2009 EEC IS AN IMCA EVENT UNDER CONTROL OF R. VAN CAPENHOUT. QUESTIONS? SURF TO EEC FORUM

The European Endurance Championship was already scheduled in 1985, but for model cars it was only organised for the first time in 2006. All those years only the European Sprint Championship (IMCA EuroNats) was organised. In 2006 Achim Zanders (D) insisted to organise a first edition at his brand new Spa Francorchamps track in Ubach-Palenberg. There came 29 racers and 10 cars at the start: all 2006 FIA GT cars. In 2007 was organised for the second time, again on the same track which was been sold to the owner of the Titanic Bowling in Alsdorf. Now 13 cars showed with 43 racers. It were again FIA GT cars and just as in 2006 the extra large Maserati MC12 won. In 2008 it was decided to organise the EEC over three rounds instead of one: the 12 hours of Oslo, the 12 hours of Merlijn and the 12 hours of Alsdorf. Co-ordinator was now Tamar Nelwan (NL). The series remained restricted to actual FIA GT cars, but Tamar introduced his famous "weight calculator" to make the cars equally competitive. There were lots of critics against this weight calculator because it was not based upon the scientific laws of physics, but rather on a pure heuristic approach which failed to work. The two first rounds were again won by the extra large Maserati MC12, but as GT2 and GT1 cars were put on the same level, a Ferrari F430 GT2 of Kai Kivekäs/Henri Eskman collected over the two first rounds one point more than the Maserati MC12 of Michael Niemas. At the last round Sebastian Nockemann/Jan Uhlig/Ralph Seif caused a stir by beating the whole field with a Corvette CR-6 having been assembled less than one week before the start. As Niemas failed to win his class, and Kivekäs/Eskman won again their GT2 class, the Finnish racers won the championship.
For the fourth edition in 2009 it was decided to drive no longer FIA GT cars, being too unequal to ensure a fair competition. Plans were to drive LMS cars which could be used also at the Toronto Worlds, but as Toronto organiser Mark Campbell (CDN) insisted to race ALMS cars, and as Nick de Wachter (NL) was found ready to make the missing models such as the Porsche RS Spyder, the Lola B06/10 AER (and B07/46) and the Acura ARX 01-B, it was decided to organise the 4th EEC with actual ALMS cars. Co-ordinator of the 2009 series is Raymond van Campenhout (B), who, from 1998 to 2004, organised the European Endurance Championship for G12 scale cars. Number of events has been restricted to three: Herentals, Oslo and Alsdorf, but number of rounds has been increased to five, with three rounds at Herentals and one at Oslo and Alsdorf.
A major innovation of the EEC is that the technical rules are much more liberal than in the days of the FIA GT cars. The ALMS became a free class where there is enough room for innovation. New too is that the races start on Saturday 2 pm and are finished at Sunday noon, so that no racer has to be in place already at Friday and that all entrants can be home at Sunday evening.

The best innovation, however, has been the introduction of the Citation Cup for amateurs. As soon as the prototypes have finished their racing at Sunday noon, the amateurs - driving ALMS GT cars under simple rules - start their competition. Here there are four rounds instead of five: three at Herentals and two at Alsdorf. At Herentals 8 GT cars come at the start, at Alsdorf 12.
Race director will probably be Theo Vanginderhuysen (B), assisted by Raymond van Campenhout. To be sure tat technical scrutinizing will be done at the highest standards it seems indicated that such racers as e.g. Michael Niemas, Ralph Seif, Nick de Wachter and Javier Checa will be allowed to control all other cars than their own.
Already 75 racers subscribed for the 2009 EEC/Citation Cup. There is still room for 3 or 4 extra racers:  a team mate for Tom Solberg in Oslo and a complete team of 2 or 3 racers for the #34 Merksteijn Racing Porsche RS Spider in Oslo. Should someone be interested to take one of those free places he or she can use the entry form to subscribe.
Entry field for the 2009 edition is stronger than ever before. Times that a hard drinker - as in 2006 - can still win are definitively over. Of the 18 teams involved in the 2009 EEC 4 are coming from Germany, 4 from Norway, 2 from Denmark, 2 from Belgium, 2 from Holland, 1 from Spain, 1 from Switzerland, 1 from Luxembourg and 1 from Nigeria. No less than 11 former or actual world champions come at the start.
Entry field at the Citation Cup is restricted to 6 teams from Belgium, 2 from Holland, 2 from Germany, 1 for Finland (with 9 cars at the three Herentals rounds there will be a sit-out) and 1 from Spain. Here the team of Tamar Nelwan can score no points as Tamar is no longer an amateur. The winning team at the Citation Cup receives a wild card for the 2009Toronto Worlds and a free plane ticket to Toronto.
There can be no practice on Friday evening in order to prevent that some racers, having booked a plane ticket for Friday, can take any unfair advantage by doing so. Organisers of the three events are asked to respect this instruction.
First event goes at Herentals (B) on the 42 metre wooden MTT 8-laner on January 17-18, 2009. Second event goes in Oslo (N) on the 32 metre wooden 6-laner of Badet Raceway on March 28-29, 2009. Third and last event goes on the Spa-Francorchamps wooden 6-laner of the Titanic Bowling at Alsdorf on May 2-3, 2009. At Herentals crocodile connection of the hand controller is necessary. In Oslo and at Alsdorf banana plugs are used as connection. All other practical information can be found on IMCA's web site and on the EEC web site of Raymond. [JPVR]

EEC 2009 PREVIEW

It's not easy to predict who can win the 2009 EEC. Four teams seem to be the main favourites: the Audi R10 of Michael Niemas/Philipp Kremer/ Christof Kremer, the Penske Porsches RS Spyder of Alexander Ortmann/ Christian Schnitzler and Ralph Seif/"Piki" van Rossem and the Acura ARX 01B of Nick de Wachter/Ramon Trimborn/Andre Linberg. Especially Nick de Wachter is branded to beat the German top teams. Initially he hoped that Andreas Laufenberg could be his team mate, but as the German is unable to do the complete series, he opted for two German youngsters believed to be very fast. Among the direct outsiders we see the Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP of Fola Osu and the Dyson Racing Porsche of Børge Haug/Glenn Wenner-berg. We have seen the Peugeot 908 in action on the MTT track and the car has an excellent road holding with a fabulous speed on the straight. One step lower the Dyson Racing Porsche RS Spyder of Arthur de Kok/ Hugo Dekker/Desmond Dekker, the Swiss Acura ARX 01B of  Gabe Inäbnit and the Belgian Lola B06/10 AER of Kristof Huys/Björn van Campenhout/Pat Blondiau are certainly in for a podium place, just as the other Audi R10 of Günther Riehl/Patrick Brau/Frank Schuler. And then there is also the Merksteijn Racing Porsche RS Spyder of Mike Wagner who caused a stir at the 2007 Worlds by qualifying for the main final (unfortunately with a ground clearance being a fraction of a millimetre too low). Wagner and the Dekkers (plane fear!) will not show in Oslo, which can cost them a fine place in the final ranking.
It's a pity that Javier Checa cannot start with his sons as team mate: in 2008 they were the two highest new comers on the IOC list. There is this year a strong team from Denmark with Morten Iversen/Gorm Nørgaard/ Søren Thomsen. Let's hope that they can put Denmark on a higher place in the nations ranking. Quite dangerous could be the Dutch team of Marcel Oosterling/Henri van Gool/Emily Kuipers, despite the fact that Van Gool and Kuipers were nearly not seen in international competition in 2008. All other teams are rather fighting for a top-10 place with the team of Rolf K. Andersen (having made big progress)/Roy Bråten/Peter Krogstie as direct opponent for the Acura of Gert Klinge/Dirk Baele/Rudi Munten. Curious also to see who of Pål Hanson/Mark Sander/Jorn Birkebæk and Martin Sørlie/Glenn Dresberg - both absent at the first meeting at Herentals - will be the best. Last but not least we note that the 2008 EEC champions, Kai Kivekäs/Henri Eskman don't defend their title this year for reasons we don't know.

CITATION CUP 2009 PREVIEW

At the Citation Cup Holland's Remco van Waaij is the defending champion. Initially he was expected to do the EEC with Gert Klinge's team, but he wishes to avoid the deception he had with Klinge's car at the Merlijn 12 hours and the Endurance World Championship. In the Citation Cup he has Dirk Baele - the revelation of the 2008 IMCA Worlds - as team mate. For the EEC he could perhaps try to join the Peugeot 908 of Fola Osu should Marc Kurella not confirm his entry on Fola's side. At any rate Van Waaij is the main favourite to win the Citation Cup for the second time. Who are his most dangerous opponents?
We believe that it will be Bart Gijsen/Quinten Vanspauwen. At the Toblerone 12 hours the young Quinten gave full evidence of the progress he made, whilst Bart assembles always very reliable cars. They thus are a serious opponent to Van Waaij/Baele. Dangerous too must be Patrick Blondiau/Raymond Kuhn and Louise Valkenborgh/Stany Trebulak. At the 2008 IMCA Nats Valkenborgh gave full evidence that she's a much better racer than generally is believed. She was one of the strongest amateurs and she makes superb cars. Curious to see who can beat her at Concourse. Her Aston Martin DBRS9 will be one of the most beautiful cars on the track.
It's a pity that Chris Bunenberg/Michael van Bernem will only show at Alsdorf, otherwise they could have been serious contenders to win the 2009 Citation Cup.
We have not enough information about the teams of Willy Godts/Marc Ausloos, Fernando Corral/Robert Massart and Mark Huys/Gerry de Roeck to know what are their intrinsic capacities. They certainly can cause a stir at the Citation Cup. Of Stephan Kuhn/Marcel Kuhn we know that young Marcel can go very fast without deslotting. That was seen at the 2008 IMCA Nats. But how reliable will be the car assembled by dad Stefan? Should the car being fully reliable they may be expected to finish high at the final standings of the 2009 Citation Cup.
One team from Sweden which could have been the season's revelation decided at the last minute not to start, due to health problems of the spouse of one of the racers. Their last minute withdrawal gave Kuhn father and son an opportunity to enter the four rounds of the Citation Cup. Antonio Ortega/Albert Ortega from Spain will start only at Alsdorf. Marko Salo-maa/Arttu Salomaa from Finland is a last minute entry and well placed for victory!