Dutch Supercar Challenge: Spa-Francorchamps 12 April 2009

Spa in springtime; the Dutch Supercar Challenge returned with Short odds of more Mosler victories.

Ready to defend his 2008 crown, Mosler UK's Martin Short ran strongly in qualifying to put the factory car first on the grid for Saturday's first race. With a solid season behind him and the learning curve hopefully a little flatter this time around, Berry van Elk ran well and put his Mosler onto fourth spot. The Woodcock brothers returned for another Supercar season, qualifying in sixteenth place. No outing this weekend, though, for Harry Mecke or the KRM car.

Race one saw Short take command from the start with potential non-Mosler rivals falling by the wayside. Both Euser's Marcos and Pastorelli's V8 Star developed mechanical problems; only Peter Versluis in the Corvette Z06 provided any hope of a serious challenge. The lead Mosler proved too strong for the rest of the field, though, Short keeping the factory car out in front to take the season's maiden win. Despite a thirty second penalty for overtaking under yellows, Versluis kept second with Berry making it a Mosler 1-3 as he grabbed third spot on the podium. The Woodcocks finished in eleventh and didn't feature again that weekend.

The second race saw Short start from the front but with a fifteen-second victory penalty to take at the pitstop. Early laps were tight, with the Rudolph Viper harrying Short until the Mosler laid down consistently fast laps to establish the lead. The rest of the competition looked as if it was going to be slim again, with Pastorelli, Versluis and van Elk all dropping off with technical problems and Cor Euser starting the Marcos from the pitlane after his earlier woes.

When Short brought his Mosler in for the mandatory pitstop, he'd established a fifteen second lead. With a fifteen second penalty to take, it looked like the race was primed for action... so Martin was bemused to exit the pits with an extended lead. It seemed that the only pairing with the ability and stomach for the fight was Cor Euser and the Marcos, clawing his way through the field having started last, but even he wasn't going to catch the fast-lapping Mosler.

Short eased off significantly towards the end but still took the chequered flag over eighty seconds in front of Euser.

So, two poles and two wins for the Mosler factory team and another podium for Berry van Elk. Martin Short did say "a win's a win" but I bet he's enjoy stiffer competition when the DSC take their spring break over in the UK at Rockingham in May.

Photos (c) Roel Louwers at www.supercarchallenge.nl

Race highlights (including interview with Martin Short) available on the DSC site