- Victory for AUGUST by NGT in GTA
- Tip Top Rent by NGT wins the GTB class
Circuit Zolder, 27 August 2023. The third round of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Benelux, the 24 Hours of Zolder, resulted in a nineteenth victory for the German brand in the Belgian endurance classic. The Belgians Glenn Van Parijs, Nico Verdonck, Rodrigue Gillion, and Nicolas Saelens, together with the Frenchman Thomas Laurent, thus not only won the third round of the Porsche Endurance Trophy, but also the 24 Hours of Zolder overall. Porsche was also partying in the GTB class with the Tip Top Rent by NGT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport of Arthur Peters, Gunther Van Den Bergh, Kenny Herremans, Koen De Mulder and Tom De Boever. The next round of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Benelux will take place on 23 and 24 September in Oschersleben.
32,000 spectators witnessed a lovely race in Limburg, with a battle from start to finish. On Thursday, Xavier Maassen put the Porsche 911 GT3 – Type 992 – of Q1 Trackracing on pole position, ahead of Luxembourg guest driver Dylan Pereira in PK Carsport's Porsche. On Saturday at 4 pm the green light was given for the 45th edition of the 24 Hours of Zolder, a race in which Porsche would play a major role.
A leading group quickly formed with two of the three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – Type 992 – from RedAnt Racing, the copies from AUGUST by NGT and Russell Racing by NGT, PK Carsport, Belgium Racing and the 'pole car' from Q1 Trackracing. In a second platoon, we then found the third car from RedAnt Racing, but also the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – Type 992 – from Speedlover and the second car from Q1 Trackracing. As the race progressed, a race in which the weather gods played an essential role from the night hours, it became clear how tough this edition would be. A number of teams had bad luck and the leading group was thinned out.
After 15 years
At dawn, Glenn Van Parijs, Nico Verdonck, Rodrigue Gillion, Nicolas Saelens, and Frenchman Thomas Laurent took the lead, never to relinquish that first place. Despite strong insistence from PK Carsport, with a strong Dylan Pereira, who set the fastest lap time, the team from Hasselt finished second, with Bert and Stienes Longin and Peter Guelinckx also behind the wheel. RedAnt Racing finished third with Ayrton and Yannick Redant, Kobe De Breucker, and Sam Dejonghe. Derdaele-Cool-Wauters-Menten-Kern finished fourth in the Porsche of Belgium Racing ahead of SpeedLover with Olivier Dons, Kurt Hensen, Pieter Ooms, Wim Meulders and Jurgen Van Hover.
For NGT Racing, here in the guise of AUGUST, it was a second victory in Zolder, fifteen years after the first.
Victory in GTB
The winner in the GTB class, the Tip Top Rent by NGT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport of Arthur Peters, Gunther Van Den Bergh, Kenny Herremans, Koen De Mulder and Tom De Boever, finished seventh overall. They outsmarted strong competition thanks to a sophisticated strategy, a faultless course and a Porsche that didn't budge.
Let us note the ninth and seventeenth place overall for the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – Type 992 – of RedAnt Racing of Steve Vanbellingen, Bert Redant, Dirk Van Rompuy, Luc Vanderfeesten, and Jimmy De Breucker respectively, and the Q1 Trackracing Porsche of Filip Teunkens, Jan Uncles, Glenn Paenen and Quentin Antonel. Finally, the BE Motorsport Porsche Cayman GT4 finished sixth in the GTB class.
Appointment now on 23 and 24 September in Oschersleben, Germany, for the fourth round of the Belcar Endurance Championship and the Porsche Endurance Trophy Benelux.