13/02/2026
A Season to Remember β Reflection on My 2-Litre Hotrod Year
Now that the dust has settled and the engines have cooled down, itβs time to look back and reflect on a season that tested us, shaped us, and ultimately rewarded us in ways we could only have dreamed of at the start.
We began the year with two cars on the grid and a lot of motivation. My father returned to racing after being out for several years, and the comeback wasnβt easy. From the very first races, he struggled to find his rhythm. The car simply didnβt feel right, and week after week we searched for answers. The entire season felt like a battle against mechanical issues, bad luck, and even a few questionable suspensions that made things harder than they needed to be. Eventually we discovered that the main problem had been hiding in the rear shock absorbers all along β a frustrating realization after so many difficult races. By then, the tone of his season had already been set, but his perseverance and support never faded.
My own season started in a completely different way. I opened the championship with three incredibly strong races, immediately placing myself at the top of the standings. Very quickly people began to say that my father would help me win the championship. I knew that if I actually managed to win it, some would say my success came because of him β and that my own performances might be overshadowed. That thought stayed with me throughout the season and pushed me even harder to prove myself on the track.
Looking back now, I can honestly say it was a year of dominance and consistency. We were fast everywhere we went. At my home circuit in Lelystad, I managed to win every single race β something incredibly special to me. In roughly 95 percent of the events we set the fastest lap times, and our consistency was unmatched. We missed only one heat all year, and every other event we finished β a testament to both speed and reliability.
The results speak for themselves. We won the NNO Championship by just one point β proof that every lap, every pass, and every decision mattered. We claimed victory in the Continental Cup. We won the Dutch Open β a race that, when you watch the footage back, clearly shows the intense push-and-pull battles that defined the competition, personally the result doesnt sit right with me. And perhaps most importantly to me, we captured what I consider the ultimate prize: the Overall Points Championship.
There are prestigious races like the World Championship or the European Championship, but those are decided in a single event β a single day where everything has to come together at once. Winning the overall championship means something different. It shows that you werenβt just the best for a moment; you were the most consistent, the strongest, and the most complete driver over an entire season. That is something I am incredibly proud of, and to me it means even more than a potential European/British/National or World title won on a single day.
None of this would have been possible without the people around me. Henri, my father, my mother, my grandparents, Gerton, Talitha, Alex, Roy, and Jeffrey β your support, hard work, belief, and sacrifices made this season what it was. I am deeply grateful and incredibly proud to have such an amazing team behind me.
A special thank you to Michael Smith from A1 Performance Products. Your support, dedication, and effort have meant everything to us this season. Because of your hard work and expertise, you gave us what we truly believe is the best car in the Netherlands. We are incredibly grateful for everything you do for our team β your passion and commitment make all the difference, both on and off the track.
And finally, a warm welcome to our new main sponsor, Weidenaar Tankstations in Deventer. Your support marks an exciting new chapter, and we are proud to carry your name into the next season.
And thanks to all our sponsors:
MV Car Business Ommen
Vowinkel Tweewieles Ommen
Spanbandenwinkel Ommen
TRV Ommen
Autohandel Blaauwgeers Coevorden
DIWO techniek Ommen
Luvro Coevorden
Koggel autoschade Ommen
Mustb Kampen
Weidenaar tankstations Deventer
Bos montage ter Apel
Meijerink automotive Ommen
Leon van de kevie
Rik Huizing totaal metaal ter Apel
AB airco Vroomshoop
A1 performance products
And for all the pics:
Heman te Broeke
Wim kuipers
This year wasnβt just about trophies or statistics. It was about perseverance, teamwork, growth, and proving what we are capable of over the long run. A season to be proud of β and one we will never forget.
