Dubai 24: VDS Racing event summary

VDS Racing Adventures

Podium in Dubai and new ambitions!

After accomplishing some exceptional teamwork, Raphael van der Straten's VDS Racing Adventures obtained the 2nd place in the SP2 category ( and the 18th overall ) at the end of an international event of which the competition level rises every year.

With more than 80 cars at the start of which about ten in SP2, VDS Racing Adventures took on a big challenge with it's almost completely original Ford Mustang GT4 Evolution. While the qualifications were used to improve the settings of the car after some updates made by the team at the end of 2008, the race was going to happen like in a dream for Raphael "VDS"'s team.

"I didn't shout it of the roofs a lot because I wanted to prove the team's value before anything else but our ambitions were high here in Dubai" says the owner-pilot. "To accomplish them, I revised the team's structure and enlisted Dany Delvaux as team manager which made it also possible for me to concentrate more on my job as a pilot. Dany reorganised everything to his hand while keeping and actually improving the family spirit and the effects were noticeable from his first race at the center of the team. We have been very effective in the car's preparation and also with the pitwork, something that brought us in the top 5 of the teams who spent the least of time in the pitlane during these Dubai 24 Hours. Apart from a small two-minute repair during the night after a small accident, everything went as planned. We also enlisted Stephane Lemeret, who helped us with his experience while integrating perfectly and effectively with Jacques Morlet and Christian Deridder, accustomed team pilots. All these elements made it possible for the team to cross an important stage in its history and now we have new ambitions. The immediate future won't be the Dakar 24 Hours because they have been cancelled but this will make it possible to evaluate what we will plan for the rest of 2009 and beyond, on powerful and ambitious bases."

The final words come from one of the two "small newcomers" to the team, Stephane Lemeret. "I am really impressed by the work accomplished by VDS Racing Adventures in Dubai. The team's motivation is huge and everyone gave himself fully, with remarkable results. There are some small things needed to improve even further our performance level but the will to do this is there and if Raphael asks me, I would be pleased to help him achieve the goals he set himself. It was a real pleasure working with him and this really astonishing team."

Appointment thus soon for some new "Adventures" !

-credit: vdsra