AJ 2011 : THE LIFE OF A TRAVELING MOTORSPORT FREAK!2011-12-23
As motorsport is the most important thing in my life, this blog shows you where I went and what I saw... 2011 was another great year my life! Travelled all over Europe and twice to the States. So happy to made a living out of my passion!
This old BMW E36 328i took me to a lot of racetracks... During the cold winter in Belgium we had a lot of snow and it gave me a lot of fun to drive this car!
First race I want to was the \"nieuwjaarsrace\" in Zandvoort! Here we see Henk Haane in a Porsche.
Next stop was Autosport International in Birmingham. There I witnessed the presentation of the new Lotus-Renault team... That time it was clear Robert Kubica would be their lead driver...
Autosport International always has great presentations of new and older cars! Like this McLaren driven by my all time hero Ayrton Senna.
But at the end of January I get really bored because there is nothing going on in Europe, I fly every year to Daytona Beach USA... Simply because \"life is better there\"...
And not only the races are better there, also the weather!
So first thing on the schedule was the Rolex 24 hour race. This was the 49th running of the event! Daytona Prototypes battle it out for the win while the GT\'s provide some close racing.
Nightshot of Patrick Dempseys Mazda RX8.
At the Rolex 24 you can find a great display of former competing cars like this great Porsche 935. I look forward to the 2012 edition because the 50th celebration will be awesome!
The Turner BMW looks great!
A few days later I went to Sebring for an event called \"The Porsche 48 Hours\"... A packed series of great races with Porsche only! Great racing...
Then I went to The Central Floride Racing Complex in Orlando to watch some drifting. I had a great night at the track.
Then again to Sebring for the American Le Mans Series, winter test
The Corvette works team always builds the top GT2 cars!
Cool to see was the DAARA classic club races at Orlando Speedworld.
Then again to Daytona for the speedweeks. 10 days of pure motorsport fun with at the end the DAYTONA 500, the great American race. This year we saw the cars pushing at over 200 mph
seeing some cars go of track...
Saying hi to Robby Gordon...
and standing next to the future NASCAR sprint cup champion Tony Stewart, my favorite NASCAR driver!
#14, the number Tony Stewart has on his car used to be the number of AJ Foyt, an other all time hero.... Well AJ Foyt... AJ... you see the link? :-)
After being a month in Daytona Beach, I think this is the best way to get old... Cruising on the beach in the sun... well, time to come back to Europe to work, organize and judge...
So back in business again. First on the program : Driftschool @Zolder. Here my Skylimit brother Jo Lammens watches a new student in our driftschool... photo Brecht Decancq
Doing some serious work by testing our Speedseat! A perfect way to learn new tracks and coach drivers!
Presentation of our new Skylimit Porsches... The yellow 996 GT3 R is used for passenger rides while the green machine will compete in Belgian GT. photo Brecht Decancq
On March 9 we had our first 2011 trackday @ Circuit Zolder. This Nissan GT-R was one of our customers that day.photo Brecht Decancq
Pieter Van Hoorick tested his new build M3 V8 during the first round of the Skylimit Drift Cup.photo Brecht Decancq
Me judging together with Jo Lammens, the Belgian Duke of Drift!
Randy Congedo, the future Skylimit Drift champ in his Corolla! photo Brecht Decancq
End of March, driftday for POCA, the Porsche Owners Club Antwerp. Here we see Tom Van den Plas being coached by Thijs Brusselman. photo Dennis Brans
During a Thursday practice at Zolder, a tow car brings a stranded Nissan GT-R back to it\'s pitbox. I thought they were bringing it to me :-)
Our first Spa trackday of the year under a bright sun on March 21. photo Philippe Govaerts
Then off to the great Nürburgring to watch my annual VLN race. This endurance championship is one of the greatest in the world.
It was also impressive to see the AMG SLS on the Nordschleife. This one is sponsored by our long time partner, Yokohama.
April started well with a nice trip to the south of France. Le Mans Series opener at Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet!
The GT class is the closest in the field. Here we see the Prospeed Porsche of my friend Marc Goossens.
Then back to Zolder for the opening race of the BELCAR. First race of our new SKYLIMIT RACE TEAM...
One week later guiding our drifters at Race Wars, the biggest tuning meeting in Belgium.
And coaching our drivers during the second BELCAR race of the year. Here with Sven Van Laere.
In May I competed in the Clean Week Tour! With Rudi Steylaerts as Co-driver we tried to get a good result in the BUGA Fiat 500! foto Ronald Janssens RJ online
Finished 2nd place overall between an Italian and a Spanish team. Great result!
Trackday Circuit Zolder May 11. Daniel Dobitch learns the track at the Skylimit trackday ahead of his drive during the German ADAD GT Masters. photo Brecht Decancq
Great company event for BREMBO. They really enjoyed the Skylimit crew and cars. photo Brecht Decancq
The QSR BMWs did a great job!
Here I did some nice laps in this fabulous Nissan GT-R. Jonas did put more power and huge Alcon brakes on this GT-R what makes the car even better! The best road car I have ever driven! photo Brecht Decancq
Then off to Hockenheim for the opening round of IDS! photo Lisa Linke
Coming back home for a skylimit driftschool where we were lucky to see this classic Toyota Celica! Awesome car. Photo Brecht Decancq
Next on was Poland. Poznan hosted the first round of the PFD Polish Drift Championship. Certainly the highest level of drifting in Europe right now. Here we are judging on the roof. Christy Carpenter and me while the picture was taken by the other judge James Hudson!
Pawel Trela was doing backwards entries round after round in practice... He showed already during his first laps, the Polish drift year would be awesome!
May 26 I was lucky to test the new Renault Mégane RS at Spa Francorchamps. A great car! Photo Brecht Decancq
Then off to Kielce for the second round of the Polish Drift Championship! Standing at the wall of death!
Next on my program was the legendary Le Mans 24 Hour race in the middle of France. Peugeot was the favorite team but...
Audi was the winning team after a heroic race!
Then I judged at the Allstars Drift Championship at Anneau du Rhin in France. Here Patrick Ritzmann in his Supra powered BMW. photo by Lisa Linke
Talking with a very talented Swiss drifter, Philippe Guillod. Photo fabian Linder
I had fun watching the drivers getting better all the time! Photo Alok Paleri
One week later I was for the first time in Czech Republik for an IDS round together with the Czech drifters at the rallycross track in Sosnova. Here we have the briefing!
Michael Scherr almost rubbing the wall at Sosnova! His win in this IDS round made him the favorite to clinch the titel, what he did later in the year! Congratz herr Scherr! photo Lisa Linke
This was summer in Czech Republic... Cold, rain but good fun with the drivers and fellow judges!
July 7 driftschool @ Zolder... This time we got a visit from double Belgian GT-Open champion Dylan Derdaele and his Ferrari... What a sound, what a view... photo Wim Nuyts
Drivers ready for the skylimit trackday on july 27 @ circuit Zolder. photo Dennis Noten
Then there was the famous Spa 24 hour race. This year I went there to coach Christoff Corten who drove the Level Racing Porsche
Together with Mathijs Harkema, Brody and Kurt Dujardin, Christoff Corten became first Porsche in the results! A great achievement, and the first podium at the Spa 24 hours for a car carrying our Skylimit Race Club Logo!
At the Nürburgring for the next IDS round... As the track was run in the opposite direction, I spend a lot of time coaching the drivers for this faster lay-out... photo Fabian Linder
Philippe Guillod copying the line of Andrew Hirschy! The Swiss drifters improved a lot during 2011!
With the other judge Faruk at the ring... it was \"wunderbra\" :-) photo Lisa Linke
Then back to my Polish friends for the next round of PDF in Koszalin, in the north of Poland
Talking to the clients in the Zolder pitlane during one of our trackdays...
Also in August we had our first selection of Driftgirl 2012 with Stéphanie Van Lingen winning the round. This happened at Action Kart
My ride in the second part of 2011... Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VI... what a beast...
My team manager seat during the Zolder 24 Hour race... It was the first 24 hour race of our team and we did it great!
Our Porsche full of battle scars reaches the finish, winning our class and P10 overall. Photo Steve Houbourdyn
We did it! It was a great result for this new team! Thanks for the great race guys!
Then back to Poland for what must be a legendary drift event. In the mountains at ski resort Karpacz. Here we are doing a briefing with the drivers!
Because of the long drift track, and not being possible to see the whole track, we had to judge via screens... New to us but it was really OK... A huge crowd around the track!
The VIP food was really good :-)
Explaining what I wanted to see as a judge... Pawel Trela and Kuba Przygonski listened very well, as they went on to the big binal, won by Trela! Karpacz was amazing!
Skylimit driftcup in September. The Cox brothers in their nice Toyota Starlet. photo Brecht Decancq
Final round of PFD in Poland, Poznan...
Once again judging on the roof! Tor Poznan is a great drift track... Look forward to meet my Polish friends again in 2012...
After all that traveling trough Europe, now time for some vacation... Los Angeles!
The Hollywood sign.... Oh I like California!
But no holliday without motorsport for me! Formula D finals at Irwindale speedway, called the house of drift! Here Ken Gushi in his Scion! Photo Lisa Linke
The house of drift was fully packed! Great crowd, amazing atmosphere... great photo by Lisa Linke
Driving on the Glendora Mountain Road in California... Probably the nicest road I ever drove on...photo Brecht Decancq
Me driving the Mitsubishi Eclipse with Brecht Decancq as passenger on the Glendora Mountain Road... Photo Lisa Linke
Los Angeles National Forest with behind the mountains a 50km view towards LA... I love that place
Canyon roads around LA FTW... photo Brecht Decancq
ended the trip in Las Vegas! photo Brecht Decancq
driftschool Zolder 13 oktober
Karen Vaes and Stéphanie Van Lingen reached the final of Skylimit Driftgirl 2012...photo Brecht Decancq
Skylimit trackday in Spa on October 20. Jo Lammens coaching Maarten Makelberge
SKYLIMIT trackdays = fun for everyone... Nico Verdonck in the Vita4one GT3 Ferrari 458 in between 2 of our clients... photo Brecht Decancq
Skylimit Driftcup final! Kevin Corsius versus Randy Congedo... Great battles! photo Brecht Decancq
The same day finals for driftgirl 2012! photo Patrick Visser
Skylimit driftcup champion 2012 : Randy Congedo!
Driftgirl 2012 title went to both Stéphanie Van Lingen and Karen Vaes... They will be seen in 2012 on the drift tracks in Belgium! photo Patrick Visser
Driftschool November 3... The driftgirls are preparing for their first year in competition... photo Brecht Decancq
November 6, skylimit trackday... Our 2 Porsches on the Zolder backstraight under the Yokohama bridge...photo Dennis Noten
Another great shot by Dennis Noten of our Porsche 996 GT3 R
Our team on the grid for the 1000 km of Zolder! Jo Lammens and Bruno Vermeeren did a great job till a brake failure... But our maiden season was great!
Skylimit Driftschool on november 19... photo Brecht Decancq
Private driftschool november 20... Photo Dennis Noten
Final 2011 driftschool on december 16... photo Brecht Decancq
photo Brecht Decancq...This was my 2011... It was a great year, but I feel 2012 will even be better! Thanks for everybody who helped me in making this my best 2011 I ever had and see you soon!
Well in a few weeks I will be thinking about you while cruising on Daytona Beach! See you at the racetrack...Andy \"AJ\" Jaenen!