Season 2023 has come to an end: the winners have been celebrated, and the cars are awaiting their extensive maintenance to get them ready for the next season. Over twenty years have passed since Bas Koeten Racing’s very first race. Can we once again look back on a memorable year? Absolutely!
In the past months, events such as the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux, Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup, Supercar Challenge, and 24h Series filled the calendar. The DeLorean drift car was also unveiled during the Formula 1 weekend at Zandvoort, and the team guided several Dutch juniors during the inaugural season of NXT Gen Cup, the first 100% electric touring car championship.
‘The Greatest Reward’
Bas Koeten: ‘We are immensely proud of the team’s achievements. The drive to perform is strong, and both drivers and crew work hard. A race weekend is intensive, but ending it with podium finishes, trophies, and champagne is the greatest reward. And that was very successful this past season!’
The BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux concluded with the highest podium for Sen Roodenburg and Gianni van de Craats, Dante and Jop Rappange, and Dirk Warmerdam on the second step, and the trio of Senna van Soelen, Mark van der Aa, and Leyton Fourie in position 3. For Bas Koeten Racing, it marked the third consecutive championship title for BMW M2s! Esmee Kosterman closed the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup with an overall victory in the last race of the season, securing the championship at P3 overall. Stefan Barewijk finished 7th in the final standings and P2 in the Gold Cup.
In the Supercar Challenge, Bas Barenbrug finished in the Porsche Cayman in 3rd place in Supersport division 2, and Laurens de Wit secured a championship title in the Audi TCR in Supersport division 1!
Steep Learning Curve in a Dynamic Environment
‘Talent development is one of the core values within our team, and in every championship we participate in, we provide all opportunities for it. Pupils we guided in the Ford Fiestas, and some later in the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux, excel for this reason. In the Supercar Challenge, we collaborate with students from Technova College Racing. The NXT Gen Cup has only junior participants,’ Bas adds.
Not only do drivers get the space to grow, but participation in this variety of championships also provides technicians with room for development. Jelle Koeten: ‘The mechanics work in pairs: one experienced mechanic alongside one who is still learning the ropes. In practice, this means a steep but very challenging learning curve in a dynamic environment. Additionally, we find it important for the crew to check each other’s work to minimize error margins. This way, we not only help the drivers but also the technicians of the future to lay a foundation for the rest of their working lives.’
Finally, looking ahead to the upcoming season: our participation in the 24h Dubai in January 2024 was announced last week. Two Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars are already on their way to the port in the United Arab Emirates. Jelle: ‘In the 2023 season, we didn’t participate in as many endurance races as we would have liked. In 2024, we’re making a strong push for it again, and the participation with the Porsches in the 24h Dubai is the starting shot for that.’