TDS Racing close to victory

Bas Schothorst’s long-awaited first victory is frustratingly still just out of reach.  In Budapest, having started from fifth position on Saturday, further to brake problems, he was on the point of winning the first race when a wire to the fuel tank broke, just five laps from his goal. 

The dejected Dutchman was forced to park his nr 3 Megane along the side of the track, further to this problem, previously unknown to TDS.  Until that moment, Bas’ second place would have given him victory, as a 10 second penalty was in store for the leader Niccolo Nalio, who had cut a chicane.

Nothing was going right for the team on Saturday, as David Dermont, starting from the first line and leading at one point when Comini stalled, was to get a rather debatable drive-through penalty, as it was the Swiss driver Thuner who, while trying to overtake David on lap seven in the wide right-handed corner at the top of the rise, had hit him while turning in too quickly on the front of the PC Tools Megane.  Dermont, who could have fought for victory, was still to claim third place further to the 20-second penalty given to Guilvert.  The latter had sent Wim Beelen into a spin, depriving him of his possible first podium. Wim was eventually to finish fourth.  As for Jeroen Schothorst, he finished eleventh.

On Sunday, determined to get the better of the bad luck which had hit them the day before, Bas Schothorst took the bull by the horns as soon as the lights went out, getting ahead of Comini to lead the field going into the first right-hander. Another duel then started between the two fastest drivers on the track, the Swiss driver this time attacking.  Bas Schothorst resisted, but pressure from the Oregon driver finally got through Bas’ defences. Minor contact put the McGregor Megane off the ideal racing line, which was also to Nalio’s advantage.  Soon after, the Italian made a mistake, and Bas reclaimed second position.  Shortly afterwards, Comini and Schothorst came in together for their stop. TDS, being faster, allowed their driver to regain the lead. Comini, behind Bas, began his attack again; eventually, Bas went wide into a corner and had to let the Swiss driver pass, three laps from the chequered flag. Not discouraged, Schothorst caught up with his rival again, but crossed the line right behind him, in second place, while David Dermont, after another fine race, finished ahead of Saturday’s winner, Nalio.  The Belgian driver was to claim two podium finishes, with this third place, and another category win.  Wim Beelen finished 5th, but kept his second place in the Gentlemen Drivers category, where Jeroen Schothorst was 4th, having finished 10th overall.

With TDS Racing in action at two different circuits on this first weekend of July, Xavier Combet was in Imola for the ILMC. It was therefore Jacques Morello who was in charge of the Megane Trophy team at Budapest :

« The weekend’s results are, of course, disappointing, especially for Bas, who had this mechanical issue.  On Saturday, we really had more than our fair share of problems !  David had a drive-through, which was to my opinion undeserved; as for Wim, he was lying third when he was taken off during the last lap.  Despite everything, the starting positions for Bas and David, as well as the overall performance of our cars, are generally encouraging.  We came close to victory both times, but our turn will come !
  
On Sunday, we did a very good pit-stop with Bas, and the three seconds we won allowed him to come back out ahead of Comini.  Unfortunately, he made a small mistake in the chicane which allowed Comini to pass again.  On the positive side, Bas had a good race pace, even better than that of Comini.  David and Wim put in solid performances, while Jeroen had a few mechanical worries, which saw him pushed to one side, while a penalty left him with a rather bitter taste. »

TDS Racing press release