Xavier Van Der Schoot ends the season with two victories and a double pole position
Newcomers make their mark during an exciting season finale in autumnal conditions
Zonhoven, 25 October 2026. The Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux season came to a close on Friday 23 October with a round at TT Circuit Assen in the north of the Netherlands. From next seasononwards, the championship will take on a very different shape. Before looking ahead to 2027, however, the competitors still had one final opportunity to fight for race victories and, of course, the 2026 titles. Following a fiercely contested season finale, Pierre Clay, driving for NGT Racing, was crowned Overall and GT3 Cup Class Champion, while Philipp Thomas (Team GP Elite) secured the title in the Cayman class.
Assen hosted the final round of the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux season. The weather treated teams and drivers to a true autumn day. In these conditions, Xavier Van Der Schoot (JW Raceservice) secured a double pole position in his Porsche 911 Cup (992.2). For the first race, Pierre Clay and Wouter Manderveld (Mama’s Nightmare) followed him on the grid, while Ivan Dobik(HADECA Racing) and Wouter Manderveld claimed second and third on the grid for Race 2, respectively. Philipp Thomas (Team GP Elite) was the fastest driver in the Cayman class in both qualifying sessions.
Xavier Van Der Schoot and Ivan Dobik share the victories as newcomers impress
The first race proved to be a straightforward affair for polesitter Xavier Van Der Schoot, who led from start to finish to secure a controlled victory ahead of Ivan Dobik. Behind Dobik, the battle for the final podium position was particularly intense, with newcomer Rutger Brakel (JW Raceservice) eventually claiming third place. Fellow rookie Arno Johnson (Team GP Elite) and Wouter Manderveld finished less than two seconds behind him.
The Cayman class also saw a newcomer celebrate success, as Rasmus Broman (TrackExp.eu) took the victory ahead of newly crowned champion Philipp Thomas.
Ivan Dobik then came out on top in the second sprint race, finishing ahead of Race 1 winner and polesitter Xavier Van Der Schoot. Philipp Thomas completed the podium, delivering a particularly strong performance in his Porsche Cayman GT4 RS. He finished ahead of several Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992.1) drivers, including Jan Lezer (Team GP Elite), Rutger Brakel and Guido Schmitt (Team GP Elite). Rasmus Broman finished second in the Cayman class.
The longer 45-minute race, which also brought the championship to a close, once again went to Xavier Van Der Schoot. He claimed victory by a narrow margin over newly crowned champion Pierre Clay and Rutger Brakel, who rounded off his first round in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux in impressive fashion. Arno Johnson and Jan Lezer followed behind the podium finishers, while Rasmus Broman once again claimed victory in the Cayman class. Guido Schmitt also featured among thefront-runners.
The season finale in Assen brings a successful sporting year for the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux to an end, with both experienced drivers and emerging talent making their mark on the competition. Pierre Clay and Philipp Thomas can now call themselves 2026 champions, while preparations for the future are already well underway behind the scenes.
