As the Supercar Challenge powered by Hankook gears up for its 19th season of racing, Dailysportscar sat down with the championship’s driving force Dick van Elk to look ahead and preview the upcoming season.
2018 proved to be, in many respects a year of resurgence for the Supercar Challenge. How do you view last year, in respect to the season ahead of you?
“The last few years proved difficult for the championship but last year we saw the numbers steadily rise again and I believe that is in part due to a stable and growing global economy. Teams are finding customers more easily in many championships and this trickles down to the Supercar Challenge as well.”
You could say that rearranging the class structure also proved successful. How much of an effect did the introduction of a new GT class have?
“The new GT class changed the dynamic of the championship. We found that the cars at the front became so advanced, so fast, that it basically only catered to the happy few. In our new top class, the Porsche 991 GT3 Cup became the benchmark in terms of performance and this means that team and drivers can afford to race at the front.
“However, the Porsche is such a good and obvious weapon that it came to dominate the numbers and because the Supercar Challenge is all about diversity, we have chosen to open up the GT class a bit more by allowing previous-generation GT3 cars as well as cars from single-make championships like the Lamborghini Supertrofeo.
“We are expecting a lot from this for 2019. But not just in the GT class are we seeing growth, the Supersport and Sport divisions are seeing an influx of new cars, from GT4 machines to TCR cars all the way down to the smaller touring cars as well.”
You managed to find a home for the biggest cars in the GT & Prototype Challenge. However, numbers have struggled to climb into the double digits. Still, you believe in the series. What does the future hold for it?
“I truly believe in sportscars. There is nothing like a real high-downforce car and if you are a real purist, this is the way to go. That is also part of the challenge we face as we are still educating people that you don’t need to be a highly qualified professional driver to enjoy racing an LMP3, CN-car or a Radical and in many instances it proves to be even more cost-effective. That is the story we are selling and I believe the platform for these cars will prove successful.”
Your V-Max organisation isn’t just responsible for the Supercar Challenge and the GT & Prototype challenge. Last year you introduced a new Ford Fiesta Cup aimed at youngsters and for this year you are bringing a new championship featuring the new Mazda MX-5 car. Are you building your own ladder system?
“Since 2018 I’ve headed up the circuit-racing division of the KNAF, the Dutch ASN and racing in The Netherlands have struggled over the last few years. Many championships went under and there was no structure left to get drivers of all ages into racing. That is what we are rebuilding. The Fiesta cup, using the 140 Bhp Ford Fiesta ST was the first step with almost 45 drivers competing this year.
“We are already seeing drivers that made their debut last year progressing into professional racing programmes. The new Mazda Cup will kick off in May and we are expecting almost 30 entries for the first season. Bringing this many drivers into our weekends is not just good for racing in the Benelux, but it has a positive knock-on effect for our teams as well as the Supercar Challenge as a whole. “
So with optimism in the quality as well as the quantity of the entries this season, the Supercar Challenge gears up with yet another impressive calendar and an exciting championship ahead of it.
Calendar 2019
April 20-21 BGDC Event – Magny Cours Supercar Challenge + GT & Prototype Challenge
June 1-2 Wurth Superprix -Circuit Zolder Supercar Challenge + GT & Prototype Challenge
June 22-23 Spa Euro Race – Spa-Francorchamps Supercar Challenge + GT & Prototype Challenge
July 13-14 Blancpain World Cup – Zandvoort Supercar Challenge
August 17-18 Gamma Racing Days – Assen Supercar Challenge
October 4-5 TCR 500 – Spa-Francorchamps Supercar Challenge + GT & Prototype Challenge
October 19-20 Final Races – Assen Supercar Challenge + GT & Prototype Challenge
