It was an exceptionally busy and challenging weekend for Brent Verheyen at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, with back-to-back races in two different championships: the Belcar Endurance Championship and the iconic 25 Hours VW Fun Cup.
The action kicked off on Thursday with the first test sessions for the Fun Cup. For Brent, it had been a while since he last drove one of these cars, so the opening laps were all about getting back into the rhythm. Once settled, the pace was immediately strong. Together with teammates Colin Coox and Pol Van Pollaert, Brent logged long stints, found a good setup, and matched the top times in a field of 115 entries. Confidence was high heading into the long race weekend.
Friday was a busy day with both programs running in parallel. The morning began with Belcar practice in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, which was tough for Brent. With only 45 minutes shared between himself and teammate Michael Cool, track time was limited, and he struggled to find the feeling with the car. Immediately after that session, Brent switched to the Fun Cup for its practice session, where everything clicked perfectly. He set the second-fastest time in his stint, which ended up 11th overall out of 115. A solid result.
After Fun Cup practice, it was back to the Belcar Porsche for qualifying. This time the feeling was much better, and Brent managed to put in a strong lap for P4 on the grid. While not a perfect lap, it was a personal best and gave the team a solid starting position for Saturday’s race. Later that evening, Colin Coox took on Fun Cup qualifying duties solo. He ran as high as P2 during the session, but track limits penalties meant the team would eventually line up 18th on the grid. Still very respectable in such a massive field.
Saturday was the real test of endurance. The day began with the 2-hour Belcar race. Michael Cool took the start, keeping close contact with the lead group before handing over to Brent about 15 seconds off the leaders. Brent’s opening laps were difficult as he continued on the same used tyres from Michael’s stint. Once the team switched to fresh tyres, his pace improved significantly, but the gap to the front was too large to close. The pair ultimately finished P4, matching their qualifying spot in what Brent described as a "solid but uneventful race." The car was clean, the laps were consistent, and they brought it home with no mistakes, just missing out on the podium.
Immediately after stepping out of the Porsche, Brent had to head straight to the Fun Cup grid. Colin started the 25H race, with Brent present for all pre-race ceremonies and grid activities. After Colin’s opening stint, the team was running P4 overall and leading their class. However, luck wasn’t always on their side with the timing of full course yellows, which forced them to make pit stops under green while rivals gained time under FCY. Despite this, the team stayed firmly in contention.
Brent’s first stint in the Fun Cup began around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. He drove through the darkness for the first time at Spa in a Fun Cup, facing not only the challenges of night racing but also intermittent rain showers that made conditions even trickier with 115 cars on track. He handed over the car to Jarne Geussens around midnight still in the fight for the class podium, though an overall podium was slipping out of reach due to those FCY-period setbacks.
After finishing that night stint cleanly with no contact or penalties, Brent got a well-deserved rest. He was scheduled to rejoin around 1 p.m. Sunday for his final driving duties. But Sunday delivered persistent rain, which changed the team’s strategy. During his first Sunday stint, the tyres were too worn to deliver competitive times, so they opted to pit early and switch with Pol while fitting fresh tyres. That proved to be the right call, as Pol delivered excellent lap times and kept the team in contention.
Brent then climbed back in the car for the final three-hour stint to the finish. The conditions were extremely challenging with heavy rain, constant full course yellows, and numerous incidents around the circuit. Despite it all, he kept the car on track, avoided contact, and delivered consistent laps to bring the car safely home. The team secured a fantastic P3 in their class and 11th overall out of 115 starters, all while returning the car in perfect condition, without a single scratch.
"It was a really tough race, especially that final stint in the rain," Brent reflected. "But we kept it clean, avoided mistakes, and delivered a great result. I'm really proud of the whole team. Colin, Jarne, Pol, the crew, everyone did a fantastic job. It’s a great feeling to finish on the podium in our class and bring the car back without any damage after 25 hours at Spa."
A massive challenge, two races in one weekend on the same circuit, but Brent Verheyen delivered strong drives in both, showing consistency, adaptability, and endurance. The Belcar result brings solid points for the championship, while the Fun Cup podium is a well-deserved reward after a long, demanding weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.
Next race: 24 Hours of Zolder, August, 30-31
