• Fifth meeting of the season in Assen this weekend
• van Eijndhoven, Derdaele and van Parijs compete for the title in Pro
• The duel between Saelens and Dullaart in Pro-Am remains exciting
• Lauryssen as good as champion in Am
The drivers and teams of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux are in for a real final sprint in the following weeks. A month and a half after the previous meeting in Zolder, twenty Porsche 911 GT3 Cup type 992 are present again in the prestigious DTM paddock, but this time at the TT Circuit of Assen. Two weeks later, the season finale will be held at the Hockenheimring – again in the context of a DTM meeting. So during the Dutch round it is best to perform strongly!
Pro: top 3 separated by five points
They haven't given each other an inch since the start of the season. Huub van Eijndhoven (#TeamPGZ by JW RaceService), Dylan Derdaele (Belgium Racing) and Glenn van Parijs (NGT Racing) head to the famous 'Cathedral of Speed' knowing they are only separated by five points. The young Dutchman is determined to record a second win of the season in his home race, after having opened his honors list in Zolder at the beginning of August. The Belgians Dylan Derdaele (provisionally victorious with four victories) and Glenn Van Parijs (one victory, but he scored three times the maximum number of points, after finishing second in Austria twice behind guest driver Harry King) may perhaps perform a little less regularly than their young competitor, but there can be no doubt about their speed. In addition to the 20 points for a win, the bonus points for the pole position and the fastest race lap can also play a decisive role!
Although the leading trio appears to be unapproachable, that does not mean that there are no other victory candidates at the start in the north of the Netherlands. Steven van Rhee (Team GP Elite) and Sebastian Freymuth (PG Motorsport) want to consolidate their place in the top 5 of the provisional standings, preferably by putting themselves in the spotlight with an excellent performance. After a season of highs and lows, Xavier Maassen (2017 champion, #TeamPGZ by Red Ant Racing), Thierry Vermeulen (Team GP Elite) and Ghislain Cordeel (Team GP Elite) can also take on the role of executioner.
Pro-Am: duel between Saelens Dullaart not over yet!
Four points: that is the small difference between Nicolas Saelens (Belgium Racing) and Floris Dullaart (Team GP Elite), the two title candidates in Pro-Am. In terms of victories, the Belgian leads 6-3, but the Dutchman enjoys a home advantage this weekend. Can he progress to the season finale as leader?
The only other rider to record a class win this season was Ziad Geris (Team GP Elite). He also drives a home race and is a candidate for a place of honour, just like John de Wilde (Speedlover). With his third participation of the season, the current leader of the Porsche Sprint Trophy Benelux in Assen could surprise the fixed values of the championship. Filip Teunkens (Q1 Trackracing by EMG), Andrey Mukovoz (DUWO Racing) and the returning Nicolas Vandierendonck (Q1 Trackracing by EMG) are also aiming for a podium place in Pro-Am.
Am: Lauryssen already champion?
After already recording seven victories and one third place in eight races in the Am class this season, Jan Lauryssen can already secure the title this weekend. The Belgian, who has already won every pole position and every fastest race lap, can after all bow to a lead of 62 points. If the driver of Q1 Trackracing by EMG can still have 44 of these at the end of the weekend, Lauryssen can already start celebrating. The motorsport rookie will not only be satisfied with a good performance in his own class in Assen, but will, as so often this season, try to measure himself against the best drivers from Pro-Am.
Jeroen Kreeft (Parker Revs Motorsport), Luc Vanderfeesten (#TeamPGZ by Red Ant Racing) and Russian Konstantin Zakharevskiy (Speedlover) are likely to compete for a place of honor in the class.
The fastest monomeric cup in the Benelux provides its part of the spectacle at the TT Circuit of Assen with two races. After qualifying (Saturday at 8.40am), the two 30-minute races (Saturday and Sunday at 4.10pm) can be followed live on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux.