Maastricht, 15 October 2024 - Team RaceArt closed out its return season in Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux with a clean sweep of victories in the Pro-Am category, with drivers Sam Jongejan and Jules Grouwels both finishing runner-up in their respective classes after a hard-fought season.
Five months after the team made its return to Carrera Cup competition at Spa-Francorchamps after a multi-year absence, the championship wrapped up on Belgian soil with the title decider on Circuit Zolder. Racing as part of the support package for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, RaceArt arrived at Zolder still in contention for two championships. Jongejan had a shot at the title in the Rookie class, while Grouwels’ season-long Pro-Am rivalry with Jani Käkelä was set to reach its crescendo at the former Belgian Grand Prix venue.
After a pair of productive Friday Free Practice sessions, in which both RaceArt cars featured at the front of their respective classes, Saturday morning brought the final qualifying session of the season. Jongejan produced a strong second place for the opening race, but when the grid for the second race was decided based on the second-fastest times, he was faced with ninth in class and 15th overall for the deciding race. Grouwels, meanwhile, qualified third for both races.
With Jongejan and Grouwels both coming into the Zolder weekend at a points deficit to their championship rivals, the two RaceArt drivers ideally needed a victory to keep their respective championship battles alive. As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. Another trademark gutsy performance from Jongejan, something he developed something of a reputation for across the season, saw him fight past Rookie polesitter Domas Raudonis and into fifth overall. Grouwels, meanwhile, recovered from a poor start to move into second in class and pressure Käkelä for the class lead. He would eventually complete a pass for the win, with both drivers securing important class victories.
A second straight Pro-Am class victory would follow for Grouwels on Sunday, but with Käkelä following closely in second place, he would only barely miss out on the championship in class.
A similar scenario unfolded in the Rookie category. Despite an elbows-out drive that saw him fight his way up from ninth to fourth in class, it would prove insufficient to prevent Kobe Pauwels from grabbing the championship.
The vice-championships in both classes underline the consistent nature of the season that RaceArt, Jongejan and Grouwels brought to an end at Zolder on Sunday. In total, the team took nine class victories, ten additional podiums and five pole positions. The fact that both Jongejan and Grouwels managed to finish ahead of their respective rivals in the overall championship further proves that both drivers were serious contenders, but lost out on class titles through various circumstances. A crash through no fault of his own for Jongejan at Spa and a pair of setbacks for Grouwels at Imola ultimately proved costly.
Driver comments:
Sam Jongejan
“This weekend was the last weekend of the season where I could put myself on the map. Due to badly timed red flags and a mistake on my part, I couldn't show the real speed in qualifying, so it had to be in the races. On the Zolder circuit it is difficult to overtake, but on both days I was able to show that we had the speed to compete at the front by fighting my way forwards. I want to thank everyone from the team and my sponsors for this season. I am very grateful to everyone for the opportunities I get. Hopefully we will see you next season!’
Jules Grouwels
“I managed to get the maximum out of this weekend with two wins, but not good enough to clinch the Pro-Am championship. Very disappointed after a season we had put a lot of energy into with the team. Now the important thing is to reflect and to start preparing well for next season in the winter.”