For a few teams the first event in Nogaro came too soon, but in Zandvoort they were more than ready. Several new cars, teams and drivers entered the Competition102 GT4 European Series at Circuit Park Zandvoort. And there was a world premiere to celebrate. The ZaWotec team made a great first appearance with the brand new KTM X-BOW GT4 race cars, winning three races. There was however more news and stories to report at the Dutch circuit.
Great debut of the KTM X-BOW GT4
With taking position at the top spot of the podium three times, the first race weekend of ZaWotec with the new KTM machinery was sensational. “We’ve put a great team together with experienced technicians, fast drivers and great cars,” team boss Mario Wolf summed up. The vehicles that have been jointly developed by KTM Sportcar and Reiter Engineering weren’t finished for the first races at Nogaro. But the extensive development has paid off. “We had just one and a half test day,” admitted Peter Ebner, one of the three drivers. “But the team worked closely together with the two constructors to make sure the car would run well from the start. Now it’s all about driving kilometres to gain more experience.”
Rich GT4 history at Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort hosted the Competition102 GT4 European Series for the second time after being an organiser of a national GT4 championship from 2009. “At that time we had over twenty entries. That was a great achievement but challenging to maintain on a national level,” said Erik Weijers, COO of Circuit Park Zandvoort. “With just nine cars at the start of the 2013 season, we decided to hand over the job to Jörg Viebahn and Max Braams. They have successfully setup a European championship as we can see here in Zandvoort. The GT4 formula remains good with its balance of performance, various makes competing in it and the publicity it generates.”
Clutton develops Chevron GT4
Another extraordinary car entered the event in Zandvoort: the Chevron GT4. Developed by Marcus Clutton, the downsized GT3 is a welcome addition to the field. “We took all the aerodynamics off and went from a V8 engine to a V6. So, we took a substantial amount of power off, removed the big rear wing and now we have a totally different car,” said Clutton who’s using the series as a development ground. But the British driver does not lose the competition out of sight. “In the ideal world we want to be winning. Perhaps at Misano in the end of the year. We just completed fifty laps of testing before we came to Zandvoort, so testing and developing the car is of great importance.”
The Boorsma brothers
Tristan and Yorick Boorsma are two enthusiastic brothers who get along with each other very well. Which is important as they shared a BMW M3 GT4 at Zandvoort. To conclude the weekend with a second place in the AM category was a nice treat. “The race on Sunday went very well and despite a stop and go penalty we finished on the podium,” said Tristan Boorsma. “To race with your brother is fun. We are competing at the track for a while now and also in our professional lives we work together. The main benefit is that you can actually say everything to each other and sometimes a quick look in the eye is enough to understand what we want to say. We’ll be back at Spa-Francorchamps.”
Balance of performance test
Next Tuesday, a balance of performance test (BOP) will be conducted at Circuit Park Zandvoort. An independent driver will get behind the wheel of the Sin R1 GT4, Porsche 981 Cayman SP, KTM X-BOW GT4 and the Chevron GT4. The cars will then be transported to the Red Bull Ring for round five and six of this years’ calendar. “We are delighted to welcome these four brand new race cars. These are a great addition to the existing field with the representation of makes like Aston Martin, BMW and Chevrolet,” said Max Braams, series coordinator of Competition102 GT4 European Series. “We already have seen plenty of thrilling battles and the balance of performance test will ensure that this remains a key element of our championship.”
Next race: Red Bull Ring, 6-7 June
Although being able to win in Zandvoort, Ebner and Halek aren’t sure if they can repeat that performance at the Red Bull Ring where the next races will be held in the beginning of June. “That’s a totally different track as it requires much horsepower,” explained Sascha Halek who is racing the KTM X-BOW GT4. “Of course we want to do well in our home race, but I think it will be very hard. Anyway, we will fight until the flag drops.”
German Jan Kasperlik, who shares a BMW M3 GT4 with the Austrian Dietmar Lackinger, have both competed at the Red Bull Ring countless times. But he admits that it’s not his favourite track. “We used to race in the BMW 325 Challenge, one of the biggest amateur series. And the last time we were fighting against each other,” recalled Kasperlik. “So, we have a lot of experience there and once we can find the right setup for this car, the track will suit us too.”
The next race will be held on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, 2015. You can expect live online coverage at www.gt4series.com/live and behind the scenes footage on social media.