Heats
1978 Nivelles 
1977 Nivelles Benelux  Go 1979 Nivelles Benelux 
1978 Zolder EG 
Back to index page

Coupes Benelux

Nivelles, Belgium

Date: 9/7/1978
Track length: 3.724 m
Attendance: A few
Entries accepted:
Starters:
Finishers:

Pole position:
Fastest lap:

Distance: 12 laps
Average speed: 119,236 kmh (Pr <1600); 130,879 kmh (Pr >1600); 137,0 kmh (Gr2-5 <1600); 144,0 kmh (Gr 2-5 >1600)
Weather: Very wet
Ruleset: Group 2-5/76, Group 1B
Car info: 1978 Cars

 

Bad weather, a desolate track and no spectators to speak of - Nivelles presented itself yet again as a racetrack with no future - and no past.
The production races were not too bad really; De Deyne had his work cut out with Willy Braillard who took the lead initially. Tassin followed, but left the track on the first corner already, mowing some fence work in the process. But when Braillard left room for De Deyne to pass at the hairpin, the entertaining train was broken.
The second production race was not by Semoulin without much trouble; on the drying track, drivers with slicks or intermediates had an advantage - Braillard had to settle for fifth on full wets.
Vanierschot won the small Group 2-5 race, of course; but the fight between Redeker and Boxberger was fine, with the Dutchman claiming second place by a narrow margin.
And Bourgoignie had a lonely victory in the last race - a farce, he won nearly a minute ahead of allrounder Duez.

Production under 1600 cc
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1   Valvoline Racing
VW Golf GTI		 Michel De Deyne, B
 1588 L4 1600 12 laps, 22.29,2        
2 2 68? Luigi Racing Lotto
Toyota Trueno		 Willy Braillard, B
 1588 L4 1600 12 laps, 22.33        
3 3   SRT Competition
Sunbeam Avenger		 Remy Marquet, B
 1594 L4 1600 12 laps, 22.45        
4 4   T. Celi-Duckham’s
Toyota Sprinter		 Baudoin Van der Rest, B
 1588 L4 1600 12 laps, 22.45        
5 5   Ecurie Le Perron
Sunbeam Avenger		 Francy Lacroix, B
 1594 L4 1600 12 laps, 22.49        
6 6    
VW Scirocco GTI		 Bernard Carlier, B
 1588 L4 1600 12 laps, 22.51        
7 7   Racing Car Mosan
Sunbeam Avenger		 Maurice Gaspard, B
 1594 L4 1600 12 laps, 22.54        
8 8   SRT Junior Team
Sunbeam Avenger		 Valentin Simons, B
 1594 L4 1600 12 laps, 23.07        
9 9   Cromwell Remco Team
Audi 80 GTE		 Marc Piessens, B
 1588 L4 1600 12 laps, 23.08        
10 10    
Chrysler Avenger		 Charles Sladden, B
 1594 L4 1600 12 laps, 23.32        
11 1    
Simca Rallye 3		 Marc Donner, B
 1294 L4 1300 12 laps, 23.38        

Production over 1600 cc
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1   Ford Castrol Team
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Alain Semoulin, B
 2993 V6 +2500 12 laps, 20.29,2        
2 2   Belga Team
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Jean-Michel Martin, B
 2993 V6 +2500 12 laps, 20.35        
3 3   Power Castrol
BMW 530i		 Alain Peltier, B
 2985 L6 +2500 12 laps, 20.36        
4 4   Belga Team
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Philippe Martin, B
 2993 V6 +2500 12 laps, 20.54        
5 5   Luigi Racing Lotto
BMW 530i		 Willy Braillard, B
 2985 L6 +2500 12 laps, 21.10        
6 6   Ecurie Le Perron
Opel Commodore GS/E		 Philippe Ménage, B
 2784 L6 +2500 12 laps, 21.19        
7 7   Joosen Racing
BMW 530i		 Dirk Vermeersch, B
 2985 L6 +2500 12 laps, 21.26        
8 8   Cl. A. Francorchamps
BMW 530i		 André Gavage, B
 2985 L6 +2500 12 laps, 21.29        
9 1    
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Julien Vernaeve, B
 1998 L4 2500 12 laps, 21.30        
10 9   Luigi Racing Lotto
BMW 3.0 CSi		 Michel Paulus, B
 2985 L6 +2500 12 laps, 21.32        

Group 2-5 under 1600 cc
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1    
Alpine A 110 1600S		 Albert Vanierschot, B
 1565 L4 1600 12 laps, 19.27,4        
2 2    
Alpine A 110 1600S		 Rob Redeker, NL
 1565 L4 1600 12 laps, 20.21        
3 3   MAC Heusden
VW Scirocco		 Marcel Boxberger, B
 1596 L4 1600 12 laps, 20.22        
4 1    
NSU 1200 TT		 Robert Vanhoornweder, B
 1177 L4 1300 12 laps, 20.34        
5 4    
Audi 80 GT		 Claude Bollache, B
 1588 L4 ?1600 12 laps, 20.39        

Group 2-5 over 1600 cc
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1   Team Willeme
Porsche 935 K2		 Claude Bourgoignie, B
 2857 tc B6 +2000 12 laps, 18.32,8        
2 2   Jean-Pierre Gaban
Porsche 934		 Marc Duez, B
 2993 tc B6 +2000 12 laps, 19.24        
3 3   Team Dubois
De Tomaso Pantera		 Philippe Bervoets ("Davit"), B
 5763 V8 +2000 12 laps, 19.35        
4 4    
Porsche 934		 Raymond Raus, B
 2993 tc B6 +2000 12 laps, 19.39        
5 5    
Porsche Carrera		 ? Thierry Perrier, F
   B6 +2000 12 laps, 20.04        
6 6   Serge Power BMW Castrol?
BMW 530i		 Albert Vanierschot, B
 2985 L6 +2000          
7? 1?    
BMW 2002		 Erwin Van den Broeck, B
 1990 L4 +2000          
8? 2?    
BMW 2002		 Philippe Hendrickx, B
 1990 L4 +2000 10