After the furious 1971 season, peace broke out in Zandvoort - the greatest worry was the possible closing down of the circuit. Anything over F3 was not allowed on the track anymore; lucky enough, the ETCC could still take part. So, it might be the last season on the dune track.
Let's analyze the Group 2 field on a class-by-class basis.
Over 1300 cc:
Chiotakis exchanged his Alfa Romeo for a Capri RS, a 1971 car built in Cologne. Akersloot kept his Escort with the promise of an International season - but since there was no 2000 cc class anymore he had to compete against the Capri - and the brandnew Alpina BMW coupé. This car was intended to be a leightweight car, but as in a few others in Europe discovered as well, the promised homologation did not take place - so the car was rejected at the first race. After taking on a few pounds, the car returned but it turned out to be a terrrible season for the car, Slotemaker hardly able to take the car under 1.40 min - and even so the car was full of handling problems. Hezemans had brought his old GTAm, but it really was outdated now. Berg returned with his Escort too, finding real form only at the end of the season. But by then, the championship was in the bag yet again for Akersloot, who held the upper hand over the Capri with relative ease - Chiotakis often having tire troubles, and only in top form at the last race with a practice time just under 1.36 min.
1150-1300 cc:
Not really a huge field this year, with Boshuis again the prime championship candidate - the "Gouden Gids" team of van der Vliet, Deen (initially) and Redeker driving in a different league really, and even further down the gird the Mini's were found. Deen soon discovered thhat he could not compete with Boshuis on equal terms, so he stepped out of the team and bought Hezemans' 1971 Junior. While Deen got on the pace rather slowly, Boshuis could not deliver again. Bad luck, driving errors - Deen was the unexpected champion again.
1000-1150 cc:
One Fiat and a handful of DAF's - surely, the Trivellato Fiat would easily win from the unsporty, automatic and underpowered DAF. But again, the result was unpredictable; a young man called Han Tjan went faster and faster with the DAF, and finally a retirement of Strous in the last race meant that the championship went to Tjan.
0-1000 cc:
Slotemaker's Imp was sold to Laqeuille ut was no front runner anymore; Hans Kok had bought van der Pol's Abarth, was fast sometimes but a little unlucky too. Unsurprising, Dijkstra won another title here.
Still no official championship in Group 1, but three new classes added some spice. The 7000 guilders class was the domain of the Simca Rally and Rally 1, in the 8500 class a war raged between the Ford Escorts and the Fiat 128's. The new 11000, 14000 and 18000 classes had one thing in common - DNRT Opels were by far the fastest cars.
The races: |
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