Eric De Doncker has been back in action this weekend in the Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli in his Motorsport 98 Mercedes AMG GT2, continuing a 32 year relationship with SRO’s GT racing events, a record which includes competing in each of the top four categories in GT racing.
The 62-year-old Belgian driver first raced in a Stephane Ratel organised race in the 1992 Venturi Trophy.
Since then his 30+ years of experience includes back-to-back title wins in the 2007 and ’08 GT4 European Series in a Ford Mustang.
“I was actually a motorcycle racer for 14 years before I started racing cars,” recalls De Doncker. “My main passion was motorcycles, but when I hurt myself and stopped riding bikes, that was also the time that I met Stéphane [Ratel]. I was still racing motorbikes and used to go to have a drink in Brussels where a lot of racing and motorcycle competitors came. One evening, Stéphane came with a friend of mine just as he was launching the Venturi Trophy – after two or three beers I decided to buy a car!
“I bought a Venturi and started racing cars. It started as racing for fun, I did that for two years and even raced in the Suzuka 1000km with the Venturi LM600 GT1 car.”
The Brussels-based driver has since gone on to race in GT1, GT3 and GT4 categories with SRO, starting with the BPR Global Endurance Series with a Porsche 964 Carrera 2.
De Doncker was also part of the Matech and Marc VDS Ford GT project towards the end of the noughties.
After a sojourn in LMP3 in the Michelin Le Mans Cup Eric returned to GT racing with the AMG GT2.
“My plan was to do the ELMS but I didn’t get my entry in on time, so instead I called my friend Stéphane.”
“I had my eye on GT2 for a while, and realised that I was turning 62. As it’s difficult racing against young drivers I thought GT2 would be a perfect match for people like myself. I got details of new cars including the GT2 Mercedes, and the next thing I know I decide to buy it.
“In a prototype it’s very precise and you avoid kerbs, but in a GT2 you go all over them which is great. I think it will be a nice ambience and I look forward to it.”
De Doncker’s career has spanned many forms and categories of motorsport across the years. From claiming podium finishes at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa to racing at the prestigious Circuit de la Sarthe and Le Mans.
“It was all racing for fun early on, but then later I set up my own team in 1998 to compete in the Belgian Championship,” adds De Doncker. “Then we bought a Viper GT1 and as a private team we finished third in the Spa 24 Hours. That was the first time with GT cars at Spa, so that was a fantastic race.
“I stopped racing again; then in 2006, a friend of Stéphane and myself called me and said ‘we are building a GT4 championship’. At the time I was racing an AC Cobra in historics for fun, and he said ‘I know you love American cars. There is a Mustang racing in the USA and it would be fantastic for GT4’. It looked beautiful and was competitive, so I contacted my friend in the USA, I bought two Mustang GT4s and started a racing team again.
“With the Mustang I won the GT4 European Championship in 2007 and again in 2008. I raced in the Ford GT with Matech and then proposed myself to the Marc VDS team to do the Spa 24 Hours with the GT1, which was successful.
“I went back to historic racing and bought a Lola T70 and won at Spa, raced at Le Mans and bought a Spice and won the Group C Championship in 2016 which was fantastic – I won alongside the Le Mans race in that car.”
Trying to pick an iconic car from his list is one that proves tricky for the man behind the wheel of them all, admitting: “It’s difficult because I have raced so many beautiful cars. I loved the Mustang GT4 because that was my comeback to racing and we were successful, and the Viper was also a fantastic car. I love racing and the adrenaline. It’s a passion, and I like to be on track and in the paddock.
Photo credits: SRO, (the very much still alive) John Brooks, Peter May
