Since 2018, the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup has been a significant entry-level class in motorsports. With 140 HP, front-wheel drive, slick tires, data, video, and setup, it serves as a crucial stepping stone for drivers in the world of auto racing. In such classes, drivers lay the foundation for their future careers, moving beyond their initial training, often in karting. Guidance shifts from fathers to teams with their engineers and data crews. This weekend, the importance of this progression was evident at Circuit Zandvoort when the Porsche Supercup took place as part of the Formula 1 support program.
The 2018 Fiesta champion, Loek Hartog, joined our team in 2019 for his first year in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, followed by winning the title in 2020. Loek then progressed to the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and later to the Porsche Supercup. It’s no easy task to gather the budget as a teenager, but as a twenty-something, he stood on Pole Position at his home circuit this past Sunday in the most prestigious brand cup in the world. Before the race, we met in the Porsche paddock – a firm hug, a pep talk, a sincere exchange of feelings. An hour later, he clinched victory with the championship leader on his tail.
Goosebumps and teary eyes
It might seem like a parade, but nothing could be further from the truth. Cup racing at its finest, with every mistake being punished. Like Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup (and Mazda MX5 Cup and BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux) organizer Dick van Elk, we followed every second of the Porsche Supercup races at Zandvoort. On the edge of our seats in the stands along the straight, with a view of a big screen, genuinely nervous for our Loekie. And there he crossed the finish line in P1. His screams over the radio were broadcast live, giving us goosebumps and teary eyes. That’s how proud we are of the pupils who have passed through our school.
Loek is not alone in this. Other pupils we guided in the Ford Fiestas have also achieved great success. Jop Rappange competes in GT World Challenge (GT3), his younger brother Dante in GT4 European Series, Daan Pijl in GT3s in various championships, Colin Caresani in GT3 on the Nordschleife. Maxime Oosten, from the Mazda MX5 Cup, raced with us in a guest appearance in the Porsche Supercup at Spa in 2020, became a double BMW M2 champion in 2022, and now races in ADAC GT4 with a BMW M4 GT4. We still maintain good contact with these drivers. On and off the tracks, during and between events. We continue to learn from each other, and the mutual respect is significant.
Achieving success together
Our current lineup in the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux and Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup also enjoys talent status from the KNAF. Senna van Soelen, Gianni van de Craats, Sen Roodenburg, and Esmee Kosterman are now being prepared by us for their next steps. We derive a lot of satisfaction from guiding young, ambitious drivers in entry and progression classes. Achieving success together is the most beautiful thing. We are especially proud when they land in good positions and continue to score, like last Sunday when Loek won at Zandvoort. Especially when they themselves admit that they still have a bit of Koeten blood in them. 😉
