National Hotrods at Raceway Venray: Dreschel with a perfect season opener
Lars Dreschel has won four races at the start of the National Hotrods track championship at Raceway Venray – The German was unbeatable last Sunday
Whoever wins all the races at the National Hotrods season opener must have big plans: Last Sunday, Lars Dreschel crossed the finish line in first place in all four rounds of the popular touring car championship at Raceway Venray, thus securing victory in the race day’s standings in his Opel Corsa. For the track championship, the German secured 70 points.
In the first race of the season opener at Venray in the Netherlands, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dreschel managed to cross the finish line 1.618 seconds ahead of Hotrods legend John van den Bosch. The first start had to be cancelled because three drivers at the top of the field didn’t start probably at the standing start. At the second attempt, Dreschel started the race from fifth place.
Within two laps, the Corsa driver passed two of his rivals and get into second place. Then the hunt for Patrick Bruckschlegel at the front began, while van den Bosch drove up to third place behind him. Both Dreschel and the Dutchman passed Bruckschlegel, who ultimately finished third. Pieter van Logten and Niek Damstra completed the top 5 behind them.
Dreschel managed to cross the finish line as the winner in the second race with an even larger lead. This time he beat Damstra, who crossed the finish line 2.990 seconds behind the German. Thorsten Arens, who lost his second place in the final stage, completed the podium ahead of Reimon Bos and Christian Simon. Jeroen Kurvers and Marcus Storb followed in sixth and seventh place.
Van Logten and Leon van de Kevie, who crashed into the inner wall after a contact on the start-finish straight, did not make it to the finish. After a long break due to clean-up work, Dreschel made it through the midfield to the top to secure his second consecutive victory.
At the top, the third race was a reflection of the first heat: Again, Dreschel won ahead of van den Bosch, who this time crossed the finish line 1.241 seconds behind the dominating German. Arens was third ahead of Damstra, Bos and Hotrods returnee Huub Litjens. Simon, Bruckschlegel, Kurvers and Storb completed the top 10 of the 15 car large grid.
In the final, Dreschel once again ignited the turbo to finish 4.225 seconds ahead of Bos. The Dutchman in second place had his hands full trying to keep van den Bosch, who ultimately finished third, behind him. Damstra and Arens rounded off the top 5 ahead of Bruckschlegel. Litjens finished seventh ahead of Storb, Klaus Buschler and Kurvers.
After the dominant races of Dreschel, the points were given in following order: The German scored 70 points for the National Hotrods track championship at Raceway Venray as there were no points for the NHRRG Cup and the Dutch Championship.
Damstra finished second with 58 points, while Bos was ranked third with 56 points. Arens and van den Bosch completed the top 5, Bruckschlegel and Storb finished sixth and seventh. Litjens, Buschler and Kurvers completed the top 10.
