For several years, many fans considered the VdeV Championship as being dedicated exclusively to French teams, French tracks and entry-level endurance prototypes.
Twenty four years after it was created, the VdeV Championship made a significant shift by offering endurance fans an unprecedented battle of two dominant prototype constructors: Ginetta and Onroak/Ligier.
DSC met Eric Van De Vyver, manager and the founder of the VdeV championship. He shared with us his views about the future of his series.
Eric, are you happy with this season’s attendance at the VdeV Championship?
“We have a reputation for being a series in which things are done properly, at affordable costs and in a good atmosphere. This has probably contributed to our having 20 to 30% more competitors this year. Now if your question is about the public, then it is difficult to answer, as it really depends on the track.
“Take Motorland Aragon, for example. It’s such a great track, but you are literally in the desert, far away from a major airport. So in that case, it is hard to develop a substantial crowd. Of course, on other tracks, it can be easier, especially if money is spent promoting the event.”
The French GT tour collapsed this year after trying to mix LMP3 and GT cars. That mix seems to work fairly well for the VdeV Championship. Why do you think that is?
“There’s nothing new about mixing GTs and prototypes. Several years ago, we were mixing GTs and CN prototypes. When we started having too many cars, we went for two split races instead of one: GTs on one hand and CNs on the other. But then the prices of GTs increased and that paved the way for the arrival of affordable cars such as the LMP3s.
“Mixing them again was normal. We just made sure they each had their separate categories and prizes, like you see at Le Mans or in the ELMS.”
You actually went further by introducing Ginettas into the mix…
“That’s true, but we introduced technical regulations that would cap the power of the Chevrolet [Ginetta’s engine]. Having Tomlinson and his Ginetta lap five seconds faster than any other LMP3 car is not sustainable. We do this in the interest of the other contenders. It is also a means of attracting more constructors in the PFV or the LMP3 category.”
Could Norbert Santos and Norma be one of them?
“Norbert has made quite a mark on this series. I don’t want to preempt his decision, but we should hopefully see his LMP3 at Estoril.”
There was a lot of controversy about the robustness of technical scrutineering in the VdeV championship this season. Have you been able to restore trust in that respect?
“The allegation of weak technical scrutineering started with a rumor launched by ill-intended people. I had to calm things down after Le Mans by reassessing the performance of the PFV and LMP3 cars. The gap we measured was the one we expected to see. We communicated with the teams accordingly.
“Again, if we see a technical anomaly, we address it. We won’t hesitate to disqualify a car if we deem it necessary. What we might need to do in the future is to maybe be more transparent about what we do.”
Let’s talk about 2017. European fans would love to have VdeV races broadcast live. Is this something they can count on in the future?
“We had livestream broadcast last year, but it wasn’t great. My goal is to have a good provider next year, but that, of course, is if I can get the proper funding for it. I’m working hard on it, and I hope the tracks can help us in that respect.
There are many LMP2 cars racing in the ELMS and the WEC championships today. They will soon be deemed obsolete, as new regulations are introduced. Will you let these older prototypes run in your championship next year?
“Introducing LMP2 cars is definitely on my mind, but letting them in could also have significant implications that can’t be underestimated. The PFV and LMP3 cars are currently the queens of the series. If we introduce LMP2 cars next year, they could lose their status and leave us.
“Furthermore, our championship has to remain affordable. Obsolete or not, running an LMP2 car is not cheap. These are the kinds of things we need to balance and the kinds of questions we need to answer before moving forward.”
Have you considered letting GT4s in next year as well?
Of course, we are interested. They are affordable cars. If we could get at least five or six of them, then I could have a dedicated category.
“I’m also trying to bring in more Porsche cup cars. There was a time when we could have as many as twenty. That is another option I’m working on.”
