Sun, storm and some fine winners
The second day of the Spa Euro Race was in full swing at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, with the weather fluctuating between bright sunshine, heavy clouds and a violent thunderstorm. The programme included the final free practice sessions, a handful of qualifying sessions, and above all the first races of the meeting organised by the Royal Automobile Club de Spa!
The young guns of the GB3 Championship got the ball rolling at 10.48am, with the first of a series of three races in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes. Indian driver Divy Nandan (JHR Developments) soon hit the guardrail at the Les Combes chicane, prompting the Safety Car to come onto the track. On the restart, Australia's Alex Ninovic (Rodin) managed to build up a lead over Germany's Hugo Schwarze (VRD) and Great Britain's Will McIntyre (Elite Motorsport)... before another incident, this time at the Source, led to a second neutralisation. The race was restarted for a final lap, which was inevitably very hectic, but Ninovic didn't let himself be surprised, taking the first win of the weekend ahead of Schwarze and Japan's Kanato Le (Hillspeed), who had got the better of McIntyre, as well as Australia's Noah Lisle (JHR Developments).
Although Kanato Le started from pole position in Race 2, the Japanese driver failed to take off, leaving Alex Ninovic to reclaim the top spot. But Le didn't let that stop him and climbed up the standings, to the point where he was able to get the better of Ninovic again. In the second half of the race, Ninovic was beaten by American Nikita Johnson (Hitech), who took the silver laurels. At the end of the day, the Japanese national anthem resounded over the Ardennes.
Les concurrents de la Lotus Cup Europe ont disputé leur course unique, de 50 minutes, sur le temps de midi. C’est le Luxembourgeois Thierry Maréchal (Exige V6 Cup R) qui s’est élancé depuis la pole position, et il fallait attendre le cap de la mi-course pour qu’une neutralisation via Voiture de Sécurité incite certains à s’engouffrer dans la pitlane pour purger leur pit-stop obligatoire, tandis que d’autres restaient en piste ! Rainer Börgens (Exige V6 Cup R) était le grand perdant de l’opération, tandis que Bence Balogh (Evora GT4) renonçait sur ennuis techniques. Paul Maréchal ne commettait pas la moindre erreur, imposant les couleurs du Luxembourg au cœur de l’Ardenne belge. Thierry Verhiest (Exige V6 Cup R) s’offrait une belle médaille d’argent à domicile, en conservant le meilleur sur le Danois Nikolaj Ipsen (Exige V6 Cup R). L’Italien Giacomo Giubergia (Elise Cup) s’imposait en catégorie Open, imité par le Belge Robbe Janssens (Elise Cup R) en Production et Nathalie Genoud-Prachex (2-Eleven) en 2110.
The Lotus Cup Europe competitors contested their single 50-minute race over lunchtime. It was Luxembourg's Thierry Maréchal (Exige V6 Cup R) who started from pole position, and it wasn't until the midway point of the race that a neutralisation via the Safety Car prompted some of them to rush into the pitlane to purge their compulsory pit-stop, while others remained on track! Rainer Börgens (Exige V6 Cup R) was the big loser, while Bence Balogh (Evora GT4) retired due to technical problems. Paul Maréchal did not make the slightest mistake, imposing the colours of Luxembourg in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes. Thierry Verhiest (Exige V6 Cup R) won a fine silver medal on home soil, staying ahead of Denmark's Nikolaj Ipsen (Exige V6 Cup R). Italian Giacomo Giubergia (Elise Cup) won the Open category, followed by Belgian Robbe Janssens (Elise Cup R) in Production and Nathalie Genoud-Prachex (2-Eleven) in 2110.
The track was dry again at the start of the Supercar Challenge. Initially, it was the P9 Challenge leaders, starting with Thomas Westarp in his impressive Audi R8 LMS GT3, who took the limelight, but a longer stoppage time than their Supercar Challenge colleagues sent them further down the order. And it was the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup of Belgian John Dewilde, in the colours of Speedlover Racing, which burst into the second half of the race, getting the better of the BMW M6 GT3 of Daan Meijer and another Belgian, Gilles Renmans, in an NGT Racing Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. The other class winners were Semo Keric (BMW M4 GT4, Supersport Plus), Thomas Westarp (P9 Challenge), Laurens De Wit and Fabian Schoonhoven (Cupra TCR, Supersport), Eddie Van Dam and Miles Wragg Knight (Radical SR3, Radical), Mees Houben (BMW M2 CS, Supersport 2), as well as other Belgians, Chris Voet and Bart van den Broeck (Alpine A110 Cup, Sport)!
As expected, Race 1 of the Clio Cup Series was run on a dry track and was marred by a number of incidents, leading to two Safety Car appearances. At the head of the pack, Italy's Gabriele Torelli (Rangoni Corse) initially held off Alex Finkelstein (GPA Racing) before thwarting an attack in Kemmel by the championship leader, Frenchman David Pouget (GPA Racing), which enabled him to win the first battle of the weekend after a high-pressure final lap. Pouget and Finkelstein completed the top 3. Anthony Jurado (Rangoni Corse) and Nicolas Milan (Milan Compétition) were eliminated at the Bus-Stop Chicane, the former having missed his braking point before colliding with the latter!
As for the Belcar Endurance Championship, the qualifying session switched from a soggy track to dry asphalt. Cédric Wauters set the fastest time at the wheel of the D'Ieteren Luxury Performance by NGT Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. Together with Glenn Van Parijs, he will start from pole position ahead of the Haas RT Audi R8 LMS GT2 of Longin-Guelinckx-Guelinckx and the two Porsche 992 GT3 Cups of Cool-Verheyen and Derdaele-Lauryssen.
Ce dimanche 1er juin, l’ultime journée de Spa Euro Race 2025 verra le GB3 Championship disputer son troisième et dernier rendez-vous du week-end, avant le deuxième affrontement en Alpine Elf Cup Series, Clio Cup Series et Supercar Challenge, en plus de la course de 125 minutes du Belcar Endurance Championship, la plus longue du week-end.
Access to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is completely free!
Classements : https://ser2025.racspa.be/resultats