Stockcar F1 debut at Venray: Wim Peeters satisfied with first wild ride in the V8 monster
Stockcar F2 star Wim Peeters has taken the step into Stockcar F1 – The Dutchman scored solid results at the season opener at Raceway Venray
Wim Peeters has won almost every Stockcar F2 title in his career, making a name for himself not only in the Netherlands but also in the UK. Now the son of Autospeedway legend Willie Peeters has taken the plunge into Stockcar F1. On Easter Monday, the Dutchman celebrated his debut at Venray Raceway but also competed in Stockcar F2.
In the first race, Peeters, who was immediately classified with the strong drivers due to his abilities and therefore had to start from the rear midfield, stormed into the top-5. In a field of 24 drivers, the Dutchman used his bumper purposefully to ultimately finish in fifth place. Roy Maessen won the heat ahead of Andy van t’Veer, Patrick Kleijsen and Dutch Stockcar F1 champion Luke Davidson.
The second heat was almost similar to the first race of the day. Peeters got a good start and fought his way towards the top together with the other red-roofed drivers. After 18 laps he saw the checkered flag again lying in fifth place. The race was won by van t’Veer ahead of Davidson, Levi Pepels and Wesley Schaap.
Peeters was again on track in the third race to confirm his solid results from the previous heats, but a flat tire put a spoke in his wheel. He dragged his about 670-horsepower V8 across the finish line in seventh place. The race was won by Geert-Jan Keijzer, who beat Kleijsen, Davidson, Danny van Wamelen and Maessen.
“It took me some time to get used to the car on the first race day,” Peeters tells ‘Leadlap.net’ about his Stockcar F1 debut at Raceway Venray. “We are happy with the car. Fifth place twice, seventh place once: I’m happy with the results and hopefully we will compete at the ffront again next time.”
Peeters missed the final while the rest of the drivers in the premier class of stock car racing were fighting for important championship points. In the end, it was Davidson who saw the black-white-checkered flag after 20 laps, lying in first place. Behind him were Maessen, van t’Veer, Keijzer and Johan Catsburg.
In the day’s standings, Davidson won with 64 points ahead of Maessen, who collected 59 points. Van t’Veer completed the podium with 52 points ahead of Keijzer and Catsburg, who rounded out the top-5. Peeters finished seventh in the day’s standings behind Rick Lenssen despite missing the final.
