Racing Day marks the start of the second half of the season with four title contenders
2024 Vice-champion Paul Meijer returns, Boudewijn Kuster makes his debut
Zonhoven, 30 July 2026. Summer is in full swing, which means the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux is heading to the northern Netherlands. The Racing Day at TT Circuit Assen is a permanent fixture on the calendar of the fastest one-make series in the Benelux and traditionally marks the beginning of the decisive phase of the championship battle. As always, the world-famous motorsport venue welcomes several notable guest drivers, and this season is no exception. One thing is certain: the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux will once again be one of the highlights of a weekend packed with motorsport action.
Racing Day at Assen offers fans of high-performance racing a unique concept. For three days, motorcycles, high-performance karts and race cars share the same event, attracting packed grandstands throughout the weekend. The Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux plays a central role, featuring two action-packed sprint races of 30 minutes plus one lap.
Title fight reaches its turning point
After the opening three rounds at Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort and Imola, Assen marks the start of the second half of the season and the decisive stage of the championship battle. A leading group of four drivers has emerged as the main title contenders, although several outsiders remain well within striking distance.
At the top of the standings, defending champion Jaap van Lagen (Team RaceArt) and reigning Rookie champion Milan Marczak (Ajith - RedAnt Racing) are tied on 111 points, twelve clear of Alexander Reimann (Quanloop EST1 Racing). Frank Porté Ruiz (NGT Racing) sits fourth with 72 points. Behindthem, a strong chasing pack is led by MDM Motorsport teammates Hjelte Hoffner (57) and Jan Seyffert (53). With 153 points still available, the battle for the 2026 title remains completely open.
The Rookie Championship promises to be just as exciting. Joep Breedveld (Team RaceArt) leads the standings with 106 points, four ahead of David Dziwok (102) and eleven clear of Arthur Peters (Team RaceArt). Attention will also be on Joep Muller (PG Motorsport), who failed to score after a crash during the opening weekend at Spa but has since mounted an impressive comeback to reach 88 points. Henry Wheeler ([a-workx] by KATANA Tools) also remains firmly in contention with 86 points.
Further names to watch include Jakub Twaróg (JW Raceservice), Jesse Polderdijk (Ajith - RedAnt Racing), Ali Aljuffali (Quanloop EST1 Racing) and Dino van der Geest (Team GP Elite).
In the PRO-AM category, Jani Käkelä (39 Racing) leads the standings, with Ihsan Levent Türkmen (MDM Motorsport) his closest challenger. In the Teams' Championship, Quanloop EST1 Racing and Team RaceArt currently share the lead.
At Assen, the championship regulars will be joined by two notable guest drivers. Paul Meijer, runner-up in the 2024 championship, returns with EST1 Racing. The fast Dutchman will also contest the entire second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Boudewijn Kuster will make his Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux debut. Best known as the race coach of brothers Joep and Mees Muller (PG Motorsport) through Motorsport in Motion, Kuster has been closely involved in Porsche racing for several years. Now, he is set to make his mark behind the wheel himself, much like Wouter Boerekamps did at Assen a few years ago. Kuster will race for JW Raceservice, the team that also fields Jakub Twaróg and Karol Kręt this season.
Free practice takes place on Friday, 31 July, with two 40-minute sessions scheduled at 09:48 and 14:13. Qualifying gets underway on Saturday at 10:30, followed by Race 1 at 15:33. Race 2 is scheduled for Sunday at 11:15.
As always, both races will be streamed live on the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux YouTube channel.
