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Marlboro Masters 1998:

Ferrari-Porsche Challenge

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The gentleman-drivers in the Ferrari-Porsche Challenge drove like they were in a demolition derby. Instead of nursing their expensive exotics across the circuit, they pushed them to the limit and then into each other. Normal race rules don't apply to this racing class. Here only the strong survive.... Or the guy with the most money for repairs.

FPC_1.jpg (55362 bytes)Let the circus begin. In one of the first race laps there was this collision which could have turned out to be a massive crash, but luckily the oncoming traffic found their way past the stricken car of Marc van de Brandeler (#64). Cause of the crash was Peter Wirichs (#54), who could continue with light nose damage while Marc van de Brandeler had to be pulled off the track.

FPC_2.jpg (39170 bytes)Here the other drivers pick their way past the number 64 car, outside and inside the corner.
Maybe there was no top-class driving in this race, but it was by far the most spectacular. Every lap someone would retire one way or the other. There were 33 entrants in the race, so the field was big enough.

FPC_3.jpg (42773 bytes)Bert Ploeg was the fastest Dutch contender. He drove in the top three whole race, battling with Miguel Monte and Daniel Schrey in Porsches 935. Don't actually know who won, there were too many things going on on the track for me to notice.
Bert Ploeg had a very special race day. He entered the Dutch Touring Car Championship race as well as the Renault Mégane Trophy race and this Ferrari-Porsche challenge. It's not a record, last year Jan Lammers entered all races of the Marlboro Masters. But Bert drove his own cars while Jan's cars were hired.

FPC_4.jpg (59115 bytes)Impending doom around the corner. Someone has blown his engine, that happened quite a lot during this race. This one is not even the most spectacular. Later in the race, when I ran out of film, a Porsche-engine burst out in flames with a dark smoke column you could see from all over Zandvoort. No mean feat when you take into account that the circuit lies in a hollow and is surrounded by high dunes.

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