2015 Glinden Auto Race

The 2015 Glinden Auto Race was a SUPRAC Cup race held on October 11, 2015 in Glinden, Zuidgelders. It was the tenth race of the inaugural SUPRAC Cup season, third Short track race of the season. It was won by Austin Parkin of Red Bull Racing.

Week Leading Up

• Thijs van Dalsen’s two-race stint for Lehmann Technik came to an end with Ross McRae returning from his suspension for a rules violation.

Qualifying

• Berthold Mentzel claimed Pole with a time of 23.369, over a tenth faster than second place Blake Gilmartin. It marks the second Pole position for Mentzel so far this season, despite having only managed a high of 12th in the last four races.
• Blake Gilmartin will start in second for the second consecutive week.
• Hubert Stumpel had his highest result of the season to this point, qualifying 10th.
• Jeppe Passer matched his highest qualifying of the season in 11th.
• Ross McRae’s return to the seat proved disappointing, only managing 26th.
• Hunter Davies failed to qualify for the race for the first time.
• After two great finishes, Martijn van Poppel failed to qualify for this race, finishing last with a time of 24.309.

Pre-Race

• All teams and drivers passed inspection.
• Weather was cloudy, and remained so for the duration of the race.

Race

Race Events

• Lap 0: Knud Nielsen and Hubert Stumpel collide going into Turn 1, both getting collected by Max Arias, which brought out the caution flag. Frans van Schooten took evading action during the carnage but lost a couple of spots in the process, whilst Jack O’Connell took damage, hindering his performance for the rest of the race, eventually going on to finish five laps down. Max Arias was taken to hospital where it was confirmed he had mild concussion and a cracked rib, forcing him to miss the next race.
• Lap 21: Green Flag is waved.
• Lap 27: Earnest Carter, sitting 11th at the time, complains of exhaust fumes in the car.
• Lap 41: Frans van Schooten (27th) gets a black flag for dropping oil, and mere moments later, Ferdi Arnold (24th) spins to the top of the banking in Turn 2 and collides with the barrier, bringing out the second caution of the day. Post-race, Arnold was furious at officials for letting van Schooten run a number of laps, dropping oil around the track.
• Lap 47: Green Flag is waved.
• Lap 61: Anthony Crow (5th), has a slow pit stop after the wheel nut jams and loses 6 spots.
• Lap 82: Bill Redhead complains of his car being down on power. He pits for minor repairs and comes out in 27th.
• Lap 83: Boris Visser overtakes Berthold Mentzel for the lead of the race.

• Lap 92: Karlheinz Schmitt (18th) has fading brakes and pits, he comes out 25th, 4 laps down.
• Lap 99: John Sleeth (28th) runs up the track and nearly loses control into the barriers, but saves it just in time.
• Lap 103: Race leader Boris Visser spins in the same spot as Ferdi Arnold and slams into the barriers hard. After hitting the barriers, his car slides back down the track and collects Ross McRae, who had just gone a lap down, forcing both to retire. This brings out the third caution of the day, and moves Berthold Mentzel back into the lead of the race.
• Lap 118: Green Flag is waved.
• Lap 119: Karlheinz Schmitt (25th), continues to have fading brake issues, making him come in to the pits once again.
• Lap 125: Jean-Pierre Jegou (16th) is forced to pit with gearbox issues. He emerges out of the pits a couple of minutes later in 24th, 4 laps down.
• Lap 137: Gabriel Wöstmann, having a great race in 4th, is forced to slow down with overheating issues. He’ll eventually fall away from the leaders, but hold on to finish 6th.
• Lap 139: Elliot Lindvall (12th), not having the best of days, has to pit with an intermittent engine misfire.
• Lap 149: Austin Parkin overtakes his team-mate for the lead of the race, with Blake Gilmartin moving up to second after Berthold Mentzel was forced off the racing groove.
• Lap 152: WLD Racing’s Ricard Hansson spins on his own at Turn 4, suffering front suspension damage and bringing out the caution flag for the 4th time today.
• Lap 154: Whilst pitting under caution, Gabriel Wöstmann & Paul Lindqvist, 4th and 31st respectively, both have minor fires stemming from re-fueling. They lose time and places as a result. Elsewhere, Tommy Gardner in 13th loses 4 spots after stalling his engine.
• Lap 166: Green Flag is waved.
• Lap 189: Francis Forestier (10th), power slides up the banking of Turn 3 after missing his brake marker. He keeps it off the wall and resumes racing.
• Lap 190: Ulrik Wiklund in 24th, nearly clips the barriers through Turns 1 and 2 whilst running the high line, forcing him to lift, and losing 4 spots in very quick succession.
• Lap 240: Austin Parkin crosses the line for his first win of the season, as well as his 1st Top 5 finish. Blake Gilmartin comes home second, and Berthold Mentzel finishes third. Dario Heinrich rounds-out the Top 10, and the last driver on the lead lap.

Championship Standings After the Race