The season 2005 is now over and most people tend to look to the future already. But we will, in this short news, look back at 2005 and underline the most remarkable facts and highlights as well as the records set during this season.

During the Euphony 24 hours, the SRT Corvette broke the lap record of 778 laps by 21 laps. The crew won the race in 799 laps, even as the team lost 20 laps after a race incident. With 8 pole-positions in a row over the 2004 and 2005-season, Marc Goossens holds a new record, probably one that will last for a while. Maxime Dumarey is with his 16 years the youngest driver ever in Belcar. During the Spa Euro Race, his 18-year old brother joined him. Together, they were the youngest driver pair ever with 34 years. Maxime is also the youngest driver ever to step on a podium. During the Zolder 24-hour race, father Dumarey joined both his sons and what’s more they finished within the top-3 of the guest class. In 2003, we had another family affair with father, mother and son Geerinckx.

This year, 242 drivers from 8 different countries took at least once the start of a MediaGroup van Dyck Belcar race and 56 different cars finished at least one race. Goossens / Hart won five races, Kuismanen / Vosse took both victories during the Spa 1000K-weekend and Bouvy / Menten took the spoils at Brands-Hatch. Goossens also put his Corvette 5 times on pole-position, while Vosse was fastest with the Viper at the Spa Racing Festival and last but not least Markus Palttala took pole with his PSI-Porsche in the ultimate round at Zolder. With Menten being second fastest in Zolder, we had an all PSI-Porsche front row during the Belcar Masters, something not seen for many years. In GTB, Penders and Lamot won 7 out of 8 races, only the first race of the Spa 1000K-weekend was lost; it went to Thiers / Thiers. The GTB-champions also took 4 pole positions. Palttala, Thiers and Leinders (Markant) were the other pole-sitters in GTB.

Penders / Lamot were also strong contenders for the overall championship. But regularity combined with good speed was always a high trump in Belcar (and other endurance championships). In 2000, AD Sport won the championship even if GLPK won 6 out of 8 races. In 2001, the Beliën Z3, entered in GTB, was in competition for the overall title till the last chequered flag after a very regular season and in 2002 GLPK won 2 out of 7 races and beat Hezemans / Hart even if the latter won the remaining 5 races.

In Tourism, we had 7 different winners in 8 races: Van de Velde / Ickx, Van Delm / Neyens, Muytjens / Josten, Severich / Steinberg (2x), Beliën / Cuyvers, Kenis / Smets and Cox / Barrow. In TA, Beliën / Jakobs won 4 times, Severich / Steinberg twice and Kenis / Smets and Van Delm / Neyens both once. In TB, Haschke / Muytjens / Josten were most successful with 4 victories, Moore / Cox / Barrow took two spoils and Velde/Ickx and Broodcooren/De Coster each one. Severich / Steinberg were 6 times quickest in qualifying in TA while Moore / Cox / Barrow and Van de Velde/Ickx both took 3 poles in TB. Tourism had a difficult year and especially TA while GTB on the other hand was very popular.

Concerning the Media Group van Dyck Belcar championship, we would like to list the drivers awaited in Ghent on the 9th of December to receive their trophies: Division GT: Goossens/Hart (259), Penders/Lamot (257,5), Kuismanen/Vosse (231). Class GTA: Goossens/Hart (133), Kuismanen/Vosse (122), Menten/Bouvy (100,5). Class GTB: Penders/Lamot (156,5), Qvick/Geoffroy (95,5), Van Rompuy/Van Loo (81,5). Division Tourism: Beliën/Jakobs: (238), Haschke/Josten/Muytjens (216), Broodcooren/De Coster (177,5). Class TA: Beliën/Jakobs 127,5, Beckers/Cassiers (93,5), Carlier (50). Class TB: Josten/ Haschke/Muytjens (116), Broodcooren/De Coster (102), Dehoen/Essers (91). Division Silhouette: Van Bellingen/Werckx (120), Lippens/Moonens/Leyssens (76,5). Welcome Challenge: Josten (234), Essers (167,5), Van Loo (129). Philip Verellen Junior Challenge: Van Loo (64), Muytjens (54) Josten (45,5). Ladies Challenge: Alexandra Van de Velde (49), Kelly Jamers (48), Vanina Ickx (41). And last but not least the Driver Challenge: Marc Goossens (414), David Hart (385), Rudi Penders (367,5).

2006 will be the 10th edition the Mediagroup Van Dyck Belcar championship as a national championship and the first year of the third period of three years.