Historic GP Zandvoort 2023: Masters GT Trophy

The Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo driver chased local hero Cor Euser’s Marcos LM600evo early on but turned the tables at the stops to win by 16 seconds.

“I’ve known Cor for many years now”, said Wilkins about his enjoyable fight with Euser. “He’s a quick guy and a very straight racer. You know, it’s great to just follow Cor in his tracks as he races in his back garden… Not my first time here, actually, I used to race a Dodge Viper in the Supercar Challenge here many times.”

Craig Davies came through to take a distant third in another Lambo Super Trofeo, helped by the Neil Glover/Aaron Scott challenge failing to materialise, as their Super Trofeo Evo was marred by a wheel issue during Scott’s stint.

“I like it!” said Davies about the Lamborghini experience. “It suits me, and it’s bloody fast. And this track is just epic, really…”

Pascal Goehen’s Chevrolet Corvette C6 took fourth ahead of Armand Adriaans’ BMW M3 GT4 and Michiel Campagne’s Ford Mustang FR500C, with Philippe Raffin’s Ferrari 430 Challenge coming home in seventh. André Hartl’s Porsche 997.2 Cup was fourth in the opening half of the race but the Porsche was forced to retire on lap 11.

“There’s no power steering on this car”, said Campagne, “so it was hard work, actually, especially in the slower corners. We’ll try again tomorrow, and then I have Allard Kalff to support me.”

Closing the curtains on the Friday of the Historic Grand Prix, while the sun was still out in full force, the Masters GT Trophy cars blasted towards the first corner, not with Neil Glover on the pole spot earned by Aaron Scott as their Lamborghini was docked four grid spots for speeding in the pitlane during the morning’s qualifying session. This meant that Craig Wilkins in the other Huracán Super Trofeo Evo led into the first corner chased by the guesting Cor Euser in the lairy Marcos LM600evo.

First time around, however, Euser was in the lead ahead of the Lambo, with Craig Davies third in the non-Evo Super Trofeo, as Neil Glover had moved up to fourth by passing André Hartl’s Porsche 997.2 Cup. Sixth was Michiel Campagne in the leading GT4 car, his Ford Mustang FR500C keeping ahead of countryman Armand Adriaans’ BMW M3 GT4, but soon Adriaans was passed by Frenchman Pascal Goehen in the Corvette C6, with another Frenchman next up – Philippe Raffin in the Ferrari 430 Challenge.

At the front, the fight between Euser and Wilkins continued, the two split by less than a second, but Davies wasn’t far off either, just 2.7 seconds in arrears with three laps done. The gap to Glover was up to 14 seconds, but Glover now held an 11-second lead over Hartl. By now, Campagne trailed by a long way but the Dutchman had four seconds in hand over the fight between Goehen and Adriaans.

After five laps, that same one second was still covering the space between Euser’s thundering Marcos and Wilkins’ in the screaming Huracán, but going into lap 6, Wilkins was the first to come in to hand Davies and Glover second and third for now. Further back, Goehen had finally caught Campagne to spark off a duel for sixth place, with Adriaans now a further nine seconds adrift.

As Wilkins resumed in fifth behind Hartl’s Porsche, the rest elected to stay out, until on lap 8, Davies was in for his mandatory stop. Next in was Glover handing over to Aaron Scott, and the leader followed him in on lap 10, along with Campagne and Adriaans taking their stop at almost the final opportunity, and Hartl taking the chance before the window would close again. His elite-driver penalty effected at the stops, Scott fed back in sixth overall, but instead of making progress, the Lambo was soon back into the pits, and only reappeared down in seventh place.

At the front, strong mid-race pace had Wilkins claim the lead from Euser, as the Lamborghini began to push out fastest laps of the race. The Dutchman had lost 13 seconds on Wilkins but now also found fresh pace, as the pair drove away from Davies in third. Goehen was fourth after failing to make his pitstop, but was still a minute down on Davies. By not stopping the Frenchman led leading Raffin (another one to pass on his mandatory stop) and the recovering Scott, while Adriaans had passed Campagne to be seventh. Hartl’s was back into the pits and seemingly unable to venture back out. Soon, he was followed by Scott yet again returning to the pits, as a wheel issue continued to hamper the Lambo.

As the race neared its finish, Wilkins powered through to claim yet another Masters GT Trophy win ahead of Euser and Davies. Goehen took fourth ahead of Adriaans, Campagne and Raffin. Both Goehen and Raffin were docked a lap for their refusal to pit but in the end it failed to make a difference, Goehen finishing in the same lap as Adriaans and Campagne but still with a second in hand over the two Dutchmen.

Zandvoort’s second Masters GT Trophy race by over a lap, as Craig Wilkins’ challenge evaporated when the driveshaft of his Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo failed right after his mandatory pitstop.

Wilkins’ demise allowed Ron Maydon up to second to grab the full points on offer, his Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo trailed home by Pascal Goehen’s Chevrolet Corvette C6.

“Extremely lucky doesn’t even come close, but every dog has its day…” said Maydon about taking the official win behind the invitational Marcos. “I’m starting to like the Lambo now, it’s very fast and very easy to drive.”

From a pitlane start, André Hartl’s Porsche 997.2 Cup took fourth to claim Cup class honours while a troubled Neil Glover/Aaron Scott recovered to fifth in a Super Trofeo Evo that needed two additional stops. Armand Adriaans in the BMW M3 GT4 and Philippe Raffin in the Ferrari 430 Challenge were up next.

“Neil felt a vibration”, said Scott about Glover coming in during his stint. “Better safe than sorry, but in the end the car proved alright!”

Right on the back of their Friday late-afternoon curtain closer, the Masters GT Trophy cars were ready for their second race of the weekend that would kick off the Saturday of the three-day Historic Grand Prix meeting. Race 1 winner Craig Wilkins lined up on pole with Cor Euser’s mighty Marcos right besides him while after their mishap on the previous day, the Neil Glover/Aaron Scott was right at the back, with André Hartl’s Porsche 997.2 Cup and Philippe Raffin’s Ferrari 430 Challenge starting from the pits.

Into the opening lap, Euser stormed past Wilkins to grab an early lead as Maydon – driving solo having taken over the Huracán Super Trofeo from Craig Davies – was third from Pascal Goehen’s Chevrolet Corvette C6 while Neil Glover had already charged past the GT4 cars of Allard Kalff, opening for Michiel Campagne in the Ford Mustang FR500C, and Armand Adriaans, in the BMW M3 GT4. Soon, Glover was into the pits, though, the troubles with the Super Trofeo Evo continuing. This allowed Kalff and Adriaans to regain their places, with the BMW now under increasing pressure from Hartl’s Porsche.

Euser continued to lead Wilkins by some eight tenths into lap 4. Further back, Hartl had now indeed jumped Adriaans, but the Dutchman still handsomely led Raffin in the Ferrari Challenge.

Towards the pit window, affairs remained static until Wilkins was the first to blink as he once again started the string of mandatory stops. This time, he was followed in at once by Goehen, Hartl and Kalff handing over to Campagne, with Euser coming in on the very next lap, creating a very busy pitlane. For now, Maydon continued, as did Adriaans and Raffin towards the rear. Meanwhile, Glover having exited the pits to rejoin was back in, this time to hand over to Scott, but two laps down.

Despite having been the first one in, Wilkins was close to the last one out, heading back onto the track in eighth place, as Maydon and Raffin came in to do their stops, followed by Adriaans at the last possible moment. Wilkins failed to reach far, however, as his Lambo ground to a halt at pit exit with a broken driveshaft, his race over after “the best ten minutes of racing he’s ever had”! This allowed Euser into a comfortable lead of over a minute to Maydon, with Goehen now third ahead of Hartl and Adriaans. Another driver in trouble, Campagne returned his Mustang FR500C to the pits with back axle issues.

With some four minutes left on the clock, Maydon was under investigation for speeding in the pitlane but wasn’t posing a threat to Euser anyway, as the Dutchman continued to rule imperiously at the front, now having lapped the chasing Lambo as it lost time with a moment on lap 14. Behind Goehen and Hartl, Scott had put on a valiant charge to pass Raffin and Adriaans, moving up into fifth.

At the line, Euser triumphed by a full lap over Maydon, with Goehen a further minute behind. Hartl won the Cup class in fourth while Glover/Scott recovered to fifth ahead of Adriaans and Raffin.