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Well-earned podium for Team Bilderberg Porsche Eindhoven
Spa-Francorchamps (B), July 25th 2009. It is with mixed feelings that Team Bilderberg Porsche Eindhoven looks back at the tenth and eleventh race of the Dutch GT4 Championship, held at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Bas Schothorst was in a class of his own when he finished his Porsche 997 GT4 in third place having started last on the grid. Paul van Splunteren also managed to race to the third position but was afterwards disqualified when his car turned out to be slightly below the minimum weight.
Due to personal circumstances it was not possible for Bas to drive the qualifying session on Friday, meaning he had to start the race from the last position. But he drove an almost perfect race. Starting 17th it only took him twelve laps to race to the 997 GT4 to the 3rd position, a position he was able to maintain for the rest of the race. “I had to start the race without having driven the practice sessions and this on a circuit that I hardly ever drive on. This meant that it took me some time to get used to the car and the track”, says Bas. “But our Porsche performed faultlessly and I had a very spectacular race with lots of overtaking action on this amazing circuit.”
When the race finished Bas was only 5 seconds behind the race winner. “If the race would have been only slightly longer I might have been able to win, that’s how fast we were”, he concludes.
Paul van Splunteren turned his 5th starting position into a 3rd place at the finish line. “And that despite my pitstop which was a couple of seconds too long”, says Paul. “During the pitstop I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to stop for 70 or 80 seconds which meant I waited a bit too long before rejoining the race.”
But shortly after the race there was disappointment. During the technical scrutineering after the race it was found that the Porsche 997 GT4 was 6 kilos below minimum weight. This meant that Paul was disqualified from the race and he lost the points from his 3rd place finish.
After eleven races both Paul and Bas are still in the top of the drivers championship. His impressive race saw Bas climb to the 3rd position, closely followed by Paul who is still in 4th position despite his unfortunate result at Spa. Leading the championship is Christiaan Frankenhout, also driving a Porsche 997 GT4.
After his Dutch GT4 race Paul again had to focus on racing, during the weekend he was also driving a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. He shared the car with fellow Dutch drivers Raymond Coronel and Niek Hommerson and they were joined by Belgian driver Louis Machiels.
The next Dutch GT4 Championship races will be on the 1st and 2nd of August at Zandvoort.
The Porsche 997 GT4 has been developed especially for the Dutch GT4 and the European GT4 Cup by GT3.NL, the motorsport department of Porsche Centrum Eindhoven. Interested drivers and teams can purchase a complete, and Porsche AG approved, conversion kit to convert a Porsche 997 GT3 road car into a GT4 racecar. GT3.NL can also assist in the build of a ‘ready-to-race’ Porsche 997 GT4 or in the search for a suitable second-hand Porsche 997 GT3 for conversion.
Results Dutch GT4 Championship Spa-Francorchamps
Race 1, Friday July 24h 2009:
1. Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, BMW M3 GT4, 15 laps in 41:07.828; 2. Simon Knap, BMW M3 GT4, at 14.548 sec.; 3. Danny van Dongen, Corvette C6, at 16.296.
Disqualified: Paul van Splunteren, Porsche 997 GT4.
Race 2, Saturday July 25th 2009:
1. Danny van Dongen, Corvette C6, 15 laps in 40:54.123; 2. Christiaan Frankenhout, Porsche 997 GT4, at 1.582 sec.; 3. Bas Schothorst, Porsche 997 GT4, at 5.204.
Championship standings after eleven races:
1. Christiaan Frankenhout 84; 2. Jeroen Bleekemolen 66; 3. Bas Schothorst 49; 4. Paul van Splunteren 47.
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