Posterholt 4-5-2008.
Many thanks to Edwin Clout for the results.
28 cars booked in at Raceway Posterholt for the second meeting of the
season. Milou Mets didn’t race as she broke her gearbox in the Saturday
practice session. Sjors Bekkers hit engine trouble on Saturday but managed
to get it all repaired, including a drive home, only for the engine to break
down again in the second heat. Toon Schut did his first 2008 meeting at the
Posterholt track while Christiaan Weyenberg made his track debut. Erwin
Peeters was back in a different car for this meeting, after wrecking his at
the first Posterholt meeting, and he drove like a man possessed, putting the
bumper in hard on every occasion he could.
27 cars came out on track for heat one with Frank van Uden retiring even
before the rolling lap. It was Weyenberg who took the lead from Tony
Henraath and Sjeng Smidt. Henraath took over but S. Smidt was closing in
rapidly, while brothers Robert and Roy Leenhouts briefly hooked up on the
home straight with Roy coming to rest in front of race control. S. Smidt
took the lead with Jan Bekkers now in third and closing on Henraath, while
further down the field the bumpers were put in by Willie Peeters, Henk
Peeters and Danny Smidt, with no love lost between Peeters brothers. Bekkers
managed to spin Henraath out of second but ran out of laps to challenge for
the win, which went the way of Sjeng Smidt with Bekkers in second and third
going to white top Weyenberg.
24 cars came out for heat two in which the red top train prevented Mr.
starter to wave the green flag after they jumped the start big time. Toon
Schut retired from the second try and it was Weyenberg who took the lead
when the green finally dropped. Sjors Bekkers retired with engine trouble
and didn’t appear in the last heat. Hans Gielen blew the engine, while in
the back of the pack there was a battle going on between H. Peeters, Erwin
Peeters, Roy Maessen and Danny Smidt. On one occasion E. Peeters put Maessen
full steam into Smidt, but the four of them only managed to halt each others
progress through the rest of the field. Henraath and Weyenberg were changing
the lead a couple of times with W. Peeters now closing in, but the race
ended in dramatic fashion when the bumpers went in. Once the dust had
settled it was C. Smidt who had spun, J. Bekker had hit the Armco and
retired and S. Smidt had a flat right rear tire, which put him retirement as
well. Weyenberg to his credit held onto the lead while Patrick Kessels
dished the bumper out to Jelle Kurstjens, the latter going very wide.
Weyenberg held on for the win from W. Peeters and Roy Hendriks who took full
advantage of the carnage that went on in front of him. Kessels came in
fourth with Henraath in fifth and Kurstjens in sixth.
23 cars came out for the final which had to be red flagged instantly when
H55 C. Smidt went over the bonnet of the H40 Piet Huussen car before doing a
balancing act on his front bumper and then falling back on all fours. All
this happened on the infield and Smidt got a huge amount of dirt in his cab
and it took him while to come to his senses. The paramedics rushed to the
scene but after a couple of minutes Smidt got out of his car unharmed. There
were only 19 cars left for the restart in which Weyenberg took the lead and
it looked he was going to perform an upset and take another win. S.Smidt was
battling with Henraath for second while from the back the red top train came
thundering through the pack with W. Peeters and Kurstjens leading the way.
Henraath spun himself when he landed a hit on S. Smidt who now had W.
Peeters closing in on him. W. Peeters reeled Smidt in and put him wide for
second. With only two to go W. Peeters was getting ready for a last bend
lunge and it came in a big way. Weyenberg spun after the hit and Willie took
the win from Kurstjens and Hendriks who took full advantage once again. J.
Bekkers and D. Smidt were battling sixth with the two of them going in hard
with the bumper, with Bekkers retiring with a left front flat tire.
Total points were won by Willie Peeters from Jelle Kurstjens and Christiaan
Weyenberg.
Edwin Clout.
Warneton 13th April CAMSO
Many thanks to Melissa Wicks for the report and
to Teufteufteam for the pictures.
CAMSO dodged the April showers to squeeze 4
action-packed CAMSO V8 races into the Warneton schedule for Sunday the 13th
of April.
American Bruce “Andy” Andrews headed up the first group with Kelvin Hassell
on the outside. Behind them were Vincent Lehouck and ‘The Flying Dutchman’
Wim Moonen. Tony Roots and Xavier Vandermeersch queued behind with Gary
Ellis and 2007 Champion Jean Vasseur completing the grid.
As the green flag fell and they entered the first corner, Hassell managed to
edge in front of Andrews. However, the #88 Chevrolet Monte Carlo wouldn’t
stick and Andrews took the lead. Lehouck made an unsuccessful attempt to
follow Andrews down the inside, then tried moving to the outside, but
Hassell managed to fend him off.
At the back of the field, Ellis and Vandermeersch were jostling for
position; Ellis in the #95 managed to pass the #4 of Vandermeersch on the
inside of turns one and two. On the following lap, Vandermeersch attempted
to claim his position back; a manoeuvre that nearly resulted in a spin for
Jean Vasseur in the #07, as he attempted to avoid what appeared to be an
imminent collision.
Roots picked his way through the field, passing Lehouck on the exit of turn
two to claim fourth place. Ellis and Vandermeersch were not far behind and
Lehouck slipped through the field.
Meanwhile, Andrews was making good headway at the front of the pack and had
created a reasonable lead. Hassell, currently in second place began to claw
back some of the distance, which proved difficult with Moonen on the chase
in third. As Hassell took a wider line into turns three and four in an
attempt to pass the #17 Chevy, Moonen caught him, attempting to make room
down the inside as they entered turn one, but he was unable to complete the
manoeuvre.
The second pack, consisting of Roots, Ellis and Vandermeersch, were in
fighting spirits! Ellis managed to slip up the inside of Vandermeersch on
the exit of turn four, leaving him to fall back down the pack. With four
laps to go, Ellis lunged to take fourth place from Roots, but Roots held
firm alongside.
Andrews sprinted across the finish line to take his first victory of the
year, with Hassell taking second and Moonen third. Ellis took fifth after
missing out on fourth by less than the length of Root’s bonnet!
In Race 2, both Jos Jansen and Anton Gonnissen joined the grid. Jansen in
the #222 took pole with Hassell on the outside; Lehouck filled the second
row with Gonnissen and Moonen behind. As the V8s fired into the first
corner, Jansen took the lead with Lehouck passing Hassell to take second
place. Both Gonnissen and Vandermeersch, who was on the row behind, beat
Moonen into the corner.
With the clouds threatening to burst at any minute, Ellis picked his way
through from the back of the field, passing Gonnissen on the outside line to
take fifth place. Vandermeersch clawed his way into a podium position as he
passed Hassell who held third place. Ellis was not far behind; managing to
find the grip on the outside of the track, Ellis passed Hassell in turns
three and four.
With Jansen coming up to pass back-markers, those in the leading pack were
given the opportunity to close the gap between themselves and the lead car.
Vandermeersch passed Lehouck on the exit of turn four, followed shortly by
Ellis on the next lap.
At the back of the field, the 2007 Champion, Jean Vasseur was not having the
best of luck. After engine problems at the beginning of the day, handling
problems were now preventing his attempts to pass Moonen.
As the race drew to an end, Jansen was still struggling to lap Andrews.
Vandermeersch and Ellis soon closed in on the Rookie. Vandermeersch lunged
for the inside line but was held off by Jansen. As the #04 moved to the
outside, Jansen was caught once again by Andrews and as they crossed the
line, Vandermeersch had managed to edge alongside the #17 to take the win
from Jansen in second and Ellis in third. In the ensuing pack, Lehouck took
fourth with Hassell in fifth and Gonnissen in sixth.
The final saw Hassell take pole with Lehouck on the outside. Moonen and
Andrews lined up behind with Jansen and Gonnissen on their tails. With the
green flag shown, Hassell made it first to turn one; meanwhile, Moonen edged
in front of Andrews for third place. Lehouck was having trouble making the
car stick on the outside line and he slipped down through the field as
Moonen, Andrews, Jansen and Roots passed on the inside line.
Moonen, looking for a win, moved to the outside to pass Hassell but couldn’t
quite find enough grip to complete the move. For three more laps, Moonen
fought for first place, but the #88 managed to just edge in front. Then, the
yellow flags were brought out for a collision between Jansen and Andrews in
turn three that saw the #17 spin into the wall. Jansen was sent to the back
of the grid for the restart.
At the restart, Hassell managed to creep past Moonen with Andrews following
him through on the inside. Meanwhile, Ellis had dashed around the outside of
Moonen and Andrews and was hard on the tail of Hassell. As they exited turn
four, Ellis took the lead and sprinted away from the pack towards the finish
line. As the chequered flag dropped, Ellis had a fantastic lead. Hassell
came home second with Andrews in third, Moonen in fourth and Gonnissen in
fifth.
Due to the appalling weather at the Easter meeting, a fourth point-scoring
race was arranged for the afternoon, weather permitting of course! Before
the cars had made their way onto the track, Gonnissen was forced to retire
with a radiator leak.
In this fourth race, Lehouck took pole with Moonen on the outside. Jansen
and Hassell filled the second row with Andrews and Roots behind. As the race
began, Lehouck and Moonen were side-by-side and remained so until Moonen
finally passed in turns one and two on the second lap. Hassell, stuck on the
outside line, was swallowed up by the field, falling down to seventh place.
At the front of the pack, Moonen pulled away a good lead. Lehouck and
Jansen, in second and third, were also spread out, followed by a tight pack
consisting of Andrews, Vandermeersch and Ellis. As Vandermeersch tried to
drive around Andrews, Ellis tried the inside line. Neither were successful
this time, but Ellis managed to claim fourth place from Andrews on the
following lap. As Vandermeersch attempted the pass again, he got loose,
allowing Roots to fly down the inside. As Andrews took turns one and two too
wide, Roots sneaked down the inside in pursuit of Ellis. Vasseur and
Vandermeersch also took advantage of Andrews mistake, both passing the #17.
As they came around for the last lap, Moonen was in first place with Jansen
and Lehouck in second and third, followed by Ellis, Roots and Vasseur.
Posterholt 13-4-2008.
Many thanks to Edwin Clout for the report.
The First Posterholt BriSCA F2 meeting of 2008 took
place on Sunday April 13. With Venray without meetings expectations on a
bigger turnout of drivers were high and this came true when 28 cars turned
up for the meeting. There were new cars for Henk and Willie Peeters, both in
Randall cars, Jelle Kurstjens in his good looking homegrown machine, Sjeng
Smidt and Tony Henraath in DK cars and Christiaan Smidt in a Randall. Among
the drivers that debuted in the F2’s was ex Hotrod and long time races
Helmut Laumen and lady racer Milou Mets who graduaded from the Juniors and
went straight for the F2’s.
All 28 cars came out for heat one although Francois Damen retired in the
rolling lap with electrical problems. It was Martin Janssen who took the
lead but Sjeng Smidt took full advantage from his generous awarded yellow
grade and took over at the front. Among the red tops the bumpers went in and
it was Willie Peeters who showed first with Erwin Peeters hot on his heels.
Roy Maessen, who also started to far up the field at blue, took second and
E. Peeters. went for the inside of W. Peeters. It all ended into tears for
Erwin however as he hit the back straight wall very hard and came to rest in
turn four. Willie climbed all over Christiaan Smidt in turn 2 and lost a lot
of ground. Sjeng Smidt went on to win from Roy Maessen and Roy Leenhouts.
Erwin Peeters had a checkup by the first aid but was cleared to race.
27 cars out for heat two with Laumen missing and Erwin Peeters also
retiring. He later told me the chassis was bend and he was feeling pretty
sour after his first heat shunt. The action started straight away when
Christiaan Smidt put Jan Vervuurt into Maurice Verstappen and the latter
both spun. Mets briefly led but it was Sjeng Smidt who took over. This time
it was Jan Bekkers who made a very good start and showed into third behind
Sjeng and Christiaan Smidt, with Willie Peeters closing in on the three of
them. Bekkers put Christiaan wide for second and set off after Sjeng Smidt,
with Willie Peeters following through as well. Bekkers reeled Sjeng in and
went for it to take the lead. Bekkers however went wide allowing Sjeng back
through with Willie now on the back of Sjeng. Sjeng allowed Willie through
on the inside on the last lap, so Willie Peeters took the win from Sjeng
Smidt and Jan Bekkers.
26 cars out for heat three in which things went a little rougher. Ron
Janssen span in the rolling lap and because several drivers made a jumpstart
the green never came out. When the dust had cleared it were Roy Leenhouts
and Sjeng Smidt who had their bumpers tangled up and it took quite a while
to get them untangled. Sjeng Smidt took the lead when the green finally
dropped but it was Willie Peeters who had a great start and he already
showed in fifth. Peeters than briefly tangled with Hans Gielen and lost two
places. The bumpers went in hard in turn two and it was Maessen who half
spun in front of Jelle Kurstjens which cost them both some places. The order
at the front was now Sjeng Smidt in the lead from the 2007 track champion
Danny Smidt and Willie Peeters. Robert Leenhouts got himself into all kinds
of trouble with Vervuurt, sideswiping Kurstjens onto the infield on the back
straight. W. Peeters took second from D. Smidt but Smidt fought back tapping
Peeters wide to retake second but going wide allowing Peeters through again.
Peeters reeled Sjeng Smidt in and took the lead after a very subtle tap on
the back of Smidt, with just one to go. Willie Peeters took the win from
Danny Smidt who put his dad wide for second with just half a lap to go and
Henk Peeters who also got through.
Total points were won by Sjeng Smidt from Danny Smidt and Willie Peeters.
Edwin Clout.
CAMSO V8 23/24 March
Many thanks to Melissa Wicks for CAMSO report.
Lehouck takes first blood
After an unblemished record of holding V8 meetings despite Warneton’s
challenging and changing weather conditions, even CAMSO fell foul to Mondays
snow showers. They did however manage to squeeze in two all action races on
the Sunday!
#222 Raptor Racings Jos “The Boss” Jansen sat on the pole spot with the
Kelvinator Kelvin Hassell in the #88 Chevrolet Monte Carlo on the outside
sporting a new nose! The car, not Kelvin. Vincent Lehouck sat behind the
pair in the #66 Ford Taurus.
#77 Tony Roots headed up the next group with Dutchman Wim Moonen on his
outside. Behind them the second Raptor Racing car of Kurt Dyjardyn and
Xavier Vandermeersch in the #4 Ford. Vandermeersch is using the Ford until
repairs to his usual steed, the #19 Dodge Intrepid, are complete.
Next up was the number one championship contender #95 Gary Ellis in the
beautiful and brand new 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and behind him in the
#07, 2007 CAMSO V8 champion Jean Vasseur.
At the green Jos The Boss took the lead with the
Kelvinator hanging on to Lehouck on the high side of the track. Ellis
started to move forward passing the #4 car of Vandermeersch.
Lehouck got the better of Hassell and then Tony Roots began to mount an
attack on the #88 car. Now clear of the battle behind him, Lehouck moved to
the outside of Jansen for the lead. It was a challenge that went on for a
further three laps or so before Lehouck finally managed to take the number
one spot.
Meanwhile, Roots, now up to third had over cooked it going in to turn one
allowing Hassell to slip back through followed by Dyjardyn and Gary Ellis,
who was on a mission to get to the front. Ellis passed Dyjardyn into turn 2
and Hassell into turn 4. The #88 car would slip further down the order with
an over heating problem caused by a leaking radiator. Dyjardyn passed
Hassell but Vandermeersch got trapped behind the #88 car as Vasseur did the
pair of them. Vandermeersch cleared Hassell and then started chewing on the
back bumper of the #07.
Up at the front Ellis had taken second place away from Jansen who was coming
under pressure from his Raptor Racing teammate for the number three spot.
The fight was cut short with the first yellow flags of 2008 for a collision
between Vasseur in the #07 and Vandermeersch in the #4. Vandermeersch was
sent to the back of the field as they formed up for the restart.
At the green Ellis tried to move around the #66 but Lehouck was on top form
and kept the former champ at bay. Wim Moonen, who had been having an
uneventful race until the restart was able to put the bumper on Jansen and
move the Raptor car down another spot. The race to the flag though was
between Lehouck and Ellis with Lehouck taking the win by the smallest of
margins. Dyjardyn came home third in the #2 car.
Race 2
The Kelvinator was now on the inside of row one with Jos The Boss on the
outside. Tony Roots and Wim Moonen made up the first group. It was single
file after them with Dyjardyn, Vandermeersch, Ellis, Lehouck and Vasseur.
Hassell took the lead and looked like he would have the whole race sewn up
from the off as he sped away leaving Jansen to fend off the attacking Wim
Moonen. Roots got a bad start and dropped in behind Dyjardyn who had moved
into third.
Moonen muscled his way past Jansen with Dyjardyn and Roots following him
through. Hassell was galloping away out in front and had pulled out half a
straight on the pack behind him when the yellow came out for Jos Jansen
spinning the #222 car in turn 3.
At the restart Hassell again drove away from Moonen. Roots tried to get
around Dyjardyn but instead left himself open for Ellis and Vasseur to sneak
through. The yellow came out again as Vandermeersch spun coming on to the
backstretch.
On the restart the Kelvinator again got the drive on Moonen and this time
Dyjardyn stuck the nose of the #2 car down the inside of Moonen before
Moonen could block him. The #73 car got hung out on the top of the banking
as the field filtered through. Ellis then threw the #95 around the outside
of Vandermeersch . Roots did the same manoeuvre on Vasseur who had cunningly
slipped into third place after the restart. Dyjardyn began to reel in the
#88 car and was alongside for the pass when the yellow flew again. This time
it was the #73 and the #07 parked at turn 2. They both got going again for
the restart.
Dyjardyn led the restart and Roots slipped into second. This time it was
Hassell who was hung out to dry slipping back down the order on the high
side of the track.
Ellis was trying to take second off of Tony Roots when a power steering hose
burst on the #95 car sending Ellis across the track. Moonen spun trying to
avoid Ellis before the yellows came out. Vasseur, Lehouck and Hassell all
crashed out on the oil so the race was ended under caution. Dyjardyn was
declared the winner and official results for the other places are yet to be
released by CAMSO. As soon as we know them, we will let you know.
2008 CAMSO V8 Championship
Preview
Many thanks to Melissa Wicks for CAMSO preview and to Xavier at
the teufteufteam .
2007 was a vintage year for the CAMSO V8
Championship, which saw big grids, big action, big crowds and big prizes.
2008 promises to be even bigger with new cars, new drivers and a new team!
Raptor Racing is the talk of the paddock. It is the new three-car super team
of drivers Kurt Dujardin, Jos Jansen and Anton Gonnissen. Kurt and Anton are
well known to the CAMSO V8 crowd but next season will be Jansen’s first full
season in the formula. Although a rookie in the V8s, Jansen is no stranger
to motorsport; he builds the motorcycles that his Raptor Racing teammates
use on Desert Raid events such as the Dakar Rally.
Jansen will not be alone in his rookie year; French Prive Car (Rookie Rod)
driver Vincent Lehouck will also be in his first full season after joining
the formula mid-season in 2007.
Belcar star Christoph Tuyttens is another rookie that will be joining the
fray on a more permanent basis, providing he can secure the necessary funds.
Expect him to bring his teammate Alain Leplat despite the pair taking each
other out when they raced in the final CAMSO V8 round of 2007!
Strengthening the UK’s presence in the CAMSO V8 formula will be Sam Collins.
Sam has raced on the UK’s long circuit scene and CAMSO V8 will be his first
foray into stockcar racing. Sam passed his rookie test late last year but
has yet to enter a race. When he does it will not only be the first oval
race for Sam Collins, it will also be the first race for a Toyota Camry in
CAMSO V8.
The Toyota bodywork will be available to CAMSO V8 drivers alongside the Ford
Fusion that made its’ debut late last season. The two new bodies add to the
current line-up of Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Ford Taurus, Pontiac Grand Prix
and both the Dodge Intrepid and Charger.
In addition to new cars and drivers, CAMSO is in negotiations to televise
the series. Also on the cards for 2008 is a return to Mallory Park! Last
time the V8s set about the ‘Mallory Mile’ there were only a handful of cars.
Now everyone will be hoping to see a full grid of noisy Super Late Models
tearing around the big oval. However, nothing is set in concrete regarding
the return to Mallory. Yet the RDC Lydden Invasion will again be
complimented by the CAMSO V8s; good news for fans and drivers alike.
So, of all the drivers, who will be the favourite for the 2008 title?
Reigning champion Jean Vasseur put some fantastic passes on runner-up Gary
Ellis on his way to the 2007 title but his aggressive driving style often
leaves him at the mercy of the CAMSO officials. Indeed, three-time champion
Gary Ellis is a more consistent front-runner and it would be foolish to bet
against the Englishman taking a fourth title. One cannot help but wonder how
the 2007 Championship would have ended if Xavier Vandermeersch had not
destroyed the engine on the #19 Dodge Intrepid late in the season. A look
over the results throughout 2007 shows that Vandermeersch would have been
hard to beat if he had not missed races between the expiry of the Intrepid
and the finishing of negotiations to use another car whilst the Intrepid was
repaired.
With Wim Peeters picking up a year-long racing ban from the CAMSO officials
in 2007, the possibility of Henk Peeters racing a full season in the #9
Hewill Pontiac could ruffle the feathers of a few favourites. Henk pulled
out a big points lead in the early part of 2007 until his Formula 2
commitments stopped his progress.
Tony Roots is thought by many to be the best driver in the series. Being in
the wrong place at the wrong time cost him dear last season; there were
several DNFs and few, if any, were the fault of the former Superstock champ.
Nobody in CAMSO V8 knows more about these cars than Roots and no one should
bet against the #77 car taking the title for him in 2008.
Kelvin Hassell needs consistency to nail the top spot in the championship.
Seven trips to victory lane, including the feature race at the RDC Lydden
Invasion, amounted to more than any other driver in the series. But a string
of non-finishes left Hassell out of contention for the championship. Hassell
has the pace to take the fight to the top three if he can keep the #88 out
of the wall.
We have merely touched the surface of the pool of talented drivers in the
CAMSO V8 Championship. If you would like to see a more comprehensive list of
the runners and riders, go to www.camsov8fanzine.piczo.com. With the
relatively equal machinery and the cars lining up for each race in the
reverse of their respective championship positions, any driver can win races
and the championship.
Round one will be held at Warneton International Speedway in Belgium on the
23rd of March. The track is only an hour from Calais; a worthwhile trip if
you like your stockcars fast, loud and turning left. CAMSO V8: it’s like
NASCAR but with beer and chips!
CAMSO Season Review
Many thanks to Melissa Wicks for all the CAMSO info
in 2007.
The CAMSO V8 Championship promised great things at the beginning of 2007 and
at the Easter CAMSO meeting at Warneton Speedway, great things were
delivered in abundance. It was crashes and smashes, thrills and spills as
the 2007 CAMSO V8 Championship got underway.
The first victor of the 2007 season was Henk Peeters in the #9 Hewil Pontiac
Grand Prix. H. Peeters is famous for his F1 and F2 exploits and is well
known to the Warneton crowd for his Lightning Rod escapades. H. Peeters won
the first two heats with style, but it would be GT and Rally Raid expert
Kurt Dujardin in the #2 car who would take home the silverware in the final,
beating the two Dodges of Xavier Vandermeersch and Gary Ellis.
The next day, Vandermeersch was very much on the case in the #19 Dodge
Intrepid, winning both heat one and the final from Ellis in the Roots V8
Racing Dodge Charger, and Dujardin’s team mate Anton Gonnissen in the #22
ABS Pontiac. Jean Vasseur chalked up his first win of the year in heat two,
beginning a path that would take Jean to a final round title showdown.
The V8s returned on the 22nd of April. Vasseur drove the #07 Profil+ Ford
Taurus to victory in heat one ahead of Vandermeersch. But it was
Vandermeersch who made the most of the meeting, staying on the podium for
all three races. Ellis won heat two and his teammate Tony Roots in the #77
Pontiac won the final from Vandermeersch and Ellis in third.
H. Peeters bounced back in May, winning heat one but that was as far as the
challenge would go on this day. Kelvin Hassell won heat two in the #88 Ready
2 Race Ford Taurus, much to the delight of the BabyGrand teams who were
present. Vandermeersch showed his form again in the final, taking the win
from Roots and Vasseur.
The next double-header meeting was five races crammed into two days. Vasseur
and H. Peeters took a win apiece on the Saturday with Hassell and H. Peeters
taking the heats on Sunday. H. Peeters went on to win the final with
blistering pace from CAMSO start marshal Christof Vandekerckhove, who had
put down his flags and pulled on his crash helmet. Vandekerckhove drove to a
brilliant second place in the #66 Ford Taurus that now belongs to Frenchman
Vincent Lehouck. Gary Ellis rounded out the top three, scoring points and
sneaking up the championship leader board.
The 17th June was the next meeting; Hassell took the heat one victory with
Vandekerckhove fending off Ellis to take a well deserved win in heat two.
The final went to Tony Roots who seems to win a lot of races for someone who
says he doesn’t win a lot of races! He certainly had the measure of Dujardin
though, who followed him home to second with Vandekerckhove in third.
Another double-header in July saw Hassell and Vandekerckhove win the heats
on Saturday. Wim Peeters (#9) made a brief return to the series and won the
first heat on Sunday. Bruce Andrews (#17) and Dujardin won the next two
races before Andrews held off the entire field to win an epic feature race
with cars coming at him from every angle. Vasseur was inches away in second
and Vandekerckhove took another podium finish in third.
The only meeting in August saw Gonnissen winning the first heat and Hassell
winning the second one for a change. In the final Ellis just managed to hold
off the flying Dutchman, Wim Moonen in the #73 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, who
was back after engine problems at the previous meeting. Gonnissen avoided
the wrecks to come home third.
Hassell won the first race of September with Ellis taking heat two. Ellis
then hunted down Dujardin in the final but couldn’t make the pass for the
lead stick. Dujardin took the win from Ellis. Porsche GT racer Franz Lamont
drove a tidy race to finish third.
On the 8th of September the V8s went on tour and found themselves at Lydden
Hill for the RDCs “Lydden Invasion!” event. Vandermeersch had missed two
rounds with engine trouble and now appeared in the #4 Ford Taurus from the
Roots V8 Racing stable, with a point to prove and prove it he did! He won
the first heat from home favourite Hassell and finished second in heat two
to Ellis. Hassell took a comfortable win on home soil in the final with
Moonen second and Vandermeersch third.
Moonen got his revenge at the end of September, first sharing the heat wins
with Vandermeersch and then by stomping on the opposition in the final.
Neither Vandermeersch (second) or Ellis (third) were able to match the pace
of the 2006 CAMSO Lightning Rod Champion.
The final round would decide the championship. Ellis led the championship by
a small margin over Vasseur. The Frenchman would have to try and stay in
front of the V8 veteran to be in with a shot. Roots won heat one and Vasseur
won heat two. A good result in the final would seal the championship for
Vasseur in his Rookie year.
It couldn’t have gone better for Vasseur; he won the final from Moonen with
Andrews in third, Ellis having crashed out of the final after colliding with
the wall in turn two. Talk of a rule infraction by Jean Vasseur in one of
the heats proved to be unfounded. An important decision as the penalty would
mean a loss of 5 all important championship points. As it was, the results
determined that Jean Vasseur is the 2007 CAMSO V8 Champion by a margin of
only 3 points to last years champion Gary Ellis.
Look out for our 2008 Season Preview in the coming months when we look at
the runners and riders for the 2008 CAMSO V8 championship as well as
revealing two new cars that are being built for the series at this very
moment!
If you wish to test drive a CAMSO V8, contact Tony Roots at
www.rootsv8racing.com