Tom Coronel closes the WTCC season with a podium place

Macau, 20 november 2011 – The closing of the FIA WTCC-championship (WC Touringwagons) also took place on the narrow street-circuit of Macau. For Tom Coronel, driving with the BMW 320 TC from ROAL Motorsport, the hectic trainingrounds gave him a 4th and 5th starting place. The first race on the tricky circuit ended up with a 4th place for the 39-year young driver from Eemnes. A clever zigzag manoeuvre with the standing start, and he was leading the second race. But championship candidate RobHuff closed quickly on him and passed the Dutch BMW-driver. Coronel could defend his second place till the end of the race and secured his fourth place in the FIA WTCC 2011. With these results he was also the quickest BMW-driver and  ‘Best of the rest’ in the WC for Touringwagons.

Een titelstrijd die werd beheerst door het machtige Chevrolet fabrieksteam, dat de eerste drie plaatsen voor zich opeiste. Van de rijders binnen dit team behaalde Yvan Muller de meeste punten en is daarmee de kampioen voor 2011.

Tom Coronel: “De vrije training verliep rommelig. Met rijders die de baan nog niet kenden, en anderen die op zoek waren naar de juiste set-up of de juiste bandenkeuze. Zelf heb ik die eerste ronden gebruikt om het circuit weer even te verkennen. Eigenlijk was er weinig anders dan de vorige keren dat ik hier reed. Tijdens de eerste training was er sprake van een halfnatte baan. Goed oppassen dus dat je niets raakt. Dat laatste lukte niet helemaal, want aan het eind van een goede sessie schoof ik in de laatste bocht onderstuurd de vangrails in. De schade leek erger dan het was. Het meeste was optisch en de monteurs konden dat toch vrij snel weer in orde maken. In de tweede sessie lag ik rond een zesde-zevende plaats, dus op zich ook prima. Maar ook nu parkeerden meerdere coureurs hun auto in de vangrail.

Voor de eerste kwalificatie was de auto weer in orde en na een paar goede ronden ben ik in de pits blijven staan. Via de boordradio hoorde ik wat de anderen deden en uiteindelijk stond ik keurig vierde voor de tweede race. In de tweede kwalificatie ging er weer het nodige mis op de baan. Daar tussendoor lukte het toch om een vijfde tijd te pakken. Op zich ging het best lekker, ik had een goede swing en kon netjes mijn ronden maken. Overigens kreeg ik nog wel een boete van 2.000 euro, omdat ik na mijn schade een stukje achteruit ben gereden om zo mijn auto sneller en veiliger naar de pits te krijgen. Maar, achteruitrijden wordt op dit circuit zeer zwaar bestraft.

In de eerste race was ik goed weg. In de eerste ronde heb ik iets prijsgegeven om niet gelijk in de vangrail te belandden. Daarmee verloor ik ook een plek, maar die had ik redelijk snel weer terug. Nadat zich hier en daar al wat had voorgedaan reed ik achter Bennani en O’Young. Zij streden stevig en raakten elkaar meerdere malen. Het duurde dan ook niet zo heel lang voor zij er alle twee afvlogen en ik twee plaatsen opschoof. Om de baanposten kans te geven alles weer veilig op te ruimen kwam er weer een Safety Car in de baan en naderde de race snel zijn einde. Na de herstart heb ik verder mijn eigen race gereden. Geen risico’s genomen en goed gelet op wat de anderen deden. Jammer, net geen podium, maar ook geen schade en wel veel punten voor het kampioenschap.

Voor de tweede race hebben we de set-up van de auto nog wat gewijzigd. Dat pakte goed uit, net als de start. Echt een raketstart! Ik wilde eerst links langs de voor mij staande Nykjaer, maar daar was niet voldoende ruimte en toen ben ik er rechts langs gegaan en schoof in een keer door naar de leiding. De auto voelde niet alleen beter aan, hij was ook sneller. Kwam ik in de eerste race niet verder dan een 2.35.221, nu reed ik in de 2.32. In die eerste ronden sloeg ik een gaatje, maar toen Huff langs Nykjaer was, kwam hij snel dichterbij. Ik liet hem passeren en sloot direct aan om zo samen verder weg te komen. Door een volgende Safety Car-situatie verloren wij die voorsprong op de rest van het veld. Vanaf de zevende ronde ging de race weer verder. Huff was echt sneller, die moest ik laten gaan. In de slotfase klom Yvan Muller in een van de andere Chevy’s naar de derde plaats en daarmee reed ik tussen de snelste man van het veld en de nieuwe wereldkampioen. Heel veel beter kon het niet.

Ik ben supertevreden met deze tweede plaats in de laatste race. Daarmee eindig ik ook als beste BMW-rijder op een vierde plaats in het kampioenschap, dat dit jaar werd gedomineerd door de drie Chevrolet fabrieksauto’s. Het hele seizoen roepen we al dat we ‘Best of the rest’ zijn en heel eerlijk geloof ik dat er ook niet meer inzat. Met ROAL Motorsport kijk ik terug op een prima seizoen. We zaten er altijd bij, een overwinning in Japan gepakt en een mooie eindklassering geboekt. Alle reden om tevreden te zijn. We wisten dat dit het meest realistische doel was. Natuurlijk kijken we al naar volgend jaar, maar niets is nog zeker. Ik hoop dat het dit jaar allemaal voor de Kerst lukt en dat we ook volgend jaar in het FIA WTCC actief kunnen zijn. Uiteraard het liefst met dit team en deze auto,” besluit Tom Coronel.

Een video met een verslag van Tom’s raceweekend in Macau is te bekijken via:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c4USxUXYyQ&feature=player_profilepage

Uitslag Race 1: 1.Rob Huff 11 ronden in 35:01.903; 2. Yvan Muller (beiden Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T) op 1,016; 3. Gabriele Tarquini (Sunred SR Leon 1.6 T) op 6,666; 4. Tom Coronel (ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC) op 8,239; 5. Michel Nykjaer (Sunred SR Leon 1.6 T) op 10,778 en 6. Franz Engstler (BMW 320 TC) op 11,165.

Uitslag Race 2: 1. Rob Huff (Chevrolet Cruze) 11 ronden in 33:23.773 2.Tom Coronel (ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC) op 4,680; 3. Yvan Muller (Chevrolet Cruze) op 8,695; 4. Gabriele Tarquini (Sunred SR Leon 1.6 T) op 9,047; 5. Michel Nykjaer (Sunred SR Leon 1.6 T) op 10,718 en 6. Mehdi Bennani (BMW 320 TC) op 11.066.

Dutch Radical Championship – Trophy of the Dunes Zandvoort

Junior Strous blijft de te kloppen man in het Dutch Radical Championship.
Ondanks de aanwezigheid van enkele sterke buitenlandse equipes voegde de leider in de tussenstand van het kampioenschap twee zeges aan zijn totaal toe. Met name in de eerste race over vijftig minuten ging daar een fraaie strijd aan vooraf. Toon van de Haterd vierde op Circuit Park Zandvoort zijn rentree in de vaderlandse autosport met twee zeges in de Radical Promo Cup.

Meer info over het Dutch Radical Championship wordt u graag verstrekt door Claudette Sommers, bereikbaar via 06-53570699

DSC: Bogaerts/vd AA double victory SS2!

Last weekend Bogaerts / van der Aa achieved a double victory in the Supersport division 2 of the Dutch Supercar Challenge at the weekend at Donington Park by Britcar Donington. Second place was in the first race for Pieter van Soelen. During the second race was the second place for Team Monster with the Seat Leon Supercopa!

Henk Thuis will not get enough of racing and debut with the Aquila CR1 LS7 in the GT-division

Within the Dutch Supercar Challenge Henk Thuis is a well known person for many years. With his company Intrax Racing he provides much teams in the DSC for years of shock absorbers and besides he regularly get behind the steering wheel of a race car. In the last years even Thuis was one of the main title contenders in the Super sport I-division. First at JR Motorsports in the BMW E46 V8 GTR and then three seasons with the Porsche 997 GT3 developed by themselves. With this Porsche Thuis won the championship of the class, after many fierce battles with the Méganes of Carworld Motorsport. In 2010 Thuis drove not the whole season, because he could sell his Porsche and some thought then that Thuis would do slow down. Nothing reveals the truth, because the ‘Racing Grandpa’, as Thuis calls himself, make its debut in 2011 with no less than an Aquila CR1 LS7 in the GT division of the Dutch Supercar Challenge.

Henk Thuis is watching back with a good feeling to the Super sport I-division of the Dutch Supercar Challenge, but after some seasons it’s time for a different challenge. "I have always had very much fun driving in this division," said Henk Thuis. "In the beginning at the team of JR Motorsport, a very professional team where I always have had a great time. By JR, I maybe even known my best time. Still, I got to my own team going to discuss what I could do best. She then advised me to take a Porsche, because that actually was in the base the best car for the Super sport I-division.

That the Porsche was a good car appeared to be, because Thuis ended in 2008 with this Porsche by all races he finished on the podium. Therefore Thuis took the title in this division, after he fought many battles fought during the season with the Meganes from Carworld Motorsport and Michael Donovan and his Porsche. The following years Thuis performed well at all, because he picked, despite he was missing a few races in 2009, still the second place in the rankings. In 2010 the season started well for home, but his car ran much damage during the Super league Formula event at Assen. "Despite some drop outs I was there, because I always hovered around the third position in the standings," said Henk Thuis, who nevertheless decided to not finish the season with the Porsche. "I had the opportunity to sell the Porsche, and because the buyer took it as an advantage that the engine is low mileage, I decided then to no longer drove with it."

Thuis drove during the final races still in the car from Ted van Vliet, for which Thuis has build a BMW M3 GTR with his team, but now the man behind Intrax was making new plans. "I have in all those years never been driven in the GT division of the Dutch Supercar Challenge, but I felt that at my age it was about time," explains Henk Thuis with a laugh. "I am from now on Radical importer, am currently busy with set up a Radical Benelux Cup, and from there the idea was to create a close version of a Radical to ride in the Dutch Supercar Challenge. That car is not ready anyway and then I have asked organizer Dick van Elk if I was allowed to participate with a Radical SR8. Dick found that not a good plan because the car does not fit the philosophy of the DSC and also he found an open car in the GT division too dangerous.”

Henk Thuis saw his plans go up in smoke and so had to find an alternative. "Yeah, what can I do then he thought. Then my thoughts went suddenly to Aquila. I do business for many years with founder Dan Suenson and so the ball really started rolling. The result is now that I go driving the whole season for Aquila and that we do a lot development work for the Aquila. Aquila however does the maintenance and we run the car. So basically I’m their factory driver and there are few who can say that at my age," said the almost 66 years old Henk Thuis, that has given his upcoming debut in the GT division a name. "I call it a bit my own Route 66 haha!"

The Aquila where Henk Thuis will be driving in the GT division is not simplest car of the brand. Aquila is started using a BMW engine, but now other engines can also be placed in the car. The car which Henk Thuis will be drive is even equipped with a Corvette LS7 engine, the same engine as for example in the Mosler MT900R GT3. The Aquila was in this specification in 2010 the big surprise of the Britcar 24h, where the car in qualifying claimed the pole position. "The beauty of the Aquila is the fact that they deal with plenty of standard components. The LS7 engine is standard and is linked to a Hewland gearbox. The car also has very good brakes from Alcon, paddles on the steering wheel and also good traction control. "

Thuis looks forward to the coming season but still not really dare to venture predictions. "As it looks now we get to the Dutch Supercar Challenge a beautiful field. I hope I can keep up, because men like Martin Short are very fast and also the other participants in the GT division have learned a lot, "said Henk Thuis, who already have a lot of training to be able to handle the speed of the Aquila. "Because the Aquila will be finished very late it is good that I have a Radical to drive. Last weekend we trained pole position at the Winter Endurance Championship, and won a similar car the race. With a Radical we get in addition in het Scheivlak 2.85 G, and I think that I can expect something similar to the Aquila. We finally see how it goes this year, but I look carefully to the podium with my sponsors Pagid, Sunoco, Van Vliet Afbouw and Aquila. Route 66 here we come!

Vakantie sluiting / holiday closing

Wij zijn gesloten van 20 juli tot 5 augustus, op maandag 6 augustus zijn wij weer telefonisch bereikbaar en zullen wij uw e-mails beantwoorden.
Wij wensen u een fijne vakantie.

We are closed from 20 july till 5th of august, on monday the 6th of August we are back and will answer your e-mails.

Wir sind geschlossen von 20 Juli bis den 5ten Augustus, am Montag 6 Augustus sind wir wieder erreichbar und wir wir Ihnen e-mails beantworten.
Wir wunschen Ihnen einen schönen Urlaub.

Two podium places for BMW driver Tom Coronel at the Valencia WTCC races.


Valencia, April 1st, 2012 – For its third and fourth season rounds, the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) headed to the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia in Spain. Tom Coronel, the 39 year-old Dutch driver continued its strong performance from the season opener with his ROAL Motorsport BMW 320 TC. In spite of a broken driveshaft at the start of the first qualifying heat, the Dutchman claimed third place on the starting grid for the first race. In that position, he also crossed the finish line at the end of the race, trailing home Frenchman Yvan Muller with a Chevrolet Cruze and Italian Gabriele Tarquini with a SEAT. For the second race, with a standing start, Tom Coronel was eighth on the grid. An impeccable getaway saw him move up into fifth place and he continued his progress to finish second, making it two podiums for the Dutch driver who is currently ranked third in the World Championship Drivers’ standings and was crowned as the most successful driver of the weekend.

Looking back on qualifying, Tom Coronel said: “The right-hand driveshaft broke at the start of the first session. I managed to make it into the pits where the ROAL technicians quickly solved the problem. A big hand to them! After that, we had to set a good lap time in the remaining six minutes. That worked out and that also allowed me to take part in the second qualifying heat. Once again, I had that good feeling with the car and the team. That also enabled me to keep up with the pace in race one.”

“I had a great battle with Gabriele Tarquini, during which I slightly hit the back of his SEAT a few times. But nothing serious, because he never lost control. Nevertheless, I was given a warning flag. According to me, that wasn’t justified, as this is also part of motor racing. Still, I drove slightly more cautiously as I didn’t want to lose my third place. Afterwards, I went to see Gabriele, but he only laughed, so that warning was too bad. I hope that the stewards will do it likewise with other drivers next time when they hit me on the rear bumper of my car in the same way.”

“The start of the second race was as good as they come. Just awesome! I was eighth on the grid and I was already fourth or fifth coming out of the first corner. After that, I just kept pushing. My car was great and I was able to battle with the guys in front, until I started having some problems with the front tyres. A mega ‘drop-off’. I lost my place to Engstler, who was quicker, and I was back in fourth place again. Towards the end of the race, several drivers slid off the track on oil in front of me. I moved up into second place behind race leader Menu. When you are so close from victory, you keep trying. In the process, Alain Menu in the leading Chevrolet closed the door on me and smoke started to come off my front tyre. I knew that second place was the most I could get. Thus, I achieved my maximum score in a WTCC weekend to date and I am now third in the world championship as a result. That is a first for me, too! This whole weekend was just great, thanks to the entire team for their effort. I am really happy that we are on the pace. Winning races will remain difficult, but podium finishes are within reach and that is what we are aiming at.”

A video with Tom’s race weekend in Valencia is available through the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfYunnm92uY.

Result Race 1:
1.Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 13 laps in 22:53.924; 2. Gabriele Tarquini (SEAT Leon WTCC) +6-988; 3. Tom Coronel (ROAL MOTORSPORT BMW 320 TC) +7.232, 4. Rob Huff (Chevrolet Cruze) +8.982; 5. Alain Menu (Chevrolet Cruze) +9.250, 6. Pepe Oriola (SEAT Leon WTCC) +10.614.

Result Race 2:
1.Alain Menu (Chevrolet Cruze) 13 laps in 23:03.207; 2. Tom Coronel (ROAL MOTORSPORT BMW 320 TC) +0.861; 3. Stefano D’Aste (BMW 320 TC) +1.306; 4. Norbert Michelisz (BMW 320 TC) +1.629; 5. Franz Engstler (BMW 320 TC) +1.901, 6. Rob Huff (Chevrolet Cruze) +3.007.

Drivers’ standings after 4 rounds:
1.Yvan Muller 88 points; 2. Alain Menu 61, ; 3. Tom Coronel 58; 4. Rob Huff 57; 5. Gabriele Tarquini 44; 6. Stefano D’Aste 25.


Markus Moufang and Hartmut Walch champion in the HJS Diesel Cup!

Markus Moufang and Hartmut Walch have done a great job in the HJS Diesel Cup with their BMW 120 D and Intrax springs. A fantastic result in a classe with very big competition! A better championship was not possible!

 

 

Good prestation by Klaas Zwart, Tom Coronel and Johnny Laursen

During the Euroboss races on Saturday and Sunday ( 5 and 6 August) Klaas Zwart, Tom Coronel and Johnny Laurssen have done a great job. Tom Coronel won the the first race on Saturday and Johnny Laursen gained the second place in this race. In the second race on Sunday Klaas Zwart won and Tom Coronel was again in the top three. He gained a second place in this race! Also Henk Thuis participate this race, with a nice fourth place he was also very satisfied! 

 Dutch Super Cars  SS1

Race 1
1. Richard van de Berg BMW WTCC M3
2. Pieter van Soelen BMW E46 V8 GTR
3. Dijktra de Vries BMW E46 V8 GTR

Race 2
1. Peter van der Kolk BMW Compact GTR
2. Ruud Olij BMW V8 GTR
3. Henk Thuis BMW E46 V8 GTR

Eind Klassement
1. Peter van der Kolk BMW Compact GTR
2. Richard van de Berg BMW WTCC M3
3. Pieter van Soelen BMW E46 V8 GTR
4. Henk Thuis BMW E46 V8 GTR

Berry van Elk wins race on his first weekend on Intrax

Van Elk  started from the last place. In round eight, as fast as he is, he finds connection with the leader of the race Bas Barenburg. In round ten he even succeeded with his Mini Cooper S Turbo to pass by the BMW of Barenburg.