Ten Porsche entries set to contest the second-longest race of the Belcar Endurance Championship season.
Belgium Racing aims to maintain its unbeaten record, while the competition is chasing its first victory of the season.
Zonhoven, Thursday, 2 July. After races at Circuit Zolder and Circuit Assen, the Porsche Endurance Trophy Benelux heads to the Belgian Ardennes this weekend for a four-hour race at the world-renowned Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The event marks the return of a true endurance challenge over four hours, or rather, the revival of a tradition dating back to the beginning of this century. As always, the Porsche Endurance Trophy Benelux forms part of the Belcar Endurance Championship, Belgium's national endurance racing series. With ten different Porsche cars on the starting grid, the German sports car manufacturer once again plays a major role in the country's motorsport scene.
Four hours of racing at the world's most beautiful circuit
In 2001, the Belcar Endurance Championship hosted its very first four-hour race on the iconic Ardennes circuit. Victory in the GT class went to a… Porsche 911 Type 996 Biturbo.
That tradition continued until 2005, and now, 25 years later, Porsche is determined to once again have the final say during the revived four-hour race.
Just one week after Porsche's emphatic victory in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the world's biggest GT3 race, the drivers and teams of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Benelux return to Spa-Francorchamps. No fewer than eight Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 992) cars will battle for victory on Saturday between 9:15 and 13:15.
Following two victories for Belgium Racing's #99 entry, the opposition is more determined than ever to strike back. That challenge comes not only from rival teams but also from within the championship-leading squad itself. Dylan Derdaele, Nicolas Saelens and Paul Meijer are undoubtedly among the favourites, but team-mates Michael Cool, Kaï Rillaerts and returning Brent Verheyen in the #98 car, as well as Olivier Bertels, Kenneth Heyer and Sita Vanmeert in the #747 Porsche, are equally ready to fight for the overall win.
ART Racing once again enters the weekend as a serious contender. After securing two runner-up finishes, Christoff Corten and Maya Weug also occupy second place in the championship standings. Following appearances by Benjamin Paque at Circuit Zolder and Sam Jongejan at Assen, they will now be joined by the rapid Lorenzo Donniacuo as their third driver. Donniacuo is a Fun Cup specialist, but exactly one year ago he also claimed a Silver Cup podium finish in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Ian Gepts, Benjamin De Cock and Alex De Schepper will be aiming for a strong result with NGT Racing after misfortune in the opening two rounds. Germany's Stegmann Motorsport returns for its second appearance of the season after the opener at Zolder, fielding Jan Nick and Markus Lungstrass.
Speedlover, led by André Van Hoof, makes its first appearance of the season, immediately entering two cars. Father and son Rik and Gilles Renmans will share one Porsche with Wim Meulders, while Kim Van Dobben De Bruijn and former professional basketball player Gary Terclavers will drive the team's second entry.
But there is more. In the GT Sport class, Dirk Van Rompuy, Glenn Van Parijs and Mauro Polderman will defend their championship lead aboard the VR Racing by NGT Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. Q1 Trackracing also returns to the grid with Rajko Pagen and Bram Hendrix.
Friday's schedule features Pre-Qualifying from 12:45 to 13:45, followed by Qualifying between 14:35 and 15:05.
The race gets underway on Saturday morning at 9:15, with the chequered flag scheduled to fall four hours later at 13:15.
