks saved by Berry van Elk the day before was of no use unfortunately for him. This time Alex van 't Hoff was the quickest Mosler driver in fifth overall for the race later that day. Van Elk, who strongly prefers dry tarmac, was just less than a tenth behind him in seventh after a trip through a gravel trap. Wijnen and Dubois did not lose much and were twelfth in class, despite some technical problems they encountered. Reigning champion Cor Euser took pole ahead of Robert de Graaff in a Viper and guest driver pair Andrew Tate and Glynn Geddie in their Porsche.
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As the day progressed after the qualifying session and the start of the race approached all teams had an eye on both the track and the sky to decide what type of tyres to use. When the cars made their way to the starting grid the track was damp but drying and the sky looked like usual at Spa; unpredictable. Berry van Elk opted for slicks, but because the lights at the end of the pit lane turned red rather quickly he had to start from the very back of the field in the pit lane. To add to his trouble a fifteen minute drizzle ruined Van Elk's race as he had little grip on the very damp surface on his slicks.
Alex van 't Hoff had a good start and within a lap or two he was knocking at the door of leaders Rene Snel and Glynn Geddie. Shortly after Van 't Hoff had put his Mosler in the lead a driver from the lower Sport class spun out of the race at the famous Eau Rouge corner causing a safety car situation. At the restart Porsche 911 GT2 driver Rene Snel was able to overtake the orange MT900 GT3 for the lead, and not long after Van 't Hoff failed to defend his position as both Euser in his trusty Marcos and De Graaff came passed.
After the mandatory pit stops De Graaff was leading the race because he had decided to stay out long and to put in some fast laps on the less crowded track. His lead was not to last as Euser reeled him in second by second to finally outbrake him at the hairpin a few laps before the finish. Peter Versluis finished in third but was later demoted to fourth after a time penalty, handing guest drivers Henri Moser and Eddy Renard the final podium spot.
Alex van 't Hoff had lost a bit of his early race pace and finished sixth, one place ahead of fellow Mosler driver Berry van Elk. "We gambled and lost by starting on slicks", Van Elk said after the race. "You win some, you lose some. Spa is a difficult track, especially in the wet. Add to that the low visibility because of the spray and the fact we are on track with all four DSC classes and it adds up to a difficult afternoon."
Rene Wijnen and Pieter Dubois failed to restart their car after the pit stops because of a dead battery.
Sunday was unusually sunny for an autumn day in the Belgian Ardennes. The cars lined up on the dry track according to the results of the Saturday race for another hour of driving. As the lights turned green Cor Euser took off from pole to leave the rest behind. Alex van 't Hoff again had a great first half of the race as he battled for the top positions with Robert de Graaff, Peter Versluis and Rene Snel. Just before the pit stops he had beaten them all and was in second behind Euser. Berry van Elk battled pro driver Nicky Pastorelli for fifth.
Two minutes before the pit window opened the safety car was called out. Almost everyone decided to make their pit stop right away, resulting in a frenzy in the pit lane. After everyone had pitted Cor Euser was still in the lead, followed by Van 't Hoff. Van Elk was now in third, just ahead of Rene Snel. Unfortunately Van Elk could not finish the weekend on the podium as a small piece of his drive train snapped and he had to park the car.
Cor Euser won his second race of the weekend, keeping his championship aspiration alive. Alex van 't Hoff proved he has mastered the Mosler in his first year by finishing second on this demanding track ahead of Rene Snel. Wijnen and Dubois again did not get to the finish.
With just the final weekend at Assen, The Netherlands to go, Alex van 't Hoff is just ten points behind leader Peter Versluis in the GT class championship, with a maximum 44 points to be won. In the Mosler Challenge Berry van Elk is leading, sixteen points ahead of Van 't Hoff.
The undoubtedly exciting races at Assen will take place at the 23th and 24th of October.
Despite a foggy morning the racing line was dry as all four DSC classes set off for free practice Friday afternoon. With 60 cars the track was crowded to say the least, but that is one of the things that makes the Spa weekends so interesting. Berry van Elk was the absolute quickest midway trough the session so he decided to park his car in the pits to save his tyres for qualifying the next day, in the knowledge that set of rubber worked great.
Alex van 't Hoff worked on the setup of his car and put in a seventh quickest lap time, only a few tenths of a second ahead of the new competitors in the Mosler Challenge; Rene Wijnen and Pieter Dubois. A very good result by the 2005 GT class champions who just did their very first meters in the car.
Qualifying on Saturday morning was wet, so the set of slicks saved by Berry van Elk the day before was of no use unfortunately for him. This time Alex van 't Hoff was the quickest Mosler driver in fifth overall for the race later that day. Van Elk, who strongly prefers dry tarmac, was just less than a tenth behind him in seventh after a trip through a gravel trap. Wijnen and Dubois did not lose much and were twelfth in class, despite some technical problems they encountered. Reigning champion Cor Euser took pole ahead of Robert de Graaff in a Viper and guest driver pair Andrew Tate and Glynn Geddie in their Porsche.
As the day progressed after the qualifying session and the start of the race approached all teams had an eye on both the track and the sky to decide what type of tyres to use. When the cars made their way to the starting grid the track was damp but drying and the sky looked like usual at Spa; unpredictable. Berry van Elk opted for slicks, but because the lights at the end of the pit lane turned red rather quickly he had to start from the very back of the field in the pit lane. To add to his trouble a fifteen minute drizzle ruined Van Elk's race as he had little grip on the very damp surface on his slicks.
Alex van 't Hoff had a good start and within a lap or two he was knocking at the door of leaders Rene Snel and Glynn Geddie. Shortly after Van 't Hoff had put his Mosler in the lead a driver from the lower Sport class spun out of the race at the famous Eau Rouge corner causing a safety car situation. At the restart Porsche 911 GT2 driver Rene Snel was able to overtake the orange MT900 GT3 for the lead, and not long after Van 't Hoff failed to defend his position as both Euser in his trusty Marcos and De Graaff came passed.
After the mandatory pit stops De Graaff was leading the race because he had decided to stay out long and to put in some fast laps on the less crowded track. His lead was not to last as Euser reeled him in second by second to finally outbrake him at the hairpin a few laps before the finish. Peter Versluis finished in third but was later demoted to fourth after a time penalty, handing guest drivers Henri Moser and Eddy Renard the final podium spot.
Alex van 't Hoff had lost a bit of his early race pace and finished sixth, one place ahead of fellow Mosler driver Berry van Elk. "We gambled and lost by starting on slicks", Van Elk said after the race. "You win some, you lose some. Spa is a difficult track, especially in the wet. Add to that the low visibility because of the spray and the fact we are on track with all four DSC classes and it adds up to a difficult afternoon."
Rene Wijnen and Pieter Dubois failed to restart their car after the pit stops because of a dead battery.
Sunday was unusually sunny for an autumn day in the Belgian Ardennes. The cars lined up on the dry track according to the results of the Saturday race for another hour of driving. As the lights turned green Cor Euser took off from pole to leave the rest behind. Alex van 't Hoff again had a great first half of the race as he battled for the top positions with Robert de Graaff, Peter Versluis and Rene Snel. Just before the pit stops he had beaten them all and was in second behind Euser. Berry van Elk battled pro driver Nicky Pastorelli for fifth.
Two minutes before the pit window opened the safety car was called out. Almost everyone decided to make their pit stop right away, resulting in a frenzy in the pit lane. After everyone had pitted Cor Euser was still in the lead, followed by Van 't Hoff. Van Elk was now in third, just ahead of Rene Snel. Unfortunately Van Elk could not finish the weekend on the podium as a small piece of his drive train snapped and he had to park the car.
Cor Euser won his second race of the weekend, keeping his championship aspiration alive. Alex van 't Hoff proved he has mastered the Mosler in his first year by finishing second on this demanding track ahead of Rene Snel. Wijnen and Dubois again did not get to the finish.
With just the final weekend at Assen, The Netherlands to go, Alex van 't Hoff is just ten points behind leader Peter Versluis in the GT class championship, with a maximum 44 points to be won. In the Mosler Challenge Berry van Elk is leading, sixteen points ahead of Van 't Hoff.
The undoubtedly exciting races at Assen will take place at the 23th and 24th of October.
