• Third of six rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, this weekend in Zandvoort
• Exciting views in Pro: three leaders separated by just four points
• Nicolas Saelens (Pro-Am) and Jan Lauryssen (Am) favorites in their class
For the drivers of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, the holiday is over! Almost two months after the previous round, at the Red Bull Ring, they will compete this weekend in Zandvoort for the third of six meetings in 2021. Before they start the second half of the season, the title candidates will have another chance to compete again. show their best side.
About twenty Porsche 911 GT3 Cup type 992 are expected on the Dutch dune circuit for a meeting as part of the ADAC GT Masters. There is a lot to keep an eye on when it comes to sports. An overview.
Pro: everything is possible
Three riders separated by… four points: the battle in Pro is more open than ever. Glenn Van Parijs (NGT Racing / 68 points) put in a perfect weekend in Spielberg and heads to Zandvoort as leader in the standings. However, the young Belgian is closely followed by Huub van Eijndhoven (#TeamPGZ by JW RaceService / 67 points) and Dylan Derdaele (Belgium Racing / 64 points). The young Dutchman has so far shown impressive regularity, while the 2016 champion showed his best side, especially in Spa-Francorchamps, with two victories.
In the wake of the leading trio, there are quite a few riders who also want to have their say. In the first place we think of Xavier Maassen (#TeamPGZ by Red Ant Racing), champion of 2017, and Steven van Rhee (Team GP Elite). The two Dutchmen were already on the podium earlier this season and now want to put themselves in the spotlight in front of their home crowd. Thierry Vermeulen (Team GP Elite) also needs to be watched. He is counting on slightly less bad luck than in the previous races to convert his speed into concrete results. And what about Sebastian Freymuth and Felix Neuhofer (both PG Motorsport)? Can they provide the surprise?
Pro-Am: towards a duel Saelens-Dullaart
Just like in the Pro category, the battle in the Pro-Am class will probably be one to lick your fingers and thumbs. Here, since the start of the season, two drivers seem to be a bit ahead of the others: Nicolas Saelens (Belgium Racing) and Floris Dullaart (Team GP Elite) are separated by only six points in the championship. With three wins in four races, the Belgian seems to be a slightly bigger favorite, but Dullaart has not yet spoken his last word. Sharp judges in this beautiful duel will be regulars Ziad Geris (Team GP Elite), Andrey Mukovoz (DUWO Racing) and Filip Teunkens (Q1 Trackracing by EMG). Nicolas Vandierendonck (Q1 Trackracing by EMG) is absent this time, and the entire paddock of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux wishes him a speedy recovery.
Am: Lauryssen top favorite
Jan Lauryssen is by far the biggest revelation of the start of the season. Both in Francorchamps and on the Red Bull Ring, the Belgian from Q1 Trackracing by EMG taught the competition a lesson by taking the two victories in the Am category in both meetings. What's more: although he made his debut this year, he also managed to stay ahead of a few riders in the Pro-Am class. Also this weekend Lauryssen will be the man to beat, Ad Geerts (#TeamPGZ by Red Ant Racing) and Yves Noël (Speedlover) realize that they will have to pull out all the stops to compete with him.
After two high-level meetings, everything seems to indicate that the third race weekend of the fastest monomeric cup in the Benelux will also be worth the move. After qualifying (Saturday at 8.45am), two 30-minute races will follow (Saturday at 12.45pm and Sunday at 12.20pm). Both races can be followed live on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux.
