Chad Racing-Zolder BTCS & Belcar Opening Rounds

Last weekend saw the first meeting of the Belgian national series BTCS and Belcar. British team Chad Racing has always had a special relationship with the little North Sea country and so the team will be present in both the touring car and the GT series

Last year Chad Racing entered two Kia ProCee’d in the Belgian Touring Car Series with a third place in the general ranking as the final result. Both parties were very satisfied with their maiden year and during the winter season they decided to continue the collaboration in BTCS, “not with two but with three cars for the 2010 season”, explains Iain Dockerill. “We’re of course very happy to continue our relationship with the Korean brand, as well as our collaboration with the famous Belgian pop artist Koen Wauters who is sharing his blue Kia with his brother Kris Wauters; also a member of the Clouseau band and an experienced driver as well.”

In the first red car we find another Belgian pairing, with journalist and endurance ace Stéphane Lémeret and gentleman driver Werner Moonens, who won several races in the past for BMW. For the first race Belgian touring car specialist Jerome Thiry replaces Lémeret. Last but not least, Iain Dockerill and Belgian Kia dealer Philippe Stéveny also drive a red livered Kia ProCee’d.

For the first meeting of the year, at Circuit Zolder, the BTCS teams faced two 90-minute semi endurance races. The best Chad Racing result was for the brand paring Thiry-Moonens with a fourth and second spot, and the team is now second in the overall standings of the BTCS championship. “I’m very satisfied with the result”, explains Werner Moonens. “We were close to a first victory. Without an unexpected safety car intervention we might have won the second race.”

Even before the podium finish of Moonens-Thiry in the second race, Chad Racing already scored its maiden podium with a well-deserved third for Stéveny and Dockerill in round one of the weekend.

“Unluckily, an engine problem ruined our second race, but we’re satisfied with the result of round 1”, said the Belgian. The blue Kia was less lucky as the Wauters brothers didn’t score a single point in both races, despite a strong second and third time in both qualifying sessions.

“Belcar is back and that’s great”, said Iain Dockerill of the second part of the Belgian racing weekend. “Instead of the SRO one-hour format with only GT3s, the Belgian promoters decided to go back to the open format – with GTs and touring cars – and longer races, from 150 minutes to 10 hours, which seems to work as almost 40 cars made it on the grid of the first race.”

The Chad Ferrari of Dockerill-Kane made it ninth on the grid, less than a second off the pole. And things were going well in the race, with the red car in fourth place after an hour and looking good for a podium. Unfortunately, the Ferrari was then assailed by another car and was forced into retirement with bodywork damage.

BTCS race 1 : 1. Bouvy-Kelders (Renault Mégane) 54 laps ; 2. Vanbellingen-Stoeltie (BMW M3 Silhouet)  01.179 ; 3. Steveny-Dockerill (KIA ProCee’d Silhouet) at42.256 ; 4. Moonens-Thiry (KIA ProCee’d Silhouet) at 49.160 ; 5. Latinne-Smits (VW Scirocco) at 3 laps; 6. Freebird-Verdonck (BMW 320d) ; 7. Viron-Richard (Touring Cup); 8. Adriaenssens (SEAT Leon) ; 9. Franck (SEAT Leon) ; 10. Minette-Piron (SEAT Leon)

BTCS race 2 : 1 Bouvy-Kelders (Renault Mégane), 48 laps ; 2. Thiry-Moonens (KIA) at 1.17.284 ; 3. Freebird-Verdonck (BMW 320d) at 1 lap, winnaars in T3 ; 4. Adriaenssens (SEAT Leon) at 2 laps ; 5. Piron-Minette (SEAT Leon) ; 6. Franck (SEAT Leon) ; 7. Pulinx-Damoiseaux (GC 10.1) ; 8. Den Boer-Rijnbeek (BMW 320d) ; 9. Radermecker-van de Poele (Volvo S60 Silhouette) at3 laps ; 10. Polderman (Renault Clio)

Kampioenschap: 1. Bouvy-Kelders 40 ; 2. Thiry-Moonens 30; 3. Freebird-Verdonck 25; 4. Adriaenssens 21; 5. Vanbellingen-Stoeiltie 17; etc.

Belcar

1. Goossens-Soulet (Porsche 911 GT3-R) 93 laps
2. Verbist-Longin (Audi R8 LMS)
3. Haane-Van Lagen (P-B/Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S)
4. Bouvy-Coens (Ferrari 430 GT3)
5. Koen Wauters-Van Hooydonk (Dodge Viper)
6. Kris Wauters-Heylen (Dodge Viper)
7. Thiers-Thiers (Ferrari 430 GT3)
8. Derdaele-Derdaele (Porsche)
9. Van Elslander-Van Oost (Mosler MT900R)
10. Renard-Verbergt (Aston Martin DBRS9) op 5r