After claiming the first podium of his career on the Montalegre circuit at the end of March, Kevin Daarbak endured a nightmare weekend at the second round in Valkenswaard. Now, the young Danish driver heads to Riga determined to turn the tide.

“Finishing on the podium in Portugal was an incredible feeling, and I was determined to build on that performance in the Netherlands,” Kevin recalls.

“And in fact, things got off to a perfect start in Valkenswaard — I set the fastest time in the opening free practice session and finished second in FP2, just a tenth behind the leader. Everything looked promising, but it all started to unravel in Q1 with battery issues. It got so bad I couldn’t even start the race. I tried to bounce back in Q2, but contact just after the launch forced me to ease off, and then the power steering problems returned in Q3 — and again in the final.”

Daarbak did manage to finish fourth in the final of Sunday’s Race 2, salvaging what he could from the weekend. A third-fastest time in Q3 showed his potential, but overall, his Dutch campaign left more frustration than satisfaction.

“After all the issues on Saturday, we finally found a solution, and it immediately showed in my performance. But in the final, a jump start caused by a handbrake failure derailed everything again. It was frustrating because even after taking the joker lap twice, I was still holding onto third place — until more electronic problems kicked in and the power steering gave out once more. That said, it’s encouraging for the future, because a second podium was clearly within reach. Still, Valkenswaard is definitely a weekend I’d rather forget.”

Now, with renewed determination, Kevin Daarbak is fully focused on reversing the momentum in Riga.

“I don’t even have the words to describe what happened in the Netherlands. Even though things improved a bit in Race 2, luck abandoned me again in the final. So yes, my goal for this weekend in Latvia is crystal clear: I want to finish in the Supercar Lites Top 3.”