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Winning debut for Team Bilderberg Porsche Eindhoven
Zandvoort, April 14th, 2009. The Porsche 911 has proven to be a winner in the GT4 class as well. In the inaugural meeting of the new Dutch GT4 Championship, held at Zandvoort over the Easter weekend, Paul van Splunteren claimed victory in the second race with his Porsche 997 GT4. Previously, his team mate in the Bilderberg Porsche Eindhoven team, Bas Schothorst, had finished third in the first encounter. Victory in the main race went to the team’s sister car with driver Phil Bastiaans and Christiaan Frankenhout.
During the winter months, Paul van Splunteren and his company GT3.nl were the driving forces behind the development of the Porsche 997 to the international FIA GT4 regulations. After extensive testing, among others at the circuit of Paul Ricard in France, Zandvoort was the venue for the competition debut. “In spite of the challenging economic situation, the new Dutch GT4 championship has established itself very well”, van Splunteren said. Indeed, there were 22 new GT cars on the grid for the season opener, including three Porsche 997 GT4s.
A dominant lights-to-flag win
For the Bilderberg Porsche Eindhoven team, the first outing was successful. Bas Schothorst and Paul van Splunteren already were fastest in their respective qualifying heats. In the first 25 minutes’ race, Bas Schothorst crossed the finish line in third place, in spite of having become involved in a collision. With this result, he was the best-placed Porsche driver in the field. In the second race, also with a duration of 25 minutes, Paul van Splunteren beat the entire opposition and claimed the maiden victory for Porsche in the category. He led the field throughout the race. “I had an excellent start and managed to pull a gap right away”, the former Supercup driver reported. “In the second half of the race, I came under pressure a little bit more, but I had been very cautious with the tyres earlier on and I was able to drive victory home without any problems.”
The 50 minutes’ feature race with mandatory pit stop and driver change saw van Splunteren and Schothorst finishing fourth with their Porsche 997 GT4. “Maybe I was a little bit too conservative in the opening stages. Moreover, we lost too much time during the pit stop”, van Splunteren said. “However, we can look back on a very successful debut, especially as the winners of the feature race drove with our kit as well.”
The Porsche 997 GT4 was developed by GT3.nl, the competition department of the Porsche Centre Eindhoven, for use in the Dutch GT4 Championship and the European GT4 Cup. Interested teams and drivers can order a complete conversion kit, approved by Porsche AG, for a Porsche 997 GT3 from GT3.nl. If required, GT3.nl can also provide assistance for the preparation of a ready-to-race Porsche 997 GT4 and for the purchase of a suitable used Porsche 997 GT3.
Result race 1: 1. Jeroen Bleekemolen, Corvette C6, 14 laps in 26:22.262; 2. Menno Kuus, Ginetta G50, 2.679 sec; 3. Bas Schothorst, Porsche 997 GT4, 2.937 sec.
Result race 2: 1. Paul van Splunteren, Porsche 997 GT4, 14 laps in 26.20.364; 2. Christiaan Frankenhout, Porsche 997 GT4, 0.332 sec.; 3. Duncan Huisman, BMW M3 GT4, 1.665 sec.
Result race 3: 1. Christiaan Frankenhout / Phil Bastiaans, Porsche 997 GT4, 24 laps in 51:13.709; 2. Pim van Riet, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, 2.585 sec.; 3. Quint Engel / Menno Kuus, Ginetta G50, 2.983 sec.; 4. Paul van Splunteren / Bas Schothorst, 6.666 sec
Standings after 3 of 21 rounds: 1. Christiaan Frankenhout 26; 2. Paul van Splunteren 25; 3. Menno Kuus 22; 5. Bas Schothorst 17.
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