During the last weekend of May, the Supersport-divisions of the Supercar Challenge drove their third and fourth round of the season. The Spork Racing Team, present with two Seat Leon Supercopa’s at the Nürburgring, can proudly review the past weekend. Supercopa n° 323, driven by Jimmy Adriaenssens and David Nye achieved two podiums, Supercopa n° 325, driven by Jonas De Kimpe and again Jimmy Adriaenssens followed closely but unfortunately just missed the podium.
“Because the Spork Racing Team couldn’t select a driver to replace Vincent Van Paemel, I was asked to replace him in the second Supercopa. It was a fact that I would be driving car n° 323 with David Nye so this supplementary offer for the second Supercopa came to me as a surprise. An opportunity I grabbed with both hands and which turned out to be a great decision.” Jimmy Adriaenssens.
The planning was shaped that way that Jimmy would start the first race in his proper car, n° 323, the actual car in which he’s fighting for the championship. As soon as the pit window for the driver-change was opened, Jimmy would immediately pit so David could full fill the rest of the race and that Jimmy could await the Petronas-Supercopa of Jonas De Kimpe. “Although, that was the idea, reality was different. I got away easily during the start and saw Jonas lining up behind me. He kept approximately the same pace as me and it seemed a matter of racing behind each other towards the pitstop, to then full fill the rest of the race. However on a certain moment I saw Jonas getting into a spin in the first corner, later on it seemed he got pushed off and lost the control of the car. Nothing bad happened to him but one lap and a few corners later I saw him standing in the gravel. Apparently one push wasn’t enough and he got pushed of again but now with more severe consequences. He had to abandon the race due to a toe angle problem on his rear right wheel.” noted a disappointed Jimmy Adriaenssens after the race. David Nye however, who received a car in perfect condition showed his commitment and let the car being controlled by his wide range of experience. He brought the Super’SPORK’copa in on a well-earned second place in the Seat Supercopa-division and treated the team with what they deserved!
The second race, booked in on Sunday would be ran opposite to the first. Jimmy, who started race 1 in his own car, would now fight side-to-side with his own car in the Petronas-Supercopa. Because the Petronas didn’t finish the first race he had to start from behind on P37. “I was really looking forward to the second race! Starting last, climbing up to the best possible position in the pack is something each competitive driver loves, I’d say. You really get that ‘Herbie’-feeling in which you fly off and pass dozens of cars until you reach your own opponents, who prefer to see you in their rearview-mirrors. From then on the actual battle can begin and breathtaking moments line up one after the other! Pure adrenaline rushes through your body and it feels like nothing could possibly go wrong. However it could and it did. A sudden moment I received a heavy sideway push from a BMW I was outbraking. Later on it seemed, the BMW itself got a push from another BMW, which caused him to hit me. Throughout the whole F1-chicane I doubted whether my front suspension was damaged or not. Soon I got in the straight I felt the car was ok and I was relieved. The car still ran perfectly normal and I could continue my triumph. Slowly but sure I enlarged my share in the Petronas-Supercopa and in fifteenth position I handed the car over to Jonas” AJ.
AJ’s stint in his own Supercopa was tasted profoundly by the crowd. The young revelation received Supercopa n° 323 in perfect condition on a third place and got off! David Nye proved to have fought hard in the first part of the race and even could stay in front of the physically faster Supercopa of Marc Rooker. After the driver-change, Jimmy got out with a small gap of four seconds on Rooker and he knew that the Rooker could kick him of the podium. The motivation grew every inch the Dutch-man came closer. After only two laps it was clear that the driver, who had just switched cars, was sharpening his rhythm. During Jimmy’s third pitwall-pass he clocked an even faster laptime as in qualifying the day before. The following laps would be no different and Jimmy grew the gap by half a second each lap. After about five laps the gap had grown from to five seconds and AJ got stuck behind the BMW M3 E90 GT4 of Van Rijswick-l’Ortye. “I was only able to make a difference on the GT4 in the corners. In the straights and braking zones the BMW was faster and the gap between me and the other Supercopa decreased again. After several outbraking-attempts I only got next to the BMW but not in front until suddenly the GT4 couldn’t take the pressure anymore and miss braked himself. He got off the track and I regained my free space so I could run off.” With only a slight gap of two seconds the Belgian team earned the third place for sure. The Spork Racing Team went wild because also they had felt the adrenaline pumping through their veins the whole second part of the race. With a slightly less developed car they are still heavily in for the win and that feels great! The Petronas-Supercopa of De Kimpe-Adriaenssens got fifth in Supercopa and thirteenth in general.
The Spork Racing Team and its drivers are looking forward to their next meeting on Belgian soil. The fifth and sixth round of the Supersport-divisions will be held in Spa-Francorchamps, thé racetrack of Belgium and for many even thé racetrack of the world. In Belgium , Spork is proud to announce they will be competing again with their tree Supercopa’s!
See enclosed PDF-file for the Dutch race review.
Persbericht – GT Open Review Nurburgring (Opnieuw 2 podia voor Adriaenssens Nye).pdf