After a first foray into the ranks of the RallyX championship in 2023 at Höljes, Bart Bel couldn’t resist the call of Buxtehude for the final round of the 2024 season. It was an experience the Dutch driver will not soon forget.
‘If the events weren’t so far away from our home base, we wouldn’t hesitate for a second to take part in the entire championship,’ says Bart.
‘Last year, we had already made the trip to Höljes and we were ready to return there in 2024 if the circuit had been able to retain its place on the RallyX championship calendar. This year, we were also planning to add the Danish event at Nysum, which took place at the beginning of August, but unfortunately that event was scheduled for the same weekend as our national championship.”
One thing’s for sure, the BMW M3 driver certainly wasn’t expecting to shine as he did on the Buxtehude circuit.
‘The level of the RallyX championship is very competitive with a lot of drivers relying on very powerful engines, but when you look at my Belgian colleagues Kristof Bex and Yorick Maeyninckx, I think we showed some very good things. What’s certain is that the level of our rivals is much higher than what we’re used to in normal circumstances. It’s a bit of a European Championship atmosphere with different nationalities and very fast drivers so we can’t complain.’
‘To be honest, if we manage to qualify for a final then we’ll be able to say we’ve surpassed our objectives. We’re aiming for the Top 10, so if I manage to reach the final stage, that will have the same value as a victory in my eyes.’
And it has to be said that the Dutchman managed to do much better than his initial objectives. Only 11th in Race 1 at Buxtehude, the BMW driver found a way to win the intermediate classification ahead of Simon Tiger in the second race of the weekend, before taking the second step of the podium between the three-time RallyX champion and his Belgian rival Yorick Maeyninckx.
It’s a performance that should undoubtedly encourage Bart Bel to increase his investment in the RallyX championship next season.
“This paddock reminds me of rallycross as it was practised in the golden days of the European Championship and that’s clearly what I like best. Buxtehude is also a special circuit for me because we regularly compete in the German National Rallycross Championship, so we have a lot of friends here. All in all, I’ve been lucky enough to drive in a really great atmosphere during this last weekend of the season.”