Racing For Belgium closes a chapter and announces a new era
30.10.2007:
Racing For Belgium closes a chapter and announces a new era
RFB WTCC – WSR Mégane Trophy Barcelona
Racing For Belgium closed a chapter this last weekend. The Bornem based team competed in its last World Series by Renault Mégane Trophy meeting in Barcelona, a championship which saw the young Belgian Jan Heylen walk off with the trophy in 2005.
Joining the Frenchman Michaël Rossi team boss Wim Coekelbergs also decided to get behind the wheel of the Mégane this weekend. However the Cup experience gained by Racing For Belgium will not be lost because as from 2008 the team will be competing in the SEAT Leon EuroCup uit, a single make championship to be held during the WTCC-weekends.
Barcelona was the last race of the season for the Renault Mégane Trophy, and for this last event RFB had entered two Méganes. Regular French driver Michaël Rossi and team boss Wim Coekelbergs were looking to emphasise why the team with Jan Heylen clinched the championship in 2005.
"But for Michaël it didn’t work out as hoped for", Wim Coekelbergs reminisces about the weekend. "During the second race our young Frenchman lost his brakes and went straight into the wall; he was taken to hospital for a thorough check-up. Luckily everything turned out fine, but I had pictured that his end of season would have ended differently. Michaël is very fast and experienced driver, but far too many hitches stopped him from being able to cash in on his driving skills."
Rossi finished ninth in the first race, having undergone difficult qualifying sessions in varying weather conditions. "We needed to take a gamble, because the track was drying out after a heavy downpour. Similar to the lottery you don’t win every week and Michaël wasn’t up amongst the front runners."
Wim Coekelbergs personally finished in sixteenth and thirteenth spots. "In the last three years the level of the Trophy has evolved enormously. Top players have always competed, but the field is now far closer and everyone is really leaning towards the top. I hadn’t driven a Mégane for more than a year and you notice it immediately. You need to clock up the miles with such a car and that‘s what I was lacking. But notwithstanding all that I’m pretty happy with my performance, but I’m really sorry that Michaël had to end his season in such a way."
But for RFB it’s definitely not the end of Cup racing. As from next season the Belgian team will be heading towards the SEAT Leon EuroCup. Following on from several successful years in various national championships the SEAT Leon Supercopa will have its European début under a new denomination: the SEAT Leon EuroCup. The championship will be comprised of six meetings with two sprint races to be held during the FIA WTCC-weekends on circuits in Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, England and Italy. In addition the winner at each meeting will be given an opportunity in the following WTCC-race.
"We are hoping to be selected because apart from the fact that it will be a fantastic championship it also happens to be a logical choice for us for two additional reasons", Coekelbergs explained. "Firstly we know the series well, seeing we were champions in Spain in 2005 and 2006 with Oscar Nogues, something not many Belgians know... Then add Jan’s 2005 title to that as also our past in the Clio Cup and you’ll then realise that we are quite at home in these types of Cup series. Secondly we remain active in the WTCC and from a logistics point of view it is the most obvious choice."
"As for the drivers this has not been decided as yet, but we would like to compete in the EuroCup with several cars."
RFB is now heading off for Dubai and Macau for the respective final rounds of the FIA GT3 and WTCC.
WORLD SERIES by RENAULT EUROCUP MÉGANE TROPHY BARCELONE - 7e Manche - 26-28 Octobre 2007
Tout avait bien commencé sur le circuit de "Catalunya" pour Ludovic BADEY, auteur du meilleur temps des essais collectifs vendredi, en étant le seul à passer sous la barre de 1’53". Matthieu CHERUY et Jean-Philippe MADONIA terminaient la journée avec de bonnes information weiter >>
Eurocup Mégane Trophy / Barcelona (E)
Une semaine à peine après son premier succès dans l'Eurocup Mégane Trophy sur le circuit portugais d'Estoril, Maxime Martin abordait la finale du championnat, programmée sur le tracé de Barcelone, avec pour objectif majeur la 3ème marche du po weiter >>
28/10/07 - Barcelona Race 2 Megane Trophy Eurocup
By getting the better of Renaud Kuppens (Boutsen Energy Racing) in the closing stages, Mike Verschuur (Equipe Verschuur) takes his first Eurocup Mégane Trophy win. Despite finishing in third, Ralph Meichtry (Race Performance) failed in his attempt to make it back onto the final Championship podium in place of Maxime weiter >>
Megane Trophy Eurocup Barcelona Race2 results
Pos Number Driver Team Laps Time GapFirst KPH
1 5 Mike VERSCHUUR Equipe Verschuur 1 20 40:02.729 - 146.9
2 10 Renaud KUPPENS Boutsen Energy Racing 20 40:03.872 +1.143 146.7
3 8 Ralph MEICHTRY Race performance 20 40:06.089 +3.360 146.5
4 14 Giuseppe CIRO Oregon Te weiter >>
27/10/07 - Barcelona Race 1
By getting all three of its drivers on the podium, Tech 1 Racing has once again dominated the Eurocup Mégane Trophy. Despite a very fine victory his second of the season Dimitri Enjalbert was unable to prevent Pedro Petiz taking the title with one more race to go. Matthieu Lahaye slotted into second between his two teammates.
De weiter >>
27/10/07 - Barcelona Qualifying
On a drying track, Fabrice Walfisch has taken his fifth pole position of the season. The Team Lompech Sport driver will line up alongside Dimitri Enjalbert (Tech 1 Racing) on the grid for race one. The other pole position goes to comeback specialist Renaud Kuppens (Boutsen Energy Racing). Walfisch will also be starting from the fron weiter >>
26/10/07 - Barcelona Collective testing Megane Trophy
With not much success to his name so far this season, Ludovic Badey (TDS) has made a return to form by clocking the best time in today's collective testing at the Barcelona circuit. The TDS driver was followed by Dimitri Enjalbert (Tech 1 Racing) and Ralph Meichtry (Race Performance).
The two one-hour s weiter >>
26/10/07 - Barcelona Collective testing Megane Trophy
POS NUMBER DRIVER TEAM LAP TIME GAP_FIRST KPH LAPS
1 5 Mike VERSCHUUR Equipe Verschuur 1 19 1:53.556 - 147.6 22
2 32 Pedro PETIZ Tech 1 Racing 1 15 1:53.692 +0.136 147.4 18
3 14 Giuseppe CIRO Oregon Team 22 1:53.775 +0.219 147.3 25
4 72 Greg FRANCHI Equipe weiter >>
23/10/07 - Barcelona Presentation
Ahead of the final meeting, Tech 1 Racing is sure to win the three championships: the Driver and Junior titles will be won by either Pedro Petiz or Dimitri Enjalbert, whilst the Team title will also go the French outfit, regardless of this weekend's results. As proved again by Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing) in Estoril, the b weiter >>
WORLD SERIES by RENAULT EUROCUP MÉGANE TROPHY
ESTORIL - 6e Manche - 19-21 Octobre 2007
Les années se suivent et ne ressemblent pas ! Sur un circuit où l’équipe TDS pouvait nourrir de bonnes ambitions, rien ne s’est passé comme espéré. Ludovic BADEY oubliera rapidement un week-end qui ne lui a procuré qu’une 12e place et un abandon. Quant à Matthieu CHERUY, weiter >>
Eurocup Mégane Trophy / Estoril (P)
Dans la foulée de son fantastique week-end dans le cadre de l'avant-dernière manche des Belgian Touring Car Series à Francorchamps, Maxime Martin a pris la direction du Portugal, afin de prendre part à l'avant-dernier rendez-vous de l'Eurocup Mégane Trophy. Une weiter >>
21/10/07 - Estoril Race 2
Having come close to victory on several occasions this season, Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing) has finally picked up his first race win! Tech 1 Racing's Dimitri Enjalbert and Matthieu Lahaye joined him on the podium, which means Enjalbert still has a chance, albeit slim, of pipping Pedro Petiz to the title!
It was Maxime Mar weiter >>
20/10/07 - Estoril Race 1
With his fourth race win of the season, Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Racing) not only delighted the Portuguese crowd here today, but also moved one step closer to securing the championship title. Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing), who started from pole, finished third, while Bernhard Ten Brinke (Equipe Verschuur) took second place, his best re weiter >>
20/10/07 - Estoril Qualifying
Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing) has earned pole position for both of this weekend's Eurocup Mégane Trophy races. The young Belgian driver will share the front row with Mike Verschuur (Equipe Verschuur) in Race 1 and Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Racing) in Race 2.
For once, all the drivers made it out onto the track in the first s weiter >>
After being crippled by mechanical problems for much of the two-hour collective testing session, Dimitri Enjalbert (Tech 1 Racing) nevertheless managed to set the fastest time at a circuit which is completely new to him! Still as fast as ever, Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing) and Michaël Rossi (Racing for Belgium) finished the day just 2/10ths off the pace set by the leader. weiter >>
N° Team (Home country) Drivers (Nation - Citizenship) Junior
1 Tech 1 Racing (FRA) Matthieu LAHAYE (FRA) J
5 Equipe Verschuur (NED) Mike VERSCHUUR (NED) J
6 Equipe Verschuur (NED) Wim BEELEN (NED)
7 Equipe Verschuur (NED) Bernhard TEN BRINKE (NED)
8 Race Performance (SUI) Ralph MEICHTRY (SUI)
10 Boutsen Energy Ra weiter >>
Estoril Presentation
With a comfortable lead in the overall standings, Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Racing) has every chance of taking the title in front of his home crowd. If he manages to take two more points than his teammate Dimitri Enjalbert, the man from Porto will succeed Jaap van Lagen as the reigning Eurocup Mégane Trophy title holder. The crowds in Portugal will a weiter >>
WORLD SERIES by RENAULT EUROCUP MÉGANE TROPHYMAGNY-COURS - 5e Manche - 21-23 Septembre 2007
La première course sous la pluie de l’année a permis à Ludovic BADEY de retrouver un statut de vainqueur. En 3e position sur la ligne de départ, il savait pourtant qu’il devait passer par les stands une fois de plus que ses adversaires, à cause d’une pénalité récol weiter >>
23/09/07 - Magny-Cours Race 2
Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Racing) put in a flawless performance to claim his third race win of the season here today. The Portuguese driver could be crowned champion at Estoril with a meeting to spare! Ahead of Ralph Meichtry (Race Performance), Mike Verschuur (Equipe Verschuur) made it onto the podium for the first time. In total, 90,000 fa weiter >>
Magny-Cours Qualifying
Fresh from securing pole position for both races at Donington Park, Fabrice Walfisch (Team Lompech Sport) has repeated the feat at Magny-Cours. The Frenchman will share the front row with Carlo van Dam (Racing for Belgium) in race 1 and Dimitri Enjalbert (Tech 1 Racing) in race 2.
Sticking to the strategy that served him so well at D weiter >>
Magny-Cours Presentation
An impressive line-up of French drivers will be looking to give Portuguese ace Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Racing) and Swiss star Ralph Meichtry (Race Performance) a run for their money in next weekend's French round of the Eurocup Mégane Trophy. Can Dimitri Enjalbert, Matthieu Lahaye (Tech 1 Racing), Fabrice Walfisch (Team Lompech Sport), Michaël weiter >>
Eurocup Mégane Trophy / 4. Donington (GB)
Après une première partie de saison marquée par trois meetings seulement, l'Eurocup Mégane Trophy a fait sa rentrée ce week-end sur le tracé de Donington, où Maxime Martin et l'ensemble du Boutsen Energy Racing avaient hâte d'en découdre, histoire de démon weiter >>
A combination of his own faultless performance and the risky strategy employed by Maxime Martin and Fabrice Walfisch enabled Ralph Meichtry (Race Performance) to notch up his second race win of the season at Donington today. Dimitri Enjalbert (Tech 1 Racing) also found his way back onto the podium, while, with his eighth top-three finish in as many races, Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Raci weiter >>
- Donington Race 1
Having spent most of the race way out in front, Fabrice Walfisch was forced to abandon his hopes of victory when he ran out of fuel on the last lap. Maxime Martin and Ludovic Badey, both hindered by the same problem, were unable to take advantage, and so it was Matthieu Lahaye who came out on top, with teammate Pedro Petiz completing a double for weiter >>
By his own admission, Fabrice Walfisch (Team Lompech Sport) has had difficulty driving on new tyres all season. With this in mind, the Frenchman decided to put in as many laps as he could in today's qualifying sessions. He was rewarded with his first two pole positions in the Eurocup Mégane Trophy. Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing) will join him on the front row in both races weiter >>
Eurocup Mégane Trophy & 207 Spider Cup
Après une saison en Mini Challenge et une autre en Formula Renault 1.6 qui lui ont permis de se faire un… prénom sur la scène belge, Maxime Martin, 21 ans, fils de Jean-Michel, a pris le taureau par les cornes en cette année sport weiter >>
MEGANE TROPHY- Donington Presentation
An ever-present on the podium since the start of the season, Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Racing) has it all speed, consistency and a cool head. Already clear at the top of the overall standings, he should be able to hold off his team-mate Dimitri Enjalbert. For the other teams, the Donington round will offer one of the last chances to weiter >>
World Series by Renault 2007 / Eurocup Mégane Trophy / Budapest
Après une première expérience peu fructueuse à Zolder, notamment due à un règlement pas du tout adapté aux équipages de deux pilotes, Greg Franchi s’est replongé ce week-end dans le bain de l’Eurocup Mégane Trophy. Engagé weiter >>
Renault Mégane Trophy Eurocup 14/07/07 - Hungaroring Race 1
French driver Michaël Rossi (Racing for Belgium) converted his pole position into a race win, the first of his racing career! Second-placed Fabrice Walfisch (Team Lompech Sport) finished on the podium for the first time in Eurocup Mégane Trophy. With his fifth podium finish in as many races, Pedro Petiz ( weiter >>
14/07/07 - Hungaroring Qualifying
Never mind Valentino Rossi, here comes Michaël! After taking pole position for both Eurocup Mégane Trophy races at the Hungaroring, Michaël Rossi has laid down the gauntlet to his rivals! Racing for Belgium's took a clean sweep, as Carlo van Dam will join Rossi on the front row in this afternoon's first race. Ludovic Badey (TDS) p weiter >>
13/07/07 - Hungaroring Collective testing
After struggling so far this season, Ludovic Badey (TDS) returned to form by clocking the best time in today's collective testing at the Hungaroring. The Frenchman finished ahead of the Dutch pair of Mike Verschuur (Equipe Verschuur) and Carlo van Dam (Racing for Belgium), who were also both happy to back among the leading weiter >>
RENAULT MEGANE TROPHY
N° Team (Home country) Drivers (Nation - Citizenship) Junior
1 Tech 1 Racing (FRA) Matthieu LAHAYE (FRA) J
5 Equipe Verschuur (NED) Mike VERSCHUUR (NED) J
6 Equipe Verschuur (NED) Wim BEELEN (NED)
7 Equipe Verschuur (NED) Bernhard TEN BRINKE (NED)
8 Race Performance (SUI) Ralph MEICHTRY (SUI) weiter >>
Hungaroring Presentation
So far this season, first at Zolder and then at the Nürburgring, Pedro Petiz and Dimitri Enjalbert have picked up race wins or podium finishes at every opportunity. Going into the third meeting of the season, the two Tech 1 Racing Juniors already have twice as many points as their nearest challenger, Ralph Meichtry (Race Performance). weiter >>
Having led the race from the opening bend to the penultimate lap, Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing) finally had to settle for second place behind an imposing Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Racing). Starting from pole, Dimitri Enjalbert also put in a good performance to make the French team's success complete. This final race brings the Nürburgring meeting, which attracted 110,000 specta weiter >>
By taking a clean sweep of the podium places for race one of the Mégane Trophy, the Tech 1 Racing team has confirmed it is well in control of the Eurocup. Dimitri Enjalbert takes his first win of the season ahead of Matthieu Lahaye and Pedro Petiz.
The intrigue got underway early on as Michaël Rossi (Racing for Belgium) remained immobile on the grid, unable to start the weiter >>
After dominating collective testing, Dimitri Enjalbert (Tech 1 Racing) has gone on to prove his potential in qualifying: the Junior driver will now start from pole position in both races. He will line up on the front row for both races alongside Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing), who has also shown he is on form at the Nürburgring. Further back, Lahaye, Petiz and Meichtry wil weiter >>
By taking the best time in both collective testing sessions, almost a second ahead of Maxime Martin (Boutsen Energy Racing), Dimitri Enjalbert (Tech 1 Racing) has given his rivals plenty to worry about. But some of his fellow title contenders will undoubtedly come back strongly tomorrow
After a brilliant start at Zolder, where he earned two top-three finishes, Dimitri En weiter >>
Tech 1 Racing almost completed a clean sweep in Zolder, managing to collect enough points to end the weekend with the top two spots in the three championships (Drivers, Juniors and Teams)! The French team has cast a shadow over its rivals for the time being, but it is by no means certain that they will produce a repeat performance in Nürburgring. As Ralph Meichtry (Race Performan weiter >>
In a fitting finale to the opening meeting of the World Series by Renault, which has been attended by 98,000 motorsport enthusiasts, the Eurocup Mégane Trophy drivers put on a breathtaking show. Thanks to his astute strategy, Ralph Meichtry (Race Performance) was able to claim his first race win ahead of Dimitri Enjalbert and Pedro Petiz (Tech 1 Racing).
There were two r weiter >>
Having made a good start to the World Series last week in Monza, it looks like the Tech 1 Racing team are determined to do the same in the Eurocup Mégane Trophy. Pedro Petiz, Dimitri Enjalbert and Matthieu Lahaye clocked the day's best times. The only blot on the landscape came when Lahaye crashed out quite violently at the end of the first session. In fifth place, Leinders and D weiter >>
Pedro Petiz and Dimitri Enjalbert will be in pole position for the Eurocup Mégane Trophy races at Zolder. The Tech 1 Racing junior drivers showed that their excellent performances in collective testing were no fluke as they dominated qualifying. Only Mike Verschuur (Equipe Verschuur) was able to counter Tech 1's dominance, winning a spot on the front row for the second race. weiter >>
Renault MEGANE TROPHY ZOLDER
Pedro Petiz and Dimitri Enjalbert pulled off a double for the Tech 1 Racing team in the opening race of the Eurocup Mégane Trophy 2007. Bernhard Ten Brinke (Equipe Verschuur) showed further evidence of his progress with his first podium finish in the category. This endurance' race, cut a few minutes short after Grégory Franchi crashed o weiter >>
EUROCUP MEGANE TROPHY
Despite the huge contingent of French drivers, the Belgians are highly determined to hold their own. The driver pairings of François Duval/Bas Leinders, Vincent Vosse/Grégory Franchi, Renaud Kuppens/Geoffroy Horion, and Maxime Martin/Maxime Soulet are all extremely determined to hear the Belgian national anthem ring out on the podium!
weiter >>
The Eurocup Mégane Trophy teams met for two more days of collective testing at the Barcelona circuit. Ralph Meichtry (Race Performance) was in command during this first day of testing while today's fastest lap was registered by Carlo Van Dam (Racing for Belgium).
«Our team will be similar to 2005, similar to when we won the first Eurocup Megane Trophy championship with J weiter >>
Megane Trophy drivers back in action
This year's Eurocup Mégane Trophy competitors met for two days of collective testing at the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit on Thursday and Friday. In his return to motor racing, Ludovic Badey (TDS) recorded the best time.
After five long months of hibernation, the Megane Trophy cars had their first outing since the end of the weiter >>
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Rossi finished ninth in the first race, having undergone difficult qualifying sessions in varying weather conditions. "We needed to take a gamble, because the track was drying out after a heavy downpour. Similar to the lottery you don’t win every week and Michaël wasn’t up amongst the front runners." 