In this new article, we will tell you about the 2019 24 Hours of Zolder, a very famous endurance race in Belgium. We will follow the 24 Hours of Zolder from a very special point of view, the one of a Belgian gentleman driver named Erik Vandervreken.

Erik, who has always been passionate about cars and racing, has many years of experience on circuits and does his best to use every minute of his free time to improve his driving and have fun on circuits in Belgium and along Europe. The car he will drive in the 24 hours of Zolder is a BMW 3 Series of the Van Der Horst team.

The race weekend begins with free practices, an essential opportunity to refine the car set-up in view of qualifying and race. It was also a great opportunity for us to admire the other cars competing in the higher classes.

After a not very exciting qualifying, the concentration of the whole team is on the race, ready to reach the podium. Saturday begins with the autograph session. In the paddock, all fans comes for an autograph or a picture which is never denied.

After lunch, preparations are made for the start of the 24 Hours of Zolder. The starting grid begins to fill up with guests, pilots, engineers and mechanics during a very warm day.

We leave Erik smiling with his crew as we walk towards the first corner from where we will shoot the start of the race. As we walk away, we are even more impressed by the consistent number of people crowding the starting grid.

After the warm-up lap, it’s time for the start of the race. The cars of the most powerful classes pass the starting line and the the 24-hour countdown begins. It will be a difficult race for Erik and his crew, there are many positions to take but time is on their side.

The first 24 Hours of Zolder was staged in 1983 and was held every year except 1988. In 1989 a GT car won for the first time and the following year the race joined the BBL Cup calendar, which it became the Carglass Cup in 1992. The 24 Hours of Zolder joined the Belcar championship in 1997, continuing to be the series’ annual endurance event.

The Belgian Racing Car Championship (Belcar Endurance Championship or Belgian GT Championship) is a national car racing championship mainly held in Belgium. Since the 2007 season, the series has been run in three classes. The top class is reserved for cars complying with international GT3 regulations, similar to those of the FIA GT3 European Championship. Division 2 is the “Belcar Promotion” class, for cars of the one-make “Cup” series and for international GT4 cars. Division 3 is for “Belcar Specials”, a reserve class from previous years. Typical race lengths for the championship are 2 hours; however, the 24 Hours of Zolder is included in the championship, with points awarded for 6, 12 and 24 hours.

Returning to the race, the evening is approaching and the circuit offers us some nice views.

We are approaching the box, the BMW 3 Series of the Van Der Host team will shortly enter for a pit stop and Erik will get on board for his driving slot.

After having found the necessary concentration, here comes the car for the refueling. Once the driver has been replaced, it’s time to change tyres.

After sunset, Erik will have to face the arrival of the night.

On the stands and alongside the circuit, during the race, fans enjoy music and a few beers while admiring the show on the track.

Darkness arrives, a certainly challenging moment for various drivers involved in the race. In fact, anything can happen during the night.

For us it is a nice opportunity for some interesting photos.

After some rest, but not for the drivers, we return to the track in broad daylight. The race is nearing its end and unfortunately Erik and his crew don’t seem to succeed in their pursuit to the podium, due to some technical problems with their car.

On Sunday afternoon, the race ends with the checkered flag. The 24 Hours of Zolder gave us emotions on and off the track thanks to the various activities in the paddock and in the stands.

Erik’s BMW 3 Series shows the marks of the “battle” after 24 hours of racing. For the Van Der Horst team it was a good experience to improve and return to the next edition ready to achieve the podium.

 

Bonus images: