The First Wins of the Season, a Week to Remember!
The week started a bit differently than usual. Normally we travel to the Nürburgring on Thursday morning, but not this time. On Wednesday I get to drive at Zandvoort, not in the Nordschleife BMW, but in the new BMW 240i of Dayvtec. A car with over 500 HP and faster than anything I’ve tested so far. I drove a lot and gathered useful data. It went so well that I got to test again on Thursday evening. That means a late arrival at the Nürburgring.
NLS 3:
With plenty of kilometers behind us from test work, we finally head to the Ring, much later than planned, but worth it. We leave the Zandvoort circuit around 21:00. Luckily the highway is quiet and we drive smoothly. Around 01:30 we’re finally in bed at the Nordschleife.
Friday:
Friday begins nice and relaxed; we can sleep in a bit before practice starts at 13:30. Before training, the three drivers sit together to discuss the biggest points for improvement. We compare data and footage. This allows us to discuss everything thoroughly and find several areas to improve. There’s work to be done!
Since the practice session starts early, we have plenty of time to test and build confidence. After all the testing in the faster BMW 240i, I immediately feel at ease in the car. From the first moment, I can go for it. During the later afternoon session we also take some people out for a taxi lap around the circuit, that’s always an unforgettable experience. So in many ways, it’s a good day! On to tomorrow.
Saturday:
Race day. Just like the previous race, I get to start qualifying. And unlike last time, there’s quite a bit of pressure on the lap. The first lap I set isn’t quick enough due to a Code 60. So I need to push harder for another good lap. With a bit of luck, this works out and I’m able to take P2. That bit of luck comes in the last sector: a car stops for me, but not for too long. This causes a double yellow, where you can drive at 120 km/h instead of just 60 km/h during a Code 60. Unfortunate, but I only lose a few seconds and the lap is still decent. But I miss pole and it definitely would have been possible!
The race:
At last it’s time for the start, and this time I get to take it. The nerves rise, but I’m really excited. After the long formation lap, I’m ready for the start. I’m driven to keep up with the car of our biggest competitor, Adrenaline Motorsport, and if possible overtake it! After three laps of racing bumper to bumper with some clever fake moves, I succeed! I take the lead and pull away from the field, opening a considerable gap.
Then the team sees that our biggest rival has a problem and is going very slowly. They have a flat tire and have to crawl 10 km slowly back to the pits. Later it turns out they’ve sustained too much damage and retire. When I come in for the pit stop and hand the car over to Marius, we’re in P1. I climb out of the car buzzing with adrenaline — happy, enthusiastic, and bouncy. Right away I get a camera in my face for a fun interview. Now it’s up to my teammates — full gas!
During Marius’s stint, he has a touch with a Porsche Cup car. That driver thinks there’s space to overtake and drives into the side of our car. The car goes into limp mode. Marius has to stop briefly. At the side of the circuit he has to shut the car off and restart it, costing a lot of time. Luckily there’s no damage to the suspension or rotating parts in the car, and we can continue.
Na Marius zijn stint liggen we nog op P1 en is het de After Marius’s stint we’re still in P1, and then it’s Piet‑Jan’s turn. Unfortunately he also encounters a problem. It looks like the car is losing fuel because the fuel gauge is dropping faster than usual. I’m at the caravan when my father calls: “Where are you?! Benjamin — one of the team leaders — wants you at the box. In your suit!” I jump into my suit and two minutes later I’m at the pitbox.
I understand there might be a problem and they want me ready just in case. Before the race we discussed that we really want to win, and if needed I will have to do a final sprint stint. Now the #2 car is very close and Piet‑Jan reports problems with fuel. Could the car really be losing fuel? Will we even make the finish?! The tension rises and all kinds of scenarios go through our heads. Ahhh, it can’t be!
When Piet‑Jan has almost completed five laps, the car starts to hesitate and loses power. He reports it over the radio and comes in. The gap to P2 is small, and we will likely fall to P2 after the stop. I’m asked to prepare, and someone even tells me to hurry. I don’t mind at all — I’m ready to jump in for another six laps. When I come back out on track, we’re still just ahead of #2 — only 1.5 seconds! So I have to push hard. The #2 car is a Toyota Supra, and theoretically faster than us. I give it everything I’ve got. After two laps it’s clear I’ve pulled a gap compared to P2. Mainly by using the faster cars intelligently to my advantage.
The stint goes well, but there’s still a bit of doubt about how much fuel is in the tank. Our engineer Panti coaches me: “The overall leader in the race is right behind you. If you time it right, you can let him overtake on the last straight. You don’t want to do that extra lap.” It’s always a bit nerve‑wracking to slow down when you’re in the race, but I’ve built a nice gap of about 30 seconds to P2. So I can afford it.
500 meters before the finish the overall race leader flies past, and the race — and I — are flagged off. We have won the race!
We go to the big podium — what a super feeling. The whole team is super happy and proud of our collective achievement!!
WOW, what an awesome result that I’m extremely proud of!
More photos from this race can be found here!
In a few days it will be time for races 4 and 5 of the NLS: “THE 24h Qualifiers”, a mega event with 2 races that I’m extremely excited about. I’m ready and can’t wait!
BMW Racing Cup @circuit Zolder:
Almost immediately after the Nordschleife, I can head straight to Circuit Zolder. Here, the 3rd race of the BMW Racing Cup is on the calendar. I’ll again be starting together with Piet‑Jan Ooms.
The BMW Racing Cup is Piet‑Jan’s other championship. Here, he lets me do one qualifying session and the first sprint race. With not much seat time, I don’t expect too much from race day. Especially since others have already tested here, and I haven’t driven this race car on Zolder yet. So I’m not well-prepared.
The format of this day is as follows: a half-hour practice (15 minutes each), a qualifying session (12 minutes) split into part 1 and part 2 for the sprint races (25 minutes) 1 and 2, and a 50-minute endurance race.
Training:
Fortunately, over the years I’ve already driven a few laps at Circuit Zolder. Adapting to the car seems perfectly doable. After 5 laps in practice, I’m 2nd in the results of the first session. I feel very comfortable. It does give a slightly distorted picture because I was on better tires than the rest, but this only helps with getting used to the car and feeling good.
Qualifying:
For qualifying, I wait at the end of the pits, ready to start. I wait until the rest of the field has gone ahead so I can have a clean track position, and this works perfectly. With cars in the distance ahead of me, I begin my lap. After my first “bankerlap,” I make sure I stay within track limits and set a valid time. That way, I at least have a time on the board. You want to do as few laps as possible on the tires during qualifying. After a cooldown lap right after my first lap, I push again. I secure my first pole in this class! I’m the only one to set a 1:39 lap. And this is after just 9 laps in total in this car at this circuit. Absolutely awesome!
De race(1):
One goal, one task: have a good start and pull away. And this works perfectly. I have an incredibly good start and lead the first lap. I feel very confident in the car. This allows me to quickly open a gap of 2 to 3 seconds to the chasers. I even manage to save tires and react to what’s happening behind me. This continues for all the remaining laps, which allows me to dominate and win! After last weekend’s win at the Nordschleife, this victory feels extremely satisfying! What’s also great about this day is that Piet‑Jan later wins the endurance race as well. A perfect team effort!
All in all, an incredibly exciting week and a super performance that promises a lot for the season!
More photos from the BMW Racing Cup can be found here! (Johan Vis en Roberic blank)