Zandvoort (Netherlands), Achel (Belgium), 15 June 2022 –Marvin Brandl reigned supreme in his Formula Opel in both his races during the ‘Pinksterraces’ weekend at the Zandvoort Formula 1 track. Not only was he the fastest of the FFR-FOR drivers on Saturday on a dry track, playing catch up with the more powerful F3 cars from the HRA, he was unbeatable on Sunday, when pouring rain made it one of the wettest FFR-FOR races in years.
For the Pentecost weekend the FFR-FOR and HRA joined forces again under the AvD Historic Race Cup banner, fielding almost 50 single seaters on the 4,259-kilometre track at Zandvoort. Because of limit of the number of cars allowed on the track simultaneously, as well as to accommodate the FF1600 drivers that were also participating in the Marcel Albers Memorial Trophy, the HRA and FFR-FOR classes were split over three races, with all participants competing twice.
In Race 1 on Saturday afternoon the HRA classes GO1 (F3 from 1985 onwards and F2), GO2 (F3 with 2000 cc engines from 1974 to 1984), GO3 (FF 2000) and GO6 (Sports 2000) started first, followed 30 seconds later by the Formula Ford 2000s and Formula Opels from the FFR-FOR. Patrick Andriessen (HRA GO2 class) finished first, Michael Ringstrom (HRA GO2) second and Elio Cocciarelli (HRA GO2) was third. Marvin Brandl in his Formula Opel was the first FFR-FOR driver to cross the line, with an impressive 5th place overall, closely followed by fellow Formula Opel driver Jochen Thissen (6th). Onno Zuidema was 9th overall but won the 1st place in the FF 2000 class, with Philip Menzner, the youngest driver of the FFR-FOR group, hot on his heels.
In Race 2 on Sunday morning it was the turn for the FFR-FOR Formula Ford Zetecs and FF 1600s. They started 30 seconds after the HRA GO1 (F3 from 1985 onwards and F2), GO2 (F3 with 2000 cc engines from 1974 to 1984), GO5 (FF1600) and GO6 (Sports 2000). Ringstrom (HRA GO2) and Elio Cocciarelli (HRA GO2) finished 1st and 2nd respectively, with Stephan Lechine (HRA GO1) winning 3rd place after he started without his front wing which was damaged in the previous race. Pascal Monbaron in his FF Zetec was the first FFR-FOR driver with his 9th position overall, while Roel Mulder took the laurels in the FF 1600 class.On Sunday afternoon, the sky turned more and more cloudy, turning in a pouring rain just before the start of Race 3, in which the FFR-FOR Formula Opels, FF 2000s, FF 1600 and Zetecs started on the track first, followed by the HRA GO3 (FF2000) and GO5 (FF1600) classes. In spite of the very wet track, Marvin Brandl was not deterred and drove his Formula Opel to a clear victory. The only one to stay close to him was Onno Zuidema in his FF2000, but as he drove on non-regulation tyres, Zuidema wasn’t competing for the prizes. That meant Jochen Thissen in his Formula Opel was 2nd on the podium and Philip Menzner in his FF2000 3rd and also the winner in the FF2000 class. Pascal Monbaron (5th) was fastest in the FF Zetec class, while John Svensson (9th) won the FF 1600 class. HRA drivers Stefan Krämer was first in the GO3, while Tony Krumbach repeated his class win in the GO5.
The teams and drivers of the AvD Historic Race Cup now enjoy their summer break before heading to the famous track of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in the first weekend of August.