In Zolder (Belgium), the historic F1 circuit where the legendary Gilles Villenueve raced for the last time with his Ferrari #27, the fifth seasonal stage of the Nascar Whelen Euro Series European Championship takes place, the last race of the regular season before the finals. which will be held in Grobnik, Croatia.
An intense racing weekend awaits Double V Racing which, in addition to Patrick Schober, revelation in EuroNASCAR 2, also brings young driver Julian Vanheelen to the track driving the Ford Mustang #27 in the Club Challenge.
It’s only Thursday but we’re already on track and Vanheelen is the first driver. Unfortunately, his test lasts only a few laps, due to a mistake in sector 3 where the car crashes into the wall at the corner entry, heavily damaging the front. Now it’s up to the team to get it back to its best in time for Saturday morning qualifying.
ROUND 9
An unusual qualifying on a wet track puts everyone in difficulty, the choice of tires is not obvious and Schober with the rain gets the P14 on the grid. But the race is another story, good weather and a dry track. Excellent start, 3 positions recovered already in the first lap, the pace is high. Bad accident between Doubek and Tziortzis on lap 5, the safety car is on track and Patrick is P9. It starts again on lap 10, Patrick exceeds 2 opponents and it’s P7 but immediately another accident brings back the safety. A final lap remains available to the drivers but also this time, a tremendous reboot between Malcharek and Jouffreau, involving 4 other cars including the Double V Racing Mustang #27. The arrival order is frozen after the clash and for Schober, who was fighting for the Top-5, a bitter P14 arrives.
ROUND 10
Same starting position of saturday for Schober, who hopes for a different finishing order in this race. The feeling with the car is excellent but the Austrian driver is braked in the first laps by some slower drivers, thus losing precious seconds. The race proceeds without incidents and the Mustang #27 begins a strenuous comeback-built pass by pass: Schober is faster than the cars that precede him, in fact he laps in Top-5 times, but the opponents are distant and it becomes difficult to reach them in the few laps available. Only a safety car could compact the group, but it doesn’t come and Patrick closes the race in P9, and P4 among the Rookies. So near the podium but yet another great performance that is worth the final Top-10.
