After a promising run in Zandvoort, Brent Verheyen and Colin Coox headed to France for the 8 Hours of Nogaro, the penultimate round of the French Fun Cup Championship. The duo showed podium-worthy pace throughout the weekend but were denied a top-three finish due to a mechanical failure.
Qualifying on Saturday looked promising, with the pair setting the fifth-fastest lap overall. However, with the Fun Cup’s lottery-style grid shuffle, their position was drawn as P19 for the start on Sunday. Undeterred, Coox made an excellent start, climbing rapidly through the field and handing the car to Verheyen after 40 minutes in fifth place overall. Verheyen continued the charge, and within another stint the team had moved up to second place overall.
For more than five hours, the pair held a secure position in the top three, consistently running podium pace and building a comfortable gap to the cars behind. Even when a Full Course Yellow cost them second place, they remained firmly in P3 and well clear of fourth. Everything pointed towards a strong podium finish, until disaster struck.
During Verheyen’s stint, while braking into Turn 4, he suddenly lost brake pressure and steering alignment. Limping the car back to the pits, it became clear that a wheel bearing had failed. The mechanics worked quickly to repair the car, managing to send it back out after around five minutes, but the podium was lost. The Petrolheads by Dupon car rejoined in tenth position, and despite a spirited recovery drive, the duo crossed the line in P7 overall.
“It’s disappointing not to finish on the podium, because we had the pace and really deserved it,” said Brent Verheyen. “For five hours we were right there in the top three and everything was under control. But that’s endurance racing, sometimes it comes down to luck. Still, we showed once again that we belong at the front, and I’m proud of the way we fought until the end.”
With more than 60 cars entered, finishing seventh was still a respectable result, though less than what the team was capable of. For Coox, the focus now shifts to the season finale in Portimão, where he will try to secure third place in the championship standings. Verheyen will miss the race due to Belcar commitments but is confident his teammates can deliver a strong finish.
