In the preparation programme for his 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship assault Swede Anton Marklund competed in the BRC opener at Maasmechelen to claim victory from the homeboys.
UPDATED on 07.03.2013 with 26 minutes video!
Even without 2004 and 2005 ERC winner (D1A) Dutchman Ron Snoeck, whose Seat Leon Mk2 engine broke during test runs only a couple of days prior to the race, the Belgian Rallycross Championship (BRC) opener at Maasmechelen attracted a rather good entry with 10 SuperCars. One of the top favourites for the 2013 ERX title, Swede Anton Marklund, showed up at the Devils Hill track to continue with his test programme for the maiden RallycrossRX series that starts over the Easter weekend. After the ‘Official Test Day’ at Lydden Hill in England the reigning Euro Champ of the TouringCars category had been for additional car tests to Lohéac in France, while the event in Opgrimbie should round-up his trip from the far North of Sweden to central Europe with the first true Rallycross race for his new 560bhp VW Polo Mk5 SuperCar.
Timed practice at the in 1970 opened Duivelsbergcircuit was dominated by Patrick Van Mechelen in the ex-Jos Kuijpers Ford Fiesta Mk7 while the first qualifying heat saw Koen Pauwels in the ex-Andy Scott Ford Focus Mk2 claiming the fastest time. The second and third heats of the qualification fell prey to reigning champ Jos Kuijpers (Ford Focus Mk3) and Patrick Van Mechelen respectively, the pole position of the all decisive A final went to Pauwels, due to his second fastest time in heat 2.
However, when the GO for the last race of the day was given Pauwels got it all wrong, after a very poor start he reached the outcome of the first corner on fifth place only. Youngster Anton Marklund was in the lead and did not fear much of competition, at least not till after the Joker Laps had been done by him as well as Patrick Van Mechelen. For the last laps the Belgian had worked-up some of the previous distance and was dog-hounding the Swede, but the VW campaigner produced no mistake to give the from Subaru to Ford changed PVM any chance to reach out for a victory on home soil. When the chequered flag dropped it was Marklund, Van Mechelen and Jos Kuijpers to take the first international Rallycross podium of the year 2013.
Among the Super1600 drivers it was Dennis Remans who claimed the pole position by setting twice the fastest qualification times, and in the A final the Ford Fiesta Mk6 campapaigner completed a perfect season kick-off with overall victory. In TouringCars Rallycross veteran Jos Sterkens managed twice the fastest heat times and the pole position of the A with his Volvo C30/4, but in the final race Jos had to give in to Ivo Van den Brandt and his nimble Mitsubishi Colt CZT, who eventually made Sterkens the runner-up.
The SuperNationals +2000 event was overshadowed by a crash of RallycrossRX ‘permanent’ Michaël De Keersmaecker, who was getting his leant Volvo C30 torpedoed by the Opel Corsa of Danny De Beuckelaer in the second runs. “MDK” spun the Filip Baelus SN Volvo due to a flat tyre in connection with a by cement covered oil trail on the tarmac of the first corner, the heavy impact took both cars with too much damage out of the event. At the end of the day it was that man Steven Maris who powered his Volvo 240 to overall victory of the SN+ class. In the smaller SN– category Pedro Cokelaere claimed the pole position by setting twice the fastest quali times, but after only one lap of the A final the Honda driver’s Civic EK4 engine was blown-up. Thereby, the reigning champion found himself on the poor sixth place in the results only while Toyota campaigner Martijn Vanhove had driven his MR2 Mk1 to a fine overall victory.
- FINAL RESULTS SUPERCARS:
- 1. Anton Marklund (S) VW Polo Mk5
- 2. Patrick Van Mechelen (B) Ford Fiesta Mk7
- 3. Jos Kuijpers (I) Ford Focus Mk3
- 4. Koen Pauwels (B) Ford Focus Mk2
- 5. Wil Teurlings (B) Volvo S40 Mk1
- 6. Ronny Scheveneels (B) VW Scirocco Mk3
- 7. Jochen Coox (B) VW Scirocco Mk3
- 8. Jos Jansen (B) Ford Focus Mk3
- FINAL RESULTS SUPER1600S:
- 1. Dennis Remans (B) Ford Fiesta Mk6
- 2. Bart Stouten (B) Toyota Yaris Mk1
- 3. Thijs Heezen (NL) Ford Fiesta Mk 7
- 4. Willem Veltman (NL) Citroën C2
- 5. Davy Van Den Branden (B) Citroën DS3
- FINAL RESULTS TOURINGCARS:
- 1. Ivo Van den Brandt (B) Mitsubishi Colt CZT
- 2. Jos Sterkens (B) Volvo C30/4
- 3. Nick Snoeys (B) Ford Fiesta Mk6
- 4. Mandy Kasse (NL) Ford Fiesta Mk7
- FINAL RESULTS SUPERNATIONALS +2000:
- 1. Steven Maris (B) Volvo 240
- 2. Kristof Bex (B) Volvo S40 Mk1
- 3. Davy Leysen (B) BMW E36
- 4. David Vannijlen (B) Volvo 240
- 5. Henri Vangeneugden (B) Volvo 240
- 6. Ludo Vangeneugden (B) Volvo 240
- 7. Johan Sleeckx (B) BMW E87
- 8. Roland Myny (B) Volvo S40 Mk2
- FINAL RESULTS SUPERNATIONALS –2000:
- 1. Martijn Vanhove (B) Toyota MR2 Mk1
- 2. Marc Vandenbergh (B) Seat Ibiza Mk2
- 3. Steven Stessens (B) Opel Corsa B
- 4. Jef Mertens (B) Opel Astra F
- 5. Tom Meeusen (B) Mitsubishi Lancer
- 6. Pedro Cokelaere (B) Honda Civic EK4
- 7. Kurt Lambers (B) Ford Sierra Cosworth
- 8. André Geebelen (B) Peugeot 206
Full 26 minutes programme with English commentary.
Heat 1 – Onboard camera Jos Jansen.
A final – Onboard camera Patrick Van Mechelen.
Crash – Danny De Beuckelaer and Michaël De Keersmaecker.
