The Belgian Rallycross Championship (BRX) kicked off in early March.
On the weekend of April 19, the Glosso circuit in Arendonk will host the second event of the season. No fewer than nine races are on the agenda this year.
And just like last year, it promises to be a busy affair.
With the cancellation of the regional VAS championship, all eyes are undoubtedly on the National event. The Glosso circuit is a technical track where every mistake will be punished immediately. And a good and, above all, strong start always has a slight edge.
Three confrontations are marked in bold on the BRX calendar.
It is high time to take a closer look at the first event:
In the RX3, Nick Vanalken (Volkswagen Polo) immediately confirmed his form with a resounding victory during the opening weekend at the Duivelsberg circuit in Maasmechelen. The fast Volkswagen Polo was thoroughly checked during the long winter period, and that immediately paid off. Although it was not exactly an easy victory. The driver from Zutendaal soon realized that he will definitely have to reckon with Yves Teelen (Peugeot 208) this year. Teelen did not race all races on the Arendonk gravel in the past. However, he would do well to push his fast Peugeot to its limits on the technical sections of the Glosso circuit as well. Ben Lenaerts (Peugeot 207) also reappeared on the scene, as did Davy Van Den Branden (Citroën DS3). Van Den Branden tried out the Supernational class last year and showed on many occasions that he could handle the pace quite well. Unfortunately, the multiple Belgian champion had to pull over during the opening race in the middle of the final due to technical problems.
The Supernationals under 2000cc will undoubtedly be a busy and, above all, fast affair again. For Dutch champion Mandy Kasse (Ford Fiesta), the opening round ended on a sour note. Kasse drove well during the heats but had to head back to the pits early in the final due to electronics problems. An open opportunity for Joël Strackx (Honda Civic), who was on the right track at the time. However, Strackx was too eager to perform his task, causing him to forget to take the mandatory joker pass. Consequently, the victory and the first points went to fellow Honda Civic driver Ben Desender (Honda Civic). Strackx will undoubtedly be looking for a rematch at the Glosso circuit. Other fast lads in this class are undoubtedly Wouter Nijssen (Opel Corsa), who already performed well in Maasmechelen. With Kimi Vermeulen (Ford Sierra) and Ivo Van Den Brandt (Mitsubishi Colt), it is undoubtedly going to be another fast and exciting affair here.
Kristof Bex (Volvo S40) quickly confirmed his talent in the Supernationals plus 2000cc by taking home the full haul during the opening weekend. Last year's champion did not exactly have an easy time of it. The driver from Heusden-Zolder received an unexpected visit from a fairly fast Steve Volders (BMW E30 M3). Volders, competing this year with the ex-Bart Bel car, put in a good performance but still had to concede defeat to champion Bex. No Yorick Maeyninckx (Volvo 240) in Arendonk. Maeyninckx has set his sights on the race in Buxtehude, Germany, and is therefore skipping the Glosso circuit for the time being. Although he was quite satisfied with his new engine (Honda) at the start of this season. He indicated that every piece of data was thoroughly analyzed after the race in Maasmechelen with a view to improvements. Marijn Vanhove (BMW 1M) will also be absent. The ever-likable driver from Kinrooi has signed up for a season in the Rally X championship, including races in Denmark. Kristof Bex will undoubtedly perform well again, and we will see an open battle between him and Steve Volders. You never know, though, that Maarten Verstraeten (BMW E36 M3) and Danny De Beuckelaer (Opel Corsa), both having come over from the regional VAS championship, might also join the fray and provide plenty of action.
Mark Van Eycken (Spies Buggy) already put on quite a show in the Superbuggy class at Duivelsberg in early March. But the driver from Haacht has also been fast on the Glosso circuit in the past. Add Kenny Van Den Vonder (F&S SuperBuggy) and champion Gelnn Sente (OS Development Hayabusa) to that mix, and you get another strong lineup. Peter Barnhoorn (Spies OS Development) was already on the podium during the opening round and undoubtedly wants to show himself at the front again.
In the CrossCar Junior class, it will undoubtedly be another great battle for season opener Sferre Grauwels (Speedcar Wonder). Sferre, son of Ronny Grauwels, has already received quite a bit of good advice from his father, and that immediately resulted in the top spot on the podium. Dutchman Pim Klaassen (Peters Crosskart) and Tom Devleeschauwer (Lifelive TN11) will undoubtedly be seen at the front again. Kobe Pauwels (Ligier XC 04) is already sounding the alarm in the Crosscar after the first confrontation.
